“Authentically Themselves”: Ben & Rose Have Turned Down Record Deals, Never Given An Interview
Ben & Rose don’t put on too many shows – and they played their last ones of 2026 last Sunday, August 2, to big crowds at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (more on that below).
We’ve been following Ben and Rose’s music since late 2024, from their first eye-and-ear-catching viral appearance as an Amish couple playing a classic country music tune to dozens of song releases since. A profile from LancasterOnline, published ahead of their concerts gave us a bit more insight into the musical couple – and in a follow-up, a report from the shows.
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They’ve turned down big record labels
To this date, Ben & Rose’s YouTube channel is approaching 50 million total views of their songs – and record labels have come calling. It may surprise some to learn they’ve turned them down:
“As far as numbers go, they do not give a rip,” says Fisher. “As a producer, when they come in with a song, I know what’s going to go and what’s not going to.”
But that’s not their concern, Fisher says.
Fisher says he’s turned down large labels that wanted to sign Ben & Rose, just because they don’t want it.
Most people who get that kind of opportunity are probably going to take it – but clearly they want to be in control of what they’re doing as far as their music goes.
They’ve never given a press interview
To date, Ben and Rose have never sat down for an interview. They declined again ahead of these shows. Conrad has talked about them a bit in one or two past interviews, though without revealing a lot.
Fisher describes their appeal in simple terms: “I think what makes them special in general is they’re just authentically themselves…There’s no pretense or schtick to what they do…They’re two people that like to sing together.”
A stone mason and a painter
Away from music, Ben works as a stone mason. Rose is a homemaker who sells her own paintings (she had some on sale at the recent shows). It sounds like they know what they like and want, and are staying grounded in that. Good for them.
Unsurprisingly, we learn that they “don’t want the fame,” and aren’t that into touring. I wonder if they will warm up to more of that in time. Conrad seems to suggest that since it sounds like they’ve put a lot of effort into doing a great live show:
“The last half year we’ve been focusing on making sure our live show is great, and then once that falls down, we’ll focus on putting out original material and focusing on the online stuff,” Fisher says.
I’m sure a lot of their fans wouldn’t mind if they do decide to go on the road a bit more. But learning that they’ve turned down labels, interviews, and I assume, aren’t booking as many dates as they could be, suggests they are doing things their own way. And good for them.
I suspect an Amish upbringing tempering the desire for fame and a busy road life may have some part in that. But even so, they could if they wanted to, and it wouldn’t be so odd, especially as they’re no longer in an Old Order Amish church.
The Lancaster Shows
Ben & Rose played the American Music Theatre last Sunday, with Conrad Fisher opening and performing alongside them for part of the set. According to a follow-up report from LNP, the sold-out matinee drew fans from far beyond Lancaster County.
That included busloads from New Jersey and Delaware, visitors from Belize and Ireland, and two carloads of Rhinelander Mennonite fans who drove more than 2,000 miles from Chihuahua, Mexico.
One attendee, an Amish woodworker from New Holland who knows people in Ben & Rose’s families, said of the couple: “They’re very adamant that they’re not doing it for their own fame.”
Conrad’s five-piece band backed Ben & Rose, and going by the article they played a lot of the tunes they’re best known for, like “Lord I Don’t Need a Mansion,” “Slowly But Surely,” and “If Teardrops Were Pennies.”
Rose’s siblings Mike and Marty even joined them onstage for an encore of “Palms of Victory” (which the four recorded together and released several months ago).
Conrad and Ben both told the crowd about the first concerts they ever attended at that same venue. Years later they’ve sold it out themselves. “It’s very unexpected. But we just really appreciate you guys,” Ben told the crowd.
When you look at the response they got here – and read about carloads of people driving 2,000 miles to see them – clearly they could be playing more shows. But they choose not to, at least at this point. I can respect that.
In any case it’s nice to get a bit more insight behind the couple. I’ve never reached out to do a Q and A with them, but if they happen to read this, they are always welcome to share a bit more here with us 😉 Either way, we’ll keep enjoying the music!
