Latest news with #Kweller
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ben Kweller Opens Up About Son's Death for the First Time 2 Years After Teen Died in 'Fluke' Car Accident
While speaking with Vulture about his upcoming album, Ben Kweller opened up about his son Dorian's death two years ago The singer-songwriter shared with the outlet the details of the "fluke" car accident that killed the 16-year-old Kweller is also a father to son Judah, whom he shares with his wife Liz Smith KwellerBen Kweller is opening up for the first time about his son's death. During an interview with Vulture, the singer-songwriter, 43, talked about the "fluke" car accident that took his son Dorian's life in February 2023. For the first time, the musician shared the details of the incident and the emotions he went through following the loss of his 16-year-old son. Kweller explained that Dorian was driving home from a friend's house when he swerved off the shoulder of the road to avoid a truck. A branch then broke through his car windshield, hitting Dorian in the head and killing him. 'The car was fine,' Kweller told the outlet, recalling Dorian's car accident. 'It's like, 'What the f---, man?' It's fluke s---. It's just a f------ branch.' "The hole was this big," he said, making a hole with his fist roughly the size of a tangerine. 'When I'm talking to other parents about it, I almost want to tell them, 'Don't worry,' you know? 'I was able to take it off the table. It's not going to happen to you.' That's weird. Is that weird?' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Before the accident, there was a period in Kweller's life when he didn't have a connection to music. He told the outlet that during that time, when there was also a traumatic carbon-monoxide poisoning incident that almost ended his entire family's lives, he only did "the bare minimum to pay my mortgage and support my family." "It's really weird,' he said. 'Dorian dying should have been the moment that disconnected me the most. It shattered me, but it's also somehow the thing that's helping me with all the other stuff.' On Friday, May 30, Kweller released Cover the Mirrors, his first album since losing his son. After the incident, he threw himself into one of his earliest passions. While the 12-track project features more upbeat tempos, the "Oh Dorian" singer considers it "very dark," despite the joy that returning to music has brought him. 'I don't know if that just comes back to my natural personality,' he said. 'But is there an expectation that I make a certain kind of album after a tragedy like this?' Along with Dorian, Kweller is also dad to son Judah, 12, with wife Lizzy. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The musician announced in 2023 that his son Dorian died on Monday night. Though he did not give details as to the circumstances surrounding Dorian's death at the time, his record label The Noise Company said the teen died "in a tragic event." "There's no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night. He was only 16 and he was a true legend," Kweller wrote on Instagram. "Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We'll never get over him as long as we're here on earth." Kweller — who has toured with stars like Ed Sheeran and Death Cab for Cutie — said Dorian was an aspiring musician under the stage name Zev, and that he was scheduled to play his first show at SXSW in Austin in March. He encouraged his followers to keep his son's "spirit alive with your memories and the music he made," and linked to Dorian's Instagram page. "Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day. A true poet from the day he started speaking," he wrote. "Only a few of his recordings were released but he was on a path and excited about his journey. He had so many plans!!! His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW." The "Starz" singer said that the final text messages he exchanged with his son were about merch that Dorian wanted to create, and wrote that his "baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him." "I have no idea why things like this happen. We're in complete shock and don't know what the future holds," he wrote. "Lizzy, Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages. 💔." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ben Kweller Opens Up About Son's Death for the First Time 2 Years After Teen Died in 'Fluke' Car Accident
While speaking with Vulture about his upcoming album, Ben Kweller opened up about his son Dorian's death two years ago The singer-songwriter shared with the outlet the details of the "fluke" car accident that killed the 16-year-old Kweller is also a father to son Judah, whom he shares with his wife Liz Smith KwellerBen Kweller is opening up for the first time about his son's death. During an interview with Vulture, the singer-songwriter, 43, talked about the "fluke" car accident that took his son Dorian's life in February 2023. For the first time, the musician shared the details of the incident and the emotions he went through following the loss of his 16-year-old son. Kweller explained that Dorian was driving home from a friend's house when he swerved off the shoulder of the road to avoid a truck. A branch then broke through his car windshield, hitting Dorian in the head and killing him. 'The car was fine,' Kweller told the outlet, recalling Dorian's car accident. 'It's like, 'What the f---, man?' It's fluke s---. It's just a f------ branch.' "The hole was this big," he said, making a hole with his fist roughly the size of a tangerine. 'When I'm talking to other parents about it, I almost want to tell them, 'Don't worry,' you know? 'I was able to take it off the table. It's not going to happen to you.' That's weird. Is that weird?' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Before the accident, there was a period in Kweller's life when he didn't have a connection to music. He told the outlet that during that time, when there was also a traumatic carbon-monoxide poisoning incident that almost ended his entire family's lives, he only did "the bare minimum to pay my mortgage and support my family." "It's really weird,' he said. 'Dorian dying should have been the moment that disconnected me the most. It shattered me, but it's also somehow the thing that's helping me with all the other stuff.' On Friday, May 30, Kweller released Cover the Mirrors, his first album since losing his son. After the incident, he threw himself into one of his earliest passions. While the 12-track project features more upbeat tempos, the "Oh Dorian" singer considers it "very dark," despite the joy that returning to music has brought him. 'I don't know if that just comes back to my natural personality,' he said. 'But is there an expectation that I make a certain kind of album after a tragedy like this?' Along with Dorian, Kweller is also dad to son Judah, 12, with wife Lizzy. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The musician announced in 2023 that his son Dorian died on Monday night. Though he did not give details as to the circumstances surrounding Dorian's death at the time, his record label The Noise Company said the teen died "in a tragic event." "There's no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night. He was only 16 and he was a true legend," Kweller wrote on Instagram. "Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We'll never get over him as long as we're here on earth." Kweller — who has toured with stars like Ed Sheeran and Death Cab for Cutie — said Dorian was an aspiring musician under the stage name Zev, and that he was scheduled to play his first show at SXSW in Austin in March. He encouraged his followers to keep his son's "spirit alive with your memories and the music he made," and linked to Dorian's Instagram page. "Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day. A true poet from the day he started speaking," he wrote. "Only a few of his recordings were released but he was on a path and excited about his journey. He had so many plans!!! His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW." The "Starz" singer said that the final text messages he exchanged with his son were about merch that Dorian wanted to create, and wrote that his "baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him." "I have no idea why things like this happen. We're in complete shock and don't know what the future holds," he wrote. "Lizzy, Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages. 💔." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ben Kweller releases new album 'Cover The Mirrors' honoring late son on his 19th birthday
Austin-based musician Ben Kweller released a new album Friday titled "Cover The Mirrors," his first full release since the sudden passing of his 16-year-old son Dorian Zev in 2023. The 12-song project came out on what would've been Dorian's 19th birthday. Kweller's son Dorian Zev Kweller, who released music under the name ZEV, died on February 27, 2023 in a freak car accident. According to his obituary, the 16-year-old swerved to the side of a road near his home to avoid an oncoming vehicle. While parked on the shoulder, a tree limb weakened by a recent freeze collapsed and crashed through the window of his car, killing him instantly. After his death, the Dorian Zev Kweller Memorial Skatepark was dedicated to honor the youth, whose two passions were music and skateboarding. More: Through music, 'I am going on.' Ben Kweller remembers son Dorian in emotional ACL Fest set While the album's title "Cover The Mirrors" refers to a Jewish funeral practice, the work isn't just about the loss of Dorian, but also the decades of Kweller's life preceding the tragedy. He previously covered vocals and guitar in the '90s band Radish and later part of a trio called The Bens. With elements of loss and love woven throughout, the new album is about "living on." 'It's a full circle type of album,' Kweller said in a press release. 'There's a lot of reflecting — not only reflecting on the loss of Dorian. I'm also taking an inventory of everything else. My whole time on Earth. Everything I've created as an artist.' The new project features a collaboration with Waxahatchee on the song "Dollar Store," MJ Lenderman on "Oh Dorian" and the Flaming Lips on "Killer Bee," a song dedicated to the late artist Nell Smith. According to a press release, Kweller's desire to kindle the gift of music that he shared with his late son, who was on the precipice of his dreams when the accident occurred, flared brighter after Zev's death. Ten years before the accident, Kweller took a hiatus from his career after his entire family almost died of a carbon monoxide leak. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter said that he made the decision not to lock himself away in a closet this time around and instead use music as a tool to carry on. Kweller's resilience tracks. Not even a month after Dorian's death, he went on the play a showcase for his independent music collective Noise Company at the South by Southwest Music Festival, a show where his son was supposed to make his festival debut, playing the opening slot. Kweller said that going on tour with Ed Sheeran in 2023 acted as a "kind of balm against the grief." During the tour, he said it felt like his Dorian was onstage singing with him. 'It wasn't like I set out to say, 'OK, I'm gonna make this album about going through grief and loss.' But there was no way around it,' Kweller said. 'This is just another chapter of me trying to heal and just get through what I've been going through. My music is always very autobiographical." Kweller equates his life to the catalog of songs that he writes. "Cover the Mirrors" is about grieving but also moving on for Kweller, who carries the memory of his son palpably in his music. You can stream the new album on Spotify and purchase it on CD and vinyl at This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ben Kweller pays tribute to late son in new album 'Cover The Mirrors'
