Primarily two acts, both NYC/Brooklyn-based bands, shaped a the largest part of who I am as an artist today: the Grand Prospect and Proud Pair of Thieves. This post is a little ode to both of them for helping me get my start—and a chance to finally show off some album art that almost never saw the light of day.
the Grand Prospect (Brooklyn Americana)
A few years after I first landed in New York, I poured a ton of creative energy into an Americana band called the Grand Prospect; a Brooklyn‑based band blending Bluegrass, Blues, alt‑country, folk, rock and rootsy storytelling, playing all over the city and slowly figuring out who we were as a band.
In 2012 we released our self‑titled LP, the Grand Prospect. I created the album art for that record: a subway‑mosaic‑inspired design meant to capture both the grit and the romance of making original Americana music in New York City. I’ve always loved how mosaics feel both permanent and handmade, like the city itself. That project is where I first really started to lean into visual design as an extension of the music and was ultimately so thankful I did.
A few years later, in 2018, we put out the Easy Way Out EP, a five‑song project that felt like a snapshot of where we’d grown to as players and writers. This time the artwork came from my bandmate Cory B., whose organization painting had its own voice and added a different voice to the band’s visual world. Even though these catalogs are small, those two releases—the Grand Prospect and Easy Way Out—still feel like vitally important chapters in my story.
Proud Pair of Thieves (alt‑country indie folk)
The other big chapter from those days was in Proud Pair of Thieves, an NYC‑based alt‑country / indie‑folk duo that eventually grew into a trio. If The Grand Prospect was my full‑band Americana outlet, Proud Pair of Thieves was a more intimate, rich harmony‑driven project that leaned heavily on narrative songs, powerful dynamics, and a different kind of vulnerability.
We self‑recorded an EP called Mighty Snare—songs I’m still 100% proud of to this day—but unfortunately the EP was never formally released on the usual platforms. For a variety of reasons, it ended up living only on SoundCloud, which always really bummed me out, especially given how much heart went into every facet of it. The music deserved a little bit more daylight, but I’m honestly so happy to finally give this artwork its day in the sun here on my blog.
I gladly handled the art direction and design for Mighty Snare, working with photographer Abraham Rowe to build a visual world that matched the sound: moody, undeniably human, perhaps a bit cinematic without losing that indie‑folk honesty. I knew I wanted the front cover to look like an old re-framed oil painting (though the source material was a beautiful old high-resolution archival photo from wikimedia commons) and Abraham’s photography gave me a really strong foundation to build from; my job was to frame it in a way that felt timeless and true to the songs. I’m still genuinely so proud of how that cover and the on-disc art came out, which is why I’m really happy to finally share it here in a more public way.
(Draft liner notes) We three Thieves are: Jay Stricklin on lead vocals, guitar, harmonica & percussion; Danny Reisbick on upright bass; Ben Killen on banjo, harmony vocals & accordion. All songs © Proud Pair of Thieves. Recorded at El Barrio Studios in Spanish Harlem, NYC & Jury Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Produced, Mixed & Engineered by Jay Stricklin. Additional Engineering by Ben Killen. Art Direction by Ben Killen. Special thanks to: TBD TBD TBD & ALL THE FANS!
Why these projects still matter
Even though my current focus is on my solo work, Radio Herstory/CGR Footlight Favorites, and Ben’s Blues & Breakfast Club, these bands are still very much part of my musical DNA. The Grand Prospect taught me how to live inside American roots music in a modern city, and Proud Pair of Thieves showed me how much power there is in deliberately crafted arrangements, strong visuals, and a small group of people fully committed to a shared sound.
If you’re curious to dig into this part of the story:
- You can read more about my background and these projects on my bio page at BenKillen.com.
- You might stumble across old live videos from The Grand Prospect on YouTube and a Proud Pair of Thieves page or two still floating around online.
I’ll keep finding ways to bring the best parts of these chapters forward—new & old, both musically and visually—as I keep building what comes next.
See you at the table!
Ben
P.S. If you want the full low-down on my time with the Red Mountain Ramblers feat. Sarah Green, or Longtime Friends, my newest project, head on over to my store and snag yourself a copy of my purple #13 “present” musician's baseball card featuring all the other bands & associated acts I've been fortunate enough to be a member of over the years on the back!