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Can't Go Home 4:410:00/4:41
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Going Down Swinging 3:570:00/3:57
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Slow It Down 3:300:00/3:30
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Can’t Go Home (LIVE) 4:360:00/4:36
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Play to Win 4:030:00/4:03
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Hand to Hold (LIVE) 4:190:00/4:19
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Bury Me 3:300:00/3:30
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Last Night 4:290:00/4:29
Electronic Press Kit
Photo credit: Rhonemus Productions
Music
Biography
Photo Credit: Tom Weber
“Van Arlo… one of NE Ohio’s TOP local bands…”
— The Celestia Theater
“Ben Marthey performs as Van Arlo, blending raw storytelling with indie-acoustic arrangements.”
— Ideastream Public Media (NPR)
Based in Medina, Ohio
Indie Rock Americana
Email: vanarloband@gmail.com
Van Arlo – Official Bio (2025)
Van Arlo is the indie-acoustic project of singer-songwriter Ben Marthey, blending cinematic storytelling with raw vulnerability and a modern folk-rock edge. Drawing from influences like City and Colour, Manchester Orchestra, and Gregory Alan Isakov, Van Arlo crafts a sound built on sweeping melodies, textured dynamics, and lyrics that wrestle with loss, longing, and the quiet weight of waiting.
Based in Northeast Ohio, Van Arlo has steadily carved out a space in the American folk-rock landscape through emotionally resonant performances and a growing catalogue of original work. In 2024, the project earned a nomination for Best New Artist at the Cleveland Music Awards and has since garnered regional and national attention with features on NPR’s Ideastream and Fox 8 Cleveland.
Van Arlo has opened for national touring acts The Verve Pipe and Birdtalker, and continues to build momentum with performances at respected listening rooms and stages including The Bluebird Café, The Celestia Theatre, the Rialto Theatre, and multiple appearances at House of Blues Cleveland— and numerous curated events throughout Northeast Ohio.
With each live show, Van Arlo invites listeners into an experience that’s intimate, atmospheric, and emotionally urgent—a blend of familiar storytelling and dynamic arrangements that lingers well after the last note. Rooted in the Midwest but reaching far beyond it, Van Arlo is quickly becoming a name synonymous with heartfelt songwriting and unforgettable live moments.