Musician and Recovery Advocate Benjamin Lerner Releases New EP, Keep Moving Forward, Marking a Milestone in An Ongoing National Recovery Advocacy Campaign

EAST ARLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Mill Road Recording is thrilled to announce the release of Keep Moving Forward, a new EP from Benjamin Lerner, a Vermont-based Recording Artist, Recovery Advocate, Writer, Radio Host, and Social Media Content Creator.

Keep Moving Forward is the first of three forthcoming consecutive EP releases, the titles of which are derived from the closing message of Lerner's popular CLEAN Column in The Vermont News Guide:

"Keep moving forward.
Run towards the truth.
Don't quit before the miracle happens."

The mantra encapsulates Benjamin's journey of resilience and the message of hope that has shaped his advocacy work. The follow up EPs, entitled Run Towards The Truth and Don't Quit Before The Miracle Happens, are scheduled for release in early 2025.

A former IV heroin and crack cocaine user (now sober since June 13, 2016), Lerner's multi-platform CLEAN campaign journals his struggles with addiction and his journey in sobriety. The CLEAN campaign began in 2020 with the release of his debut album, CLEAN, and the launch of the aforementioned CLEAN Column (which was also syndicated in Seven Days).

Since then, the campaign has grown into a powerful movement, transforming the conversation and stigma surrounding substance use disorder (SUD), reaching such esteemed organizations as The Aspen Institute and high profile venues, including Carnegie Hall as part of the Indie Collaborative. The campaign also includes CLEAN Jams, a weekly radio show hosted by Lerner, which combines recovery-affirming hip-hop with interviews surrounding SUD. The show airs on 102.7 WEQX every Thursday at 11 PM EST.

In November 2022, Lerner expanded the CLEAN Campaign's reach on social media, posting daily reels inspired by the CLEAN Columns and CLEAN Jams. With over 300,000 followers and more than 150 million views on social media, Lerner's videos serve as an honest portrayal of recovery and resilience.

The impetus for the three EPs was audience-generated. Lerner explains: "The response to my recovery-focused reels on social media has been both overwhelming and humbling. So many people have reached out and asked me to post full versions of the songs on streaming platforms, so they can both listen and share the message. I knew it was time to take these acoustic verses back to the studio and create fully produced tracks at Old Mill Road."

The CLEAN Campaign was created in collaboration with Dr. Joshua Sherman, a physician and owner/founder of Old Mill Road Recording.

"We're using music to shed light on recovery stories that need to be heard," remarked Dr. Sherman. "From the CLEAN album and CLEAN Jams to these new EPs, every stage of this campaign has been a testament to the power of music, words, and recovery. We're honored to continue building this platform with the support of our community here in Vermont, and we're thrilled to see the message spread beyond the state's borders."

The EP features vocals & piano performed by Benjamin Lerner with music & lyrics by Benjamin Lerner & Joshua Sherman. It was recorded & mixed by Jack Schlandt and GRAMMY® Winner Benjamin J. Arrindell at Old Mill Road Recording in East Arlington, Vermont, and it was mastered by Jim Brick / Absolute Audio. The EP was produced by Joshua Sherman, Jack Schlandt, and Brandon Hodges. The album art was designed by Joshua Sherman and Nick Burchard. The associated music videos were filmed and edited by Nick Burchard and produced by Joshua Sherman.

Keep Moving Forward can be found on all streaming platforms and at BenjaminLerner.com 

About Old Mill Road Recording:

Old Mill Road Recording is a state-of-the-art destination recording studio. Thoughtfully organized for comfort, flow, and versatility, it provides the opportunity to record pristine sound while overlooking a breathtaking river view in the heart of the Green Mountains of Vermont.

In-house GRAMMY® Award Winning engineer, Benjamin J. Arrindell, has 30+ years of experience recording and mixing for such notable artists as Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Mary J. Blige, Yolanda Adams, Janet Jackson and Busta Rhymes, to name a few.

The NAMM TEC® Award Winning Studio's top of the line equipment includes a 48 channel SSL Duality mixing console, a Yamaha C7 Grand Piano, and Griffin Speakers. The studio's corporate clients include Netflix, Orvis, The History Channel, 20^th Century Studios, Penguin Random House, and Blumhouse Productions. OldMillRoadRecording.com

Media Contact: [email protected] 

SOURCE Old Mill Road Recording