Ben Kweller - Biography
Ben Kweller is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Born in San Francisco, he spent his youth in Texas. He grew up in a musical household, with his father teaching him to play drums and guitar, and by the time he was nine he had a dozen original compositions and could play multiple instruments.
In 1993, Kweller formed punk group Radish and become popular in the Dallas music scene. Radish recorded an EP Hello and LP Dizzy 1994. By 1996, the music industry took notice and the band signed with Mercury Records to release the album Restraining Bolt, but the group decided to disband in 1999. Kweller moved to Brooklyn, New York shortly after to embark on his prolific solo career. He played acoustic shows and self-released four EPs, one of which caught the attention of Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, and Dando invited Kweller out on tour with him. Kweller also toured with Jeff Tweedy, Juliana Hatfield and The Moldy Peaches.
Kweller singned with ATO Records in 2001 and recorded the 5-track EP entitled Phone Home. In March 2002, Sha Sha, Kweller's first solo studio album, was released and he put together a live band featuring Fred Eltringham (Wallflowers, Dixie Chicks) on drums, and Mike Stroud (Ratatat) on guitar and keyboards. They did multiple headlining tours around the world, sharing the stage with Kings Of Leon, My Morning Jacket and a few dates opening for The Strokes. In 2003, Kweller formed the short-lived pop rock outfit The Bens with Ben Folds and Ben Lee. The trio toured Australia and recorded an independant self titled EP. Kweller's second solo album, On My Way, led Kweller on a co-headlining US tour with Death Cab for Cutie. In 2006 Kweller recorded his third album, Ben Kweller, with Kweller playing all the instruments himself. His fourth studio, Changing Horses, was released in February 2009. Kweller’s latest studio album, Go Fly A Kite (2011), was his first release produced solely by his own record label, The Noise Company.