Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

Singer/songwriter Ben Harper assembled the Innocent Criminals as his backing unit for Burn to Shine, his fourth studio album and first to lean primarily into rock textures, which arrived in 1999. Thereafter the group functioned as an occasional outlet that Harper revisited whenever he wished to highlight his affinity for funk-driven grooves and distorted guitar tones.

The lineup featured bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Dean Butterworth, and percussionist David Leach, each of whom appeared on Burn to Shine. That release broadened Harper’s audience, climbing to number 67 on the Billboard Top 200 while reaching number two in Australia. In the years separating it from the next Innocent Criminals project, Lifeline, issued in 2007, Harper’s profile climbed further through the intervening albums Diamonds on the Inside (2003) and Both Sides of the Gun (2006). By the time Lifeline emerged, Juan Nelson was the sole remaining original member; the refreshed roster included guitarist Michael Ward, drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Jason Yates, and percussionist Leon Mobley. Lifeline entered the U.S. charts at number nine and was promoted with an extensive tour. Harper waited nearly a decade before reconvening the band, resulting in the 2016 spring release Call It What It Is.