Ben Kweller

Blending power pop, folk-rock, and punk with assorted other inspirations, Ben Kweller crafts catchy yet frequently playful indie rock. His approach earned rapid notice from reviewers and peers once he stepped out as a solo act in the early 2000s after his time in Radish. A substantial audience propelled his second album, 2004's On My Way, onto the Billboard 200 for the first time. Following a shift toward country sounds on Changing Horses in 2009, he embraced a broader indie-rock palette on his fifth LP, 2012's Go Fly a Kite, which became his fourth consecutive entry on the U.S. albums chart. Kweller made his screen debut in the 2014 film Rudderless and contributed to its soundtrack. After nearly a decade away from recording prompted by a life-threatening incident, he resurfaced with Circuit Boredom in 2021 and followed it two years later with Sha Sha, which includes a guest spot from Kimya Dawson.

Born in San Francisco in 1981, Kweller grew up mainly in Greenville, Texas. Before reaching kindergarten age he imitated Nils Lofgren, a family acquaintance, on a toy guitar. He also picked up drums and piano while often performing at home with his father, and by eight he had started writing original songs. The next year he earned honorable mention in Billboard magazine's annual songwriting contest. By his teens he had become a skilled guitarist, forming Mirage and later Green Eggs & Ham and Foxglove, all while sharpening the abilities that would support his solo work.

In 1993 Kweller formed Radish with bassist Bryan Blur and drummer John Kent. The trio quickly gained traction on the Dallas scene near his Greenville home. They issued the Hello EP on Practice Amp Records in 1994, followed the same year by the full-length Dizzy, which attracted producer Roger Greenawalt. Under his guidance the band cut another demo and signed with Mercury Records in mid-1996, the same June Kweller turned 15.

Mercury put out Restraining Bolt the next April, after which Kweller guided Radish through tours across Europe and the United States plus appearances on The Conan O'Brien Show and Late Night with David Letterman. Although "Little Pink Stars" reached the U.K. Top 40, the band saw little domestic success, and the 1998 absorption of Polygram into Universal Music Group blocked further releases. After Radish split in 1999, Kweller moved first to Guilford, Connecticut, then soon afterward to Brooklyn.

He began his solo career with limited-edition EPs that included some previously unreleased Radish material. The self-released home recording Freak Out, It's Ben Kweller appeared in early 2000. His melodic hooks and folk-inflected touches attracted industry supporters, leading to tours alongside Juliana Hatfield, Guster, Kristin Hersh, and Evan Dando. He signed with ATO Records in 2001, released one more EP, then issued his official solo debut, Sha Sha, in 2002. Additional touring ensued, along with the Bens collaboration featuring Ben Folds and Ben Lee. His sophomore album, On My Way, arrived in 2004 and was promoted via a co-headlining run with Death Cab for Cutie, reaching number 83 on the Billboard 200.

Kweller's self-titled third album followed in 2006, with him performing every instrument; it hit number 115 on the Billboard 200 and placed in the independent albums Top Ten. He expanded his range on 2009's Changing Horses, incorporating country elements and a pedal steel guitarist, which again landed in the independent Top Ten and the upper half of the Billboard 200. Multiple styles continued on 2012's Go Fly a Kite, spanning power pop to alt-country and charting on rock and folk lists while returning him to the Billboard 200. That same year he appeared in the music-themed film Rudderless, directed by William H. Macy; its 2014 soundtrack included the duet "Hold On" with Selena Gomez.

While vacationing in New Mexico with his wife and two sons, the family suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and required hospitalization. After recovery Kweller paused his musical career indefinitely, though he occasionally continued writing. The 2016 death of actor Anton Yelchin in a car accident prompted him to refocus on music. He returned in early 2019 with the single "Heart Attack Kid," drawn from his sixth studio album, Circuit Boredom, released in 2021. Two years later he issued the hook-driven Sha Sha, whose opening track "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" features Kimya Dawson and blends Beatlesque and Folds-esque qualities.