Ben Bridwell
Encyclopedia
Benjamin "Ben" Bridwell is the lead singer of American rock band Band of Horses
and a former member of the band Carissa's Wierd
.
. He left Irmo at 16 and moved to Tucson, Arizona
to live with his Mother.
and Jenn Ghetto
, selling pizza. In 1997 the three moved to Olympia, Washington
, but soon relocated to Seattle, where all three worked in a bar. Bridwell founded a record label, Brown Records, while Brooke and Ghetto formed the band Carissa's Wierd. Bridwell later received some basic drumming tuition from Brooke and subsequently replaced Carissa's Wierd drummer Robin Peringer, who had left to play guitar on tour with Modest Mouse
. Bridwell later moved on to bass guitar. Brown Records released the first two Carissa's Wierd albums, but Bridwell eventually gave up running the label and Carissa's Wierd released their third album on Sad Robot records, before splitting up in 2003.
) were issuing re-releases. Band of Horses were briefly a trio featuring Bridwell (vocals and guitar), Tim Meinig (drums) and Chris Early (bass), but former Carissa's Wierd leader Mat Brooke (guitar and vocals) was added to the line up and the quartet released their debut album Everything All the Time
in March 2006. In response to Bridwell's success, Brooke said, " I kind of feel bad, maybe Carissa's Wierd was holding him back, all this time...(I am) extremely proud. He took the ball and ran with it. At a time when we were all down he picked himself up, higher than anyone thought he could. It's kind of like seeing your kid brother blossom."
Brooke, Early and Meinig quit soon after Everything All the Time was released, but Bridwell recruited new musicians and the band's popularity continued to grow. Their second album, Cease to Begin
was released in October 2007. It was recorded by the core trio of Bridwell, Creighton Barrett (drums) and Rob Hampton (guitar and bass), with keyboards by Ryan Monroe.
Band of Horses third album, Infinite Arms
was released on May 18, 2010. The band are now a five-piece featuring Bridwell, Barrett, Monroe, Tyler Ramsey
(guitar) and Bill Reynolds (bass).
cover, to the album Sweetheart a compilation album released by Starbucks Entertainment
on January 30, 2010. He duetted with Courtney Jaye
on a cover version of The Jesus and Mary Chain
track "Sometimes Always
" on her 2010 album, The Exotic Sounds of Courtney Jaye.
, was released on Bridwell's previously defunct Brown Records label (along with Columbia
and Fat Possum
). Bridwell explained his original intentions for his label, "I really started it with the idea of it being a stepping stone. I would press a thousand CDs, we’d get ’em in stores...get in a local independent radio station and the band would have something to sell at shows and then hopefully a real label would pick it up. It got a lot busier than I ever imagined...in the end it just went out of control...I never expected it to be a real label. I’m re-pressing thousands and... ‘Shit, I’m...gonna have to do this correctly, people’s livelihoods (are) resting in my hands.’...I ended up cracking under the pressure, especially just getting those bands on a real label...That’s always been my calling, spreading the bands I liked that people hadn’t heard." With reference to the label's relaunch he added, "Now I’ve just heard that call again...a lot of artists are unheard that I think I can try to help with."
Band of Horses
Band of Horses, originally briefly known as Horses, are an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle by Ben Bridwell. They have released three studio albums, the most recent and most successful of which is 2010's Grammy nominated Infinite Arms...
and a former member of the band Carissa's Wierd
Carissa's Wierd
Carissa's Wierd was an indie rock band from Seattle that formed in 1995 and disbanded in late 2003. Their sound has been described as "chamber rock". The band deliberately misspelled the word "Weird" in their name...
.
Early life
Bridwell was born on April 25, 1978 and grew up in Irmo, South CarolinaIrmo, South Carolina
Irmo is a town in Lexington and Richland counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina and a suburb of Columbia. It is 12 miles outside of the city center of Columbia and is part of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He left Irmo at 16 and moved to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
to live with his Mother.
Carissa's Wierd
While living in Tucson, Bridwell worked with Mat BrookeMat Brooke
Mathew Etter "Mat" Brooke is the lead singer of American rock band Grand Archives and a former member of the bands Band of Horses and Carissa's Wierd.-Early life:...
and Jenn Ghetto
Jenn Ghetto
Jenn Ghetto is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who performs under the name S. She is a former member of the band Carissa's Wierd.-Early life:...
, selling pizza. In 1997 the three moved to Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, but soon relocated to Seattle, where all three worked in a bar. Bridwell founded a record label, Brown Records, while Brooke and Ghetto formed the band Carissa's Wierd. Bridwell later received some basic drumming tuition from Brooke and subsequently replaced Carissa's Wierd drummer Robin Peringer, who had left to play guitar on tour with Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
. Bridwell later moved on to bass guitar. Brown Records released the first two Carissa's Wierd albums, but Bridwell eventually gave up running the label and Carissa's Wierd released their third album on Sad Robot records, before splitting up in 2003.
Band of Horses
Following the split of Carissa's Wierd, Brooke helped Bridwell learn to play guitar and he also began writing songs. He formed the band 'Horses' which soon had to change its name to Band of Horses, following the discovery that a long defunct band called Horses (featuring actor Don JohnsonDon Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
) were issuing re-releases. Band of Horses were briefly a trio featuring Bridwell (vocals and guitar), Tim Meinig (drums) and Chris Early (bass), but former Carissa's Wierd leader Mat Brooke (guitar and vocals) was added to the line up and the quartet released their debut album Everything All the Time
Everything all the Time
-Personnel:*Ben Bridwell - Vocals, guitar*Mat Brooke - Guitar, co-lead vocals on tracks 8 & 10*Chris Early - Bass guitar*Tim Meinig / Sera Cahoone - Drums-Chart performance:-Songs from Everything All the Time in popular culture:...
in March 2006. In response to Bridwell's success, Brooke said, " I kind of feel bad, maybe Carissa's Wierd was holding him back, all this time...(I am) extremely proud. He took the ball and ran with it. At a time when we were all down he picked himself up, higher than anyone thought he could. It's kind of like seeing your kid brother blossom."
Brooke, Early and Meinig quit soon after Everything All the Time was released, but Bridwell recruited new musicians and the band's popularity continued to grow. Their second album, Cease to Begin
Cease to Begin
*Track 4 is named after the German basketball player Detlef Schrempf who played for Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990s, although no mention of him is made in the song's lyrics.-Album credits:* Phil Ek - producer* Jon Ashley - assistant engineer...
was released in October 2007. It was recorded by the core trio of Bridwell, Creighton Barrett (drums) and Rob Hampton (guitar and bass), with keyboards by Ryan Monroe.
Band of Horses third album, Infinite Arms
Infinite Arms
-Reception and chart performance:Infinite Arms has proved a major international success for Band of Horses. It has performed well in charts in Europe, Australasia and North America, reaching the top 10 in the US, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Norway and Sweden....
was released on May 18, 2010. The band are now a five-piece featuring Bridwell, Barrett, Monroe, Tyler Ramsey
Tyler Ramsey
This article is about the singer-songwriter. For the artist, see Tyler Ramsey .Tyler Ramsey is a singer-songwriter from Asheville, North Carolina, who is best known as the lead guitarist for the band Band of Horses.-History:...
(guitar) and Bill Reynolds (bass).
Other projects
Bridwell contributed the track "Your Love is Forever" a George HarrisonGeorge Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
cover, to the album Sweetheart a compilation album released by Starbucks Entertainment
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
on January 30, 2010. He duetted with Courtney Jaye
Courtney Jaye
- Biography :Courtney Jaye was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, when she was a freshman in high school. It was at this time she discovered The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, and also began to play the guitar. After becoming immersed in the bohemian culture, she...
on a cover version of The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
track "Sometimes Always
Sometimes Always
"Sometimes Always" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock group The Jesus and Mary Chain and the first single from the group's album Stoned & Dethroned. It is a duet between Jim Reid and Hope Sandoval...
" on her 2010 album, The Exotic Sounds of Courtney Jaye.
Brown Records
Band of Horses third album, Infinite ArmsInfinite Arms
-Reception and chart performance:Infinite Arms has proved a major international success for Band of Horses. It has performed well in charts in Europe, Australasia and North America, reaching the top 10 in the US, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Norway and Sweden....
, was released on Bridwell's previously defunct Brown Records label (along with Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and Fat Possum
Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording hitherto unknown Mississippi blues artists . Recently, Fat Possum has signed younger rock acts to its roster...
). Bridwell explained his original intentions for his label, "I really started it with the idea of it being a stepping stone. I would press a thousand CDs, we’d get ’em in stores...get in a local independent radio station and the band would have something to sell at shows and then hopefully a real label would pick it up. It got a lot busier than I ever imagined...in the end it just went out of control...I never expected it to be a real label. I’m re-pressing thousands and... ‘Shit, I’m...gonna have to do this correctly, people’s livelihoods (are) resting in my hands.’...I ended up cracking under the pressure, especially just getting those bands on a real label...That’s always been my calling, spreading the bands I liked that people hadn’t heard." With reference to the label's relaunch he added, "Now I’ve just heard that call again...a lot of artists are unheard that I think I can try to help with."
Personal life
Bridwell married Elizabeth McCann on April 4, 2009. They have two daughters, Annabelle, who was born in 2008 and Ivy, who was born November 2010.External links
- Band of Horses official site
- Band of Horses at Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
- Brown Records