Ben Weaver (born 1980) is an American singer-songwriter.

Early life

Weaver was born in

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Gene Eugene, stage name of Canadian born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musi ...

, Oregon but spent most of his childhood in

St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. He has a worldwide following, though his popularity is strongest in his native

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

of the United States. Growing up in a musical household, Weaver always envisioned a career in music. After one year of college, he decided to drop out and begin traveling, an experiences that would later deeply influence his songwriting.

Career

Weaver's debut album, ''El Camino Blues,'' was released in 1999 and featured Greg Brown, with input from

Tony Glover David Curtis Glover (October 7, 1939 – May 29, 2019), better known as Tony "Little Sun" Glover, was an American blues musician and music critic. He was a harmonica player and singer associated with "Spider" John Koerner and Dave "Snaker ...

. Weaver then undertook his first tour in support of the album. His second album, ''Living in the Ground'', was recorded in a single five-hour-session and featured Bo Ramsey. His third album, ''Hollerin' at a Woodpecker,'' released in 2002, was critically acclaimed in Britain and the United States, including being named No.3 Americana album of the year by ''

Mojo magazine ''Mojo'' (stylised in all caps) is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer. Following the success of the magazine '' Q'', publishers Emap were looking for a title that ...

.'' This success laid the ground for the international release of his fourth album, ''Stories Under Nails,'' in 2004, which was followed by his first international tour. Over the years, Weaver has toured with numerous artists including

The Waifs The Waifs (originally styled as The WAiFS) are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by sisters Vikki Thorn (harmonica, guitar, vocals) and Donna Simpson (musician), Donna Simpson (guitar, vocals) as well as Josh Cunningham (guitar, vocal ...

and

Kristin Hersh Martha Kristin Hersh (born August 7, 1966) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter known for her solo work and with her rock bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave, 50FootWave. She has released eleven solo albums. Her guitar work and comp ...

. Weaver's 2010 album, ''Mirepoix and Smoke,'' was inspired by his time working in a Minneapolis restaurant after taking a break from recording and touring in 2009. In addition to his music, he is also a poet and fiction writer. His short story, "Humanesque," was featured in the 2009 anthology ''Amplified: Fiction from Leading Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Blues and Folk Musicians,'' and his poem "Devastations" won the 2009 What Light Grand Jury Prize. An avid bicyclist, Weaver has embraced cycling as his primary mode of transport during tours.

Discography

* 1999: ''El Camino Blues'' (Unit Three Records) * 2002: ''Hollerin' at a Woodpecker'' (30/30 Industries) * 2003: ''Living in the Ground'' (30/30 Industries) * 2004: ''Stories Under Nails'' (Fugawee Bird Records) * 2007: ''Paper Sky'' (Fugawee Bird Records /

Glitterhouse Records Glitterhouse Records is a German independent record label and mail order company based in Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in the mid-1980s. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s it was the European branch of the American la ...

) * 2008: ''The Ax in the Oak'' (

Bloodshot Records Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country music. History Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from ...

/ Glitterhouse Records) * 2010: ''Mirepoix and Smoke'' (Bloodshot Records) * 2014: ''I Would Rather Be A Buffalo'' ( Hymie's Records) * 2017: ''Sees Like a River'' (Ben Weaver)

References

External links

Ben Weaver

Ben Weaver
at

* 1980 births American male singer-songwriters Living people Musicians from Eugene, Oregon Musicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota Bloodshot Records artists Singer-songwriters from Oregon Singer-songwriters from Minnesota 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American male singers {{US-singer-songwriter-stub