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 * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

, Oregon but grew up mostly in St. Paul,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

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

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

of the United States. Weaver grew up in a musical household and always expected to make music his life. After one year of college he dropped out and began traveling, which provided experiences that would feed his songwriting.

Career

Weaver's first 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 "Snake ...

. Weaver then undertook his first tour in support of the album. His second album, "Living in the Ground," was recorded in one 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.'' The success laid the ground for the international release of his fourth album, ''Stories Under Nails,'' in 2004, followed by his first international tour. On subsequent tours Weaver has appeared with many artists including The Waifs and Kristin Hersh. His 2010 album, ''Mirepoix and Smoke,'' was inspired by the time he spent working in a Minneapolis restaurant after taking a break from recording and touring in 2009. He is also a poet and fiction writer whose short story, "Humanesque," was included in the 2009 anthology ''Amplified: Fiction from Leading Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Blues and Folk Musicians,'' and whose poem "Devastations" won the 2009 What Light Grand Jury Prize. An avid bicyclist, Weaver has used his bike as his transport method for touring.

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) * 2008: ''The Ax in the Oak'' ( Bloodshot Records / 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 Bloodshot Records * 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 singers 21st-century American male singers {{US-singer-songwriter-stub