Ben Kweller picked up his first guitar at ten years old, formed his first band Radish at thirteen and after much "terrible tuneidge" was signed in '97, (fielding attention from twelve U.S. labels) to Mercury Records. Debut effort Dizzy was released when he was only fifteen years old. As he says, "Everyone was just looking for the Jackson five again." After moderate success in the States and massive respect from Britain, Radish stumbled out of the studio having completed its second venture to find that Mercury had been taken over to form the Island Def Jam Music Group. According to Ben, who didn't want to "release a record that Mercury had made, you know?" At this point drummer (John) exits stage left to form (and front) his own band Pony League and Ben moved to New York. He says, "That's what happened. I moved to New York in '99, and from then on I started playing my own shows under Ben Kweller."

Ben spent the next two years developing his current lo-fi, home-grown garage rock-sound and amassing a collection of hardcore fans until perspective manager Dalton approached ATO record exec Michael McDonald who according to Ben said "dude I want to sign him." This was the birth of Phone Home (out on ATO this month/see album reviews) that saw Ben back in the studio recording with (former Radish partner) John. "I think it's the best shit we've done together. He's the only drummer I've ever played with. Ever since I was twelve and he was fourteen. We've always played music together, and he's the only drummer I've ever recorded with." John had originally committed to doing the tour with Ben, but Ben says, "He's doing Pony League full time so he's more into pursuing that. He's so damn talented and writes his own songs and he's doing his thing, but at the same time, I can call him and say hey come play on my record and its great!"

Mastering his trade to such great effect it's hard to believe that Ben is only twenty years old. Not only within the context of his 'sound' but also his massive, humorous and completely confident stage presence prompting requests to open for Julian Hatfield, Jeff Tweeny and (even) Evan Dando. Ben says, "I got a message on our phone and I checked it out and it was 'hey Ben this is Evan Dando, I got your CD from a friend and I just wanted to say I can't stop playing it and I love it and I'm in new York so you should give me a call' and I was just like Oh my God! Awesome f--- I mean its Evan Dando! On tour in North Hampton, Mass we sat in a hotel room, we were just playing songs and just to be there with him was like…I couldn't believe it. I was just so happy to be in his presence and he was happy to be in mine too because he had heard my music. It was mutual admiration." It was after this run of low-key acoustic ventures that Ben hooked up with Fred drums, Josh Bass/vocals and Mike guitar/vocals and recently completed a huge American tour opening for Dashboard Confessional.

This tour also witnessed the (un) rock 'n' roll art of fishing exercised by Ben and friends in the wee hours of the morning at almost every gig stop of the tour. Their most recent tour saw the Kweller collective in England playing alongside Colin Macintyre's Mull Historical Society (and quite frankly blowing him out of the water), along with a handful of U.S. performances sharing the stage with the likes of Mouldy Peaches and Benfolds Buffalo.

The Ben Kweller experience is definitely one not to be missed and at only twenty this man looks set to entertain the cool masses for many years to come.

Three albums he’s into right now? Ben says: "I've been listening to the first Paul Simon solo album, that's my jizzam right now! And the first Violent Femmes album and the first Paul Sizzle album, Oh and a lot of books on tape, or books on CD."