Ben Kweller (born June 16, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose music combines indie rock, power pop, folk-rock, punk, and country. Born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Greenville, Texas, he began writing songs at an early age. His father introduced him to drums and guitar, while Kweller also learned piano and developed into a performer comfortable with several instruments.
As a teenager, Kweller formed the alternative rock band Radish with drummer John Kent and bassist Ryan Green. The group built a following in Texas and attracted attention in the United Kingdom before signing with Mercury Records. Radish released the albums Hello and Dizzy, but a planned major-label album was shelved during the corporate changes surrounding the merger of PolyGram and Universal Music Group. The band eventually dissolved, leaving Kweller to begin again as a solo artist.
At 19, he moved to New York and started performing acoustic shows while making inexpensive home recordings. One of these releases, Freak Out, It's Ben Kweller, helped draw the attention of Lemonheads singer Evan Dando, who invited him to tour. Kweller subsequently gained further exposure through shows with artists including Jeff Tweedy, Juliana Hatfield, and Guster. His early work combined rough-edged guitar rock with bright melodies, nervous humor, and emotionally direct songwriting.
In 2001, Kweller became the first worldwide signing of ATO Records. His debut album, Sha Sha, followed in 2002 and established his solo identity. The album moved quickly between playful pop, punk energy, piano ballads, and confessional material. Its best-known song, "Wasted & Ready," became a modern rock radio hit and helped make Kweller one of the recognizable young singer-songwriters of the early 2000s.
Kweller broadened his sound on On My Way (2004), a more focused and band-oriented record produced by Ethan Johns. The album included "I Need You Back" and the title track, and became his first release to appear on the Billboard 200. His self-titled third album, Ben Kweller (2006), returned to a wide stylistic range, while Changing Horses (2009) explored country and roots-rock influences. Go Fly a Kite (2012), released through his own Noise Company label, brought together elements of his earlier power-pop style with a more mature, independent approach.
Kweller has also worked extensively outside his main solo discography. In 2003, he joined Ben Folds and Ben Lee for the short-lived project The Bens. The trio toured Australia and released a self-titled EP containing the song "Just Pretend." Kweller later appeared as a musician and actor in the 2014 film Rudderless, contributing to the film's fictional band and soundtrack. He has also recorded collaborations with artists such as Kimya Dawson, Selena Gomez, Waxahatchee, the Flaming Lips, and MJ Lenderman.
After a long recording break, Kweller returned with Circuit Boredom in 2021. His later work, including Cover The Mirrors (2025), reflects on grief, memory, family, and the sustaining role of songwriting while retaining his characteristic mixture of melodic immediacy and stylistic restlessness. Across his career, Kweller has remained associated with an unforced, handmade form of alternative pop: concise songs, vivid hooks, and a willingness to move between humor, vulnerability, and raw rock energy.