Ben Lee is an Australian singer-songwriter from Bondi, Sydney. Born in 1978, he begins his music career at 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, and starts his solo career at 16 while still in the band.

Early solo work

Lee’s first solo album is Grandpaw Would, followed by Something To Remember Me By in 1997. In 1999, he releases Breathing Tornados, which introduces synths and more layered instrumentation into his sound. The single “Cigarettes Will Kill You” reaches number two in that year’s Triple J Hottest 100.

Collaborations and side projects

In 2001, Lee works with Evan Dando, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, and Jason Schwartzman under the name Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman. The group records the single “Dead or Anything” at Globe Studios in New York. In 2003, he teams up with Ben Kweller and Ben Folds in The Bens, recording four songs in Nashville for a self-titled EP.

Independent releases and recognition

In late 2004, Lee leaves Modular Recordings and starts his own label, Ten Fingers. Its first release is the single “Gamble Everything For Love”, followed by the album Awake Is The New Sleep in 2005. This album brings him several ARIA Award nominations, and he wins Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, and Single of the Year for “Catch My Disease”. The song also reaches number two in the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100.

Later albums

Lee’s sixth solo album, Ripe, appears in 2007. The record focuses largely on sex, lust and love, and includes guest appearances from Mandy Moore, Benji Madden, Sara Watkins, Rachael Yamagata, Charlotte Martin, Ned Bower, Taylor Locke and Robert Schwatzman, who also co-writes “Sex Without Love”. John Alagia produces the album, which is released on the Inertia/Ten Fingers label.

In 2009, he releases The Rebirth of Venus, which includes a bonus disc of cover versions such as MGMT’s “Kids” and Against Me!’s “New Wave”.

Other projects and affiliations

Lee also appears in The Bens, Noise Addict, Gerling and Radnor & Lee. His labels include Millenium Buggery Records and Lojinx.