Ben Sollee may be a classically trained cellist, but his eclectic, pop-friendly songwriting is anything but stuffy. The Lexington, Ky., native is one of the more accessible artists on the indie scene today, and not just musically (Sollee regularly corresponds with fans, tours on bicycles and is generally an affable, down-to-earth kind of guy). Drawing from bluegrass, folk and jazz, Sollee has developed a percussive, genre-defying style that lends itself to frequent collaborations with performers from across the musical spectrum (Jim James, Abigail Washburn, Daniel Martin Moore, Béla Fleck), and Sollee says those projects are essential to his experience as an artist. He also uses his platform as a songwriter to draw attention to a variety of causes, most notably the effect of mountain top coal removal on rural Appalachia. His sophomore effort, Inclusions, was released earlier this year.
We caught up with Sollee at Hearn’s Cycling last week for a quick solo performance before his set at The Orange Peel.
“Captivity”
“Bury Me with My Car”
