Bio
Watching the sunrise from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, singer/songwriter, Ben Fuller, found new perspective. “The profound impact of that moment, lead me to the realization that every place and person I meet has a story," he says. As a musician who has been playing guitar and writing original music throughout his life, Ben credits his experiences traveling the world and his appreciation of nature as major inspirations. Seeking out new adventures plays an integral role in Ben’s own history and he lets those experiences resonate and become part of him. "Every time I go somewhere new, it fills me with creative energy that I channel into my music…When I am working out a song or struggling with something in life, I'll spend time outdoors - snowboarding, canoeing, or hiking to find clarity."
Ben Fuller's debut solo EP, Aquarian Son, highlights his gift for songwriting and crafting meaningful music. Choosing a name for this collection of songs came very naturally. "The album is titled Aquarian Son because I take pride in being an Aquarius," Ben says. "I read that as water bearers we pour 'waters of universal consciousness' into the minds of individuals. That's what I like to think I'm doing with my music."
Ben's music naturally takes shape as he moves through life. "Music is a great common denominator. That's why I value exploring new places and meeting new people. These encounters constantly influence my music." Ben has an Aquarius symbol tattooed on the back of each arm and a compass pointing north on his left forearm. These symbols are personal emblems. Like spirit animals on a totem pole, Ben’s tattoos are inked footnotes of where he has been and where he is headed. "They're permanent fixtures, symbols of who I am and the direction I want to take in my life." On his leg, a tattoo of tree branches growing out of a guitar represents Ben's organic approach to life and creating music. "I let things evolve, I don't try to force them." A large tattoo of his wolf-dog Tipu rests on his right forearm. "Besides my wife, Tipu was my traveling companion. He did things that most people don't do in their lives - we lived in tree-houses in Alaska, hitched a ride on a remote freight train, drove cross country in a vintage school bus, rode chairlifts in the Sierra Nevada’s- he did it all with us."
Since childhood, Ben Fuller's passion has been music and it has shaped him as both an artist and a person. "I moved around a lot as a child... from Southern California, to the Northeast, and back to the West Coast. I went to three different high schools, saw new faces, and had new rules. I gravitated towards music as a way to ease into new surroundings. The song "California" is an ode to his California roots. "Playing guitar and singing became a way of self-expression in a life of semi-permanence." Because of his transitory past, he has learned to be open and ready for just about anything, saying, "I pretty much always have a guitar in hand at home and I always take one wherever I go. You never know where you will find inspiration."
Ben believes that if you put positive vibes out there and open yourself up to new experiences, good things happen. After moving from Missoula, MT to Oregon, Ben found his footing in Portland's burgeoning music scene. He was invited to participate in The Deep Roots Project, a program where local musicians take lyrics penned by high school seniors and compose a song from their words. Creating songs about approaching adulthood while holding onto one's youth was something he could easily relate to. The song "Inside Out" on Aquarian Son was inspired by this project. "Never believe what the voices said / It's just pretend, split myself in two / And you say that it’s over, and I stay, but I just can't let it go.”
Through fellow Deep Roots musician, the late Scotland Barr, Ben Fuller was connected with producer/musician Scott Fisher who produced Aquarian Son. "I'm a firm believer in going with the flow, putting things out there and giving fate a chance. I have a great relationship with Scott, we met and just had the same vision of what the album should sound like." Through Fisher, Ben hooked up with a group of accomplished musicians who brought new life to the songs. "I love that Scott and musicians like Zane Carney (Carney), Jeff Anthony (Sheryl Crow), Robin Everhart (Rival Sons) and Justin Hopkins (Justin Hopkins and The Guilt) all contributed to Aquarian Son. These guys are all incredibly talented musicians and successful in their own right."
Mixed by Krish Sharma (Rolling Stones, Counting Crows) and multiple Grammy nominee Jesus “Chuy” Flores (Ricky Martin, Badly Drawn Boy) and mastered by Eddy Schreyer (Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman), the EP is crisp and artistic. Every song is unique and introspective which Fuller feels, "is exactly how life experiences should be. I take something with me from everything that I do, let it simmer and then make it my own." When it came time to choose what songs would go on the album, he knew it was important for each one to be representative of different times in his life. For instance, "Favorite Song" was written while in San Francisco, and "Handsome Loser" was penned more recently at home in Lake Tahoe. "I wanted Aquarian Son to be an oral timeline of my past, with each of the songs being able to stand on their own but also complement each other." he says.
Ben Fuller has a hard time labeling his sound. "If I'm feeling nostalgic, I might write a slow song. If I'm feeling upbeat I'm going to write something with a little more pop. Life is emotional and I try to express that through my music." Expanding and adding dimension to his music is something he strives for. "I completely submerge myself in music. I want to be able to play with as many musicians as possible and keep building upon my musical roots". Inspired by classic artists like Bob Marley, the Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd and contemporary artists like Wilco, Ryan Adams, and The Shins, Ben Fuller aims to create music that conjures up a similar cache of feelings that these artists are known for.
Another driving force in Ben Fuller's music is the synergy he shares with his wife, Tanya. "I don't know if it's our energies that feed off each other or our similar philosophies, but whatever it is, music has been a really cool thing to have in common." With Tanya's background as a writer, the two combine talents to write songs about shared experiences. "I'll usually have a melody I'm working on and play it for her. She'll hear something and we'll just run with it; usually the words stem from things we've seen or learned. It's a very natural process." The opening track on the album, "Ashes", was a song they wrote together during one fall in Missoula, Montana, at the time of year when life transitions into a slower, more reflective pace. "Leaves falling from the sky / Churning piles of time gone by / Dusk's charcoaled fingers, reaching high above / I'm going to lay your ashes down."
Ben Fuller's ability to create music that appeals to a broad audience is as unique as his sound. With a laid-back philosophy and an engaging voice his songs are intimate and distinctive. "Every town or city that I've lived in or visited has had a part in forming the music I create. And these experiences are reflected in the breadth of my musical interests,” he explains. “I've played in bluegrass bands, alternative country bands, pop bands, rock bands, and all are very different." By combing all of these influences, Ben Fuller has found an original sound that still feels very true and familiar.