Ben Lee

Biography

Benjamin Michael Lee (born 11 September 1978) is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake (2003). He has released eleven solo studio albums.

Noise Addict

Lee's musical career began in 1993 with the band Noise Addict, who were signed to Steve Pavlovic's independent label Fellaheen Records, on the strength of a self-produced and distributed four-track demo recorded in Lee's bedroom. Pavlovic's connections brought the band to the attention of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Beastie Boys' Mike D, both of whom released the band's material in the US.
The group put out several releases on the Beasties' Grand Royal Records. These included the acoustic Young and Jaded EP in 1994, which contained Lee's tribute to Evan Dando, "I Wish I Was Him". In 1995, Grand Royal released the band's only full-length album, the Brad Wood–produced Meet the Real You×Meet The Real You1 November 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Body Scrabs & Bizzos1:282Blemish2:143163:324Boyfriendship2:205Bezerk At Cirumbin2:136Poison 10803:467Contractual Obligation0:448Frail Girl2:119Brinsley1:5610My Pathetic Friend4:0511March At Me Alive1:2512Glerp Was A Boy3:3513Jerk1:0214Exorcism Babe5:41. Noise Addict made a music video for the song "16", toured with Sebadoh, but then broke up. Lee was also briefly a member of the alternative act Gerling.
In 2009, Lee recorded a new Noise Addict album, It Was Never About the Audience, with a new lineup: Lou Barlow and Lara Meyerratken.

Solo career

Lee's solo career started at the age of 16, while he was still in Noise Addict. He began recording his first solo album, Grandpaw Would×Grandpaw Would17 April 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Pop Queen3:282How Can That Be?1:583Sprawl1:284I'm With The Star3:445Don't Leave1:586Away With The Pixies3:027Bolt1:038Side View2:399Pathetic1:0810Song 4 You2:3711Trying To Sneeze2:2612The Loft2:2713Frigid2:2914Stumbling Block2:5615Ductile1:2516Love Song0:5217Green Hearts2:4118My Guitar3:2719Waiting Game20Get Your Sleep, in both Sydney and Chicago with producer Brad Wood. This was followed by the 1997 album, Something to Remember Me By×Something to Remember Me By1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1How to Survive a Broken Heart2:502Deep Talk in the Shallow End2:473New Song3:544Eight Years Old3:485Career Choice3:596Ketchum4:557Daisy5:378My Drifting Nature2:4092 Sisters4:5210A Month Today1:3211Household Name3:2512Grammercy Park Hotel5:4313End of the World3:1414Long Train Ride3:43, also produced by Wood. An alternate version of his song "Burn to Shine", produced by T-Bone Burnett, played over the end credits of the film Best Men. Lee was then featured on the There's Something About Mary soundtrack, with the song "How to Survive a Broken Heart". 1998's Breathing Tornados, released on Pavlovic's new label Modular, marked a new direction for Lee as he introduced synthesisers and increased instrumentation into his sound.
The album was a success in Australia, earning Lee ARIA Award nominations for Best Male Artist and Album of the Year. The album's first single, "Cigarettes Will Kill You×Cigarettes Will Kill You1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Cigarettes Will Kill You3:502Girl's Talk2:353You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go3:17", was also nominated for Single of the Year and finished second in that year's Triple J Hottest 100. In 2001, Lee contributed a track ("Sweet Is the Night") to a Jeff Lynne tribute album Lynne Me Your Ears.
Lee's fourth album, hey you. yes you.×Hey You. Yes You.18 November 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Running With Scissors3:342Aftertaste3:173Dirty Mind4:154Something Borrowed, Something Blue4:035Run3:316Chills3:287Music 4 the Young & Foolish3:178No Room to Bleed3:489On & On4:0010Shine4:0911In the Morning3:0112Still on the Line5:36, was released in 2002. The first single from the album, "Something Borrowed, Something Blue×Something Borrowed, Something Blue28 October 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Something Borrowed, Something Blue4:052Mistakes (In the Key of Orange)3:463Confide in Me4:554Sandpaperback3:595I Am a Sunflower4:08", reached number 67 on the ARIA Charts and number 22 on the 2002's Triple J Hottest 100. The second single, "Running with Scissors", peaked at number 82 on the ARIA charts. In 2003, he also contributed several songs to the Evan Dando solo album Baby I'm Bored.
In late 2004, Lee left Steve Pavlovic's Modular Recordings and started his own record label, Ten Fingers. The first release on the label was the single, "Gamble Everything for Love×Gamble Everything for Love29 November 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Gamble Everything for Love3:232Ache for You4:033The Serious Mythology of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs2:164Desire4:045Hellbent for Heaven3:17", followed by the album, Awake Is the New Sleep×Awake Is the New Sleep22 February 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Whatever It Is3:192Gamble Everything for Love3:223Begin4:134Catch My Disease4:145Apple Candy3:236Ache for You4:067Into the Dark2:478No Right Angles3:359Get Gotten3:0710Close I’ve Come3:2311The Debt Collectors2:5112We’re All in This Together4:3913Light9:4814I’m Willing4:01 in February 2005, which went double platinum in Australia. A defining release in his career, the album showcased a much brighter, positive side of Lee's personality, in contrast to his previous darker musings. Awake Is the New Sleep received several nominations for the 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, and Lee won Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, and Single of the Year for "Catch My Disease×Catch My Disease25 April 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Catch My Disease4:162Float On4:023No Right Angles (live)3:374Something Borrowed, Something Blue (live)3:515Catch My Disease (demo)6:23", which Lee wrote with Mcgowan Southworth. "Catch My Disease" also went to No. 2 on the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100.
In addition, the song was featured on the soundtracks to the 2005 films Just Friends and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo as well as the soundtracks to the television series Grey's Anatomy, Hidden Palms and Scrubs. In 2006, it was used in a television commercial for Dell Computers. On 26 March 2006, Lee performed "We're All in This Together×We're All in This Together2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1We're All in This Together3:552We're All in This Together5:273We're All in This Together4:304We're All in This Together3:59" from Awake Is the New Sleep at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The single for "We're All in This Together" was released on 8 April 2006. The CD includes cover versions of the song by Pony Up, Holidays on Ice and Gelbison. "We're All in This Together" has been used in commercials for Kohl's (2008), Coca-Cola (Remixed Australian Summer Series Ads in 2007), the South Australian Government (2006), the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal (2007), and Telus Mobility's "My Faves" (2007).
Lee released his sixth album, Ripe, on 18 September 2007, with Benji Madden and Mandy Moore making appearances. Mandy Moore sang a light-hearted, 1950s-style duet with Lee called "Birds and Bees". "Mandy was very sweet and did her best Olivia Newton-John for me. I'm really psyched about this recording," Lee says. Madden helped out with some backing vocals, along with US band Rooney and Sara Watkins from the band Nickel Creek. "American Television" from the album was used in a VH1 advertisement for Flavor of Love 3 and the song "Ripe" appeared in an episode of One Tree Hill (Season 5, episode 2).
In 2007, Lee performed a cover of Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Our House" for Landmarks on The DL.
In February 2009, Lee released his seventh studio album, The Rebirth of Venus×The Rebirth of Venus10 February 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11What's So Bad (About Feeling Good)?4:392Surrender3:153Sing3:154I Love Pop Music3:355Rise Up4:246Yoko Ono3:427Boy With a Barbie3:278Bad Poetry3:419Blue Denim4:0110I'm a Woman Too3:1911Families Cheating at Board Games5:4212Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe3:37Disc 21New Wave3:282Rock Boys2:203Ben Lee2:204Woman Is the Nigger of the World4:115Kids2:556Throw Your Arms Around Me4:34, which received mixed reviews. It featured guest performances from the likes of Missy Higgins and Patience Hodgson, and peaked at No.21 on the ARIA Charts.
Lee's eighth studio album, Deeper into Dream×Deeper Into Dream10 October 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1My First Dream1:392Deeper Into Dream3:583Lean Into It3:224Indian Myna2:355Pointless Beauty4:326When the Light Goes Out4:277My Second Dream2:068Glue3:579The Church of Everybody Else4:1110I Want My Mind Back5:4611Get Used to It3:4712Dirty / My Third Dream4:17, was released on 11 October 2011. It was Lee's first attempt at a concept album, basing the entire 12 tracks around the dream state. Despite not charting, it was received fairly favourably by critics.
In April 2013, Lee released his ninth and arguably his most experimental studio album, entitled Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work×Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work6 May 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Invocation1:492Welcome to the House of Mystical Death5:093Meditation on Being Born7:484In the Silence5:375Shadow of the Mind5:006The Will to Grow5:197On My Knees5:568I Am That I Am5:179Song for Samael4:5310Thank You5:28, with collaboration from Jessica Chapnik. The album is based upon his personal experience with the psychoactive South American drug known as Ayahuasca. Lee featured as the mentor for Joel Madden's team on the 2013 season of The Voice Australia.
In June 2015, Lee released his 10th solo album, Love Is the Great Rebellion×Love Is the Great Rebellion29 May 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Giving Up on Miracles4:392Goodbye to Yesterday4:153Forgiveness3:254Big Love3:135Happiness3:146I'm Changing My Mind5:087The Body of Love4:308Everybody Dies3:549Everything Is OK3:5710Victory3:1111The Universe Inside4:4712Don't Let the Fire Die5:0413God Is a Fire4:08, his first on a major label, Warner Bros. Records.
According to Radio National's Geoff Wood, Lee invented the term "electro-yoga" to describe a new form of music dedicated to the practice of yoga. Lee has since followed up this release with an acoustically oriented album, entitled Freedom, Love and The Recuperation of the Human Mind×Freedom, Love and the Recuperation of the Human Mind21 October 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1What's Good Is Good3:082The Enemy Within4:003Cosmic Science3:124Bigger Than Mine3:515Land of Criminals3:176Two Questions3:237Thunder4:048Simple Gospel5:019Rebel Eagle4:03, in 2016, as well as a children's album called Ben Lee Sings Songs About Islam for the Whole Family×Ben Lee Sings Songs About Islam For The Whole Family3 March 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1The Straight Road2:112Assalamualaikum3:433Happy Heart2:534Ramadan2:555Rain2:256La Ilaha Il Allah3:387Islam Means Surrender2:518Astagfirrulah3:179Try Try Try3:12 in 2017. Together with former How I Met Your Mother star Josh Radnor, Lee formed an indie-folk duo called Radnor and Lee, and they released their debut self-titled album in November 2017.
2018 saw the release of B Is for Beer, a soundtrack to the musical based on the novel of the same name written by Tom Robbins. Lee and Robbins had collaborated for ten years to develop the musical. Funding for the album's development came via crowd-sourcing at Kickstarter.
Lee released Quarter Century Classix in 2019, a collection of cover songs he was influenced by during his teenage years. In 2020, Radnor and Lee released their second collaborative album, Golden State.
In 2021, Lee competed in the third season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Professor". He finished tenth after being eliminated in the third episode.
In September 2021, The Music Network confirmed Lee had signed with Warner Music Australia, releasing I'M FUN! in June 2022, preceded by single "Born for This Bullshit"; it was Lee's first album to chart in the top-50 ARIA album charts in more than seven years. The deal includes rights to his 19-album back catalogue. This One's for the Old Headz was released in September 2024.

Personal life

Lee was born in Sydney and was raised in a Jewish household but did not consider himself religious as a child. Lee was educated at Moriah College, located in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Lee dated Claire Danes for several years, but their relationship ended in 2003. He married actress Ione Skye on 28 December 2008, in a Hindu wedding ceremony in India. They have one child.
Lee stated that he follows a pescatarian diet.

Singles

Notes

A ^ The Australian peak for the Into the Dark EP is on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Other appearances

"Itchycoo Park" from I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)
"Make Your Move" (featuring Ione Skye) from Spider (2007)
"Beautiful Flirt" (with Ione Skye and Jack Graddis) from Bear (2011)
"We're All in This Together×We're All in This Together2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1We're All in This Together3:552We're All in This Together5:273We're All in This Together4:304We're All in This Together3:59" (with Jack River and Lime Cordiale) from Music from the Home Front (2020)

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Lee has won four awards.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. They commenced in 2005.