Ben Sollee, the story-teller

He is a one-of-a-kind American musician, known for his innovative playing style, genre-bending songwriting, electrifying performances, political activism and wide appeal. As a native of Kentucky, Ben Sollee is passionate about the issue of mountaintop removal in coal mining and he frequently plays benefit concerts for Kentuckians For the Commonwealth and Oxfam America. Interestingly, Sollee has become popular for his signature style — cycling to his concerts with the cello strapped to the back. Bangaloreans didn’t quite get to see that here, but they definitely got to enjoy his mesmerising tunes.  Read on to know more about cellist and his fascinating journey through life...A cellist at 29 is some achievement. How and when did you begin playing cello? And why is it said that you do it in a ‘non-traditional way’?I started playing the cello when I was in elementary school. I was one of the very few who was attracted to the instrument, so you can say I started very young. As is the case most times, the vernacular music of the instrument and its studies was classical music. Nothing wrong with that, but it was challenging when I found myself wanting to jam with family and friends. You see, my grandfather was a fiddler and my folks also played music (mostly R&B) and the cello didn’t really have a set identity in those situations.Learning to Bend in 2008 to Half-Made Man now — how different are the albums from each other?The intent of Learning to Bend was to be an exploration. It took me all over the map as a musician and songwriter, and I began to realise that my musical palette, like the rest of my generation that came of age with internet, was adventurous and broad. Learning to Bend is more nearly a mixtape of my influences than a narrative. On the other hand, Half Made Man is my first record that I recorded live in the studio and I’m so pleased with the outcome. The secret ingredient was a remarkable collection of musicians in the studio.Tell us more about Half-Made Man. Why the title? Is it a sort of self-reference, maybe?The 10 new songs are essentially a collection of self-portraits. At the age of 29, I, like all young men, have begun to transition from the idea of ‘who I will be’ to the person that ‘I am’ (some call it arriving at manhood but that’s a pretty contrived idea). There’s all these characters inside of me that I’m constantly trying to express — there’s the fixer, the outraged citizen, the ambitious father, the idealist musician, and so on.You mentioned in interviews how you wanted Half-Made Man to have a raw, real time performance quality. Can you elaborate more on what you mean by this? Do you think you’ve been able to accomplish it?We recorded the record in an old house in Kentucky. Nearly everything was cut live. Each day, the musicians and me would gather in the family room and work out each song acoustically. Once we got on a path, we’d saddle up in front of the mics and go for it. The result, to me, is captivating and reflective. I’m not saying it’s a profound artistic work, but it’s certainly meaningful to me and the story I’m trying to tell.You are known to travel to your shows on a bicycle with your cello strapped to the back. The idea of cycling to your own concert seems fascinating. What’s the story behind it?I use the limitations the bicycle offers to connect and engage with the communities I perform in. When one takes the time to pedal in to town, the community responds with in-kind energy. I found myself falling in to the conventional pattern of flying across the country and driving through the night multiple times a week. I was spending all my time between places rather than in them and doing so at a super-human pace.What best describes Ben Sollee — being a cellist, a composer or a bicyclist?I consider myself a storyteller. I use music, dance, bicycles, Appalachia, social media and lots of other things to tell the story of who I am.Unlike musicians who generally refrain from taking a stand, you are someone who is fairly active politically. Would it be safe to presume that you think that being a musician puts one in a position of responsibility where you can influence people about political values? Will you say music is your medium to convey your political ideas?As a native of Kentucky I am especially passionate about the issue of mountaintop removal in coal mining. I don’t entirely know the value of my heritage yet, but there’s still a lot of depth to explore musically if we can just find a way to preserve mountains and communities under threat.There is a lot of noise about how streaming services have been killing the music industry? As an independent artiste, what are your thoughts on this?Libraries didn’t kill the publishing industry. I don’t think that online streaming libraries of music are going to kill the music industry.