Ben Sollee is a well-renowned musician, cellist, composer, and activist whose value-first approach to art is inspiring in today’s age. Since 2005 Sollee has reinvented the cello’s place and style in americana and folk music. He’s as innovative as he is thoughtful about the kind of music he makes and the artists he chooses to collaborate with.
From classical quartet to folk duos and feature film scores, Sollee is a truly free artist. He didn’t get here by accident. He was very intentional along the way. Paramount to his success is his ability to listen, his openness to listen. Both to the world around him and the people in it.
I found Sollee extremely throughtful and transparent in our conversation. His perspective is one I would love to see more artists adapt as we get ever closer to a fused music industry with machines and AI. As an artist who chooses to add human fingerprints in his music from breaths heard and coughs made in the recording Sollee has the perspective necessary for us to bring humanity back to the center of the art.
In Conversation with Ben Sollee