Bio
The son of a classical pianist mother and a harmonica-playing father, music has been a constant for Ben Balmer. He started playing harmonica at 13 in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and by 16 was playing guitar and performing club gigs across the region.
Balmer’s early listening was as eclectic as it gets and encompassed everything from Bela Bartok to The J. Geils Band. Over time, his musical influences expanded to include Fiona Apple, Taj Mahal, and Tom Waits. He’d play along to his dad’s blues records, especially Sonnyboy Williamson and Paul Butterfield. Following his dad’s lead, Balmer took harmonica lessons from Grammy Award-winning player, Peter “Madcat” Ruth. As a teenager, Ben began his 10,000 hours of live performances, singing in a local band (Comatose Collin) and has even shared the stage playing harmonica for Motown legend, Martha Reeves.
Austin, Texas
Balmer made the decision to leave Michigan in 2008 and traveled the country living out of his 1990 Toyota Camry. He busked for the better part of a year, earning just enough to feed himself and keep the Camry running, putting in the time to become an effective solo performer. By the close of 2008, he found himself in Austin, Texas, which would be his home for the next 14 years.
While in Austin, the World’s Live Music Capitol, he serendipitously met bassist Josh Flowers (Jamie Lin Wilson, Motenko, Jeff Lofton) and drummer Aaron Parks (Paul Klemperer, Andre Hayward, Mente Clara). The trio played hundreds of shows together, including the much beloved Monday residency at Austin’s iconic “Whip In” for several years. During this period, Ben toured internationally across North America, the UK, and Japan, and released three albums: Dug In (2012), Loose Lips, Sunk Ships, Bruised Hips, and Booze Sips (2016), and Honky-Tonk Macbeth (2021).
Honky-Tonk Macbeth, recorded at King Electric Studios and engineered by Justin Douglas, was released to much acclaim. It’s been hailed as “…one of those pleasant oddities that pops up now and then, an effort that brims with clever ideas matched with top musicianship,” (Darryl Smyers, Texas Music Magazine). “This album oozes with coolness. Balmer is a superb lyricist and one heck of a storyteller, and the players on this record are equally as gifted, moving effortlessly from one musical genre into another” (Jane Ponte, Houston Music Review)
Asheville, NC
Like many folks, after the pandemic, Ben was ready for a change, personally and professionally. So in the Spring of 2022, he loaded his dog, PA system, guitar, and harmonicas into his minivan and moved to Asheville, North Carolina. Since relocating to the Great Smoky Mountains, Ben has been playing venues and house concerts in Nashville, Atlanta, Columbia, Charlotte, and the wider Southeast region.
Ben has been regularly joining the rosters of several national songwriters festivals (Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival, Red Lodge Songwriter Festival, Bull City Summit), in addition to regularly touring back through Texas. He is currently networking and exploring relationships and opportunities within the international harmonica community, as he continues to be both a student and a teacher.
The most exciting part of joining Asheville’s music scene has been discovering the wide array of talented local artists. Ben is looking forward to these influences in his music, as he is currently working on his 4th full-length album, and hopes to start releasing singles in 2024.
“I acknowledge that Asheville (or Togiyasdi, meaning “Where they Race”) is the ancestral home of the Anikituwagi, otherwise known as the Cherokee people. I declare my commitment as an ally for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous peoples. I invite you (the reader) to join me in turning this acknowledgment into action by donating to the Siċaŋġu Lak̇ota nation’s community development fund as an act of goodwill for the thriving future of Native people. “
- Ben Balmer
