Noise Addict - 2009

As a young teenager, Ben Lee recorded grunge-rock music and released a few albums with his band Noise Addict. After 14 years, Lee has released a new Noise Addict album, called it was never about the audience. Click here to download your free copy.

Featuring 15 songs, this lo-fi album is a great antidote to slick, overproduced records that value Protools over talent. Lee collaborates with Dinosaur Jr.’s Lou Barlow and longtime friend/backing musician Lara Meyerratken (check out her band El May).  Lee discusses the very indie nature of the album: almost all the songs were recorded quickly, after they were written, in a bedroom.

The best songs on it was never about the audience are “Hey Baby,” “Faster Side of Normal,” “That’s How It Goes,” and “Do I Know You.”

For those of you who are familiar with Noise Addict’s work from the 90s, it was never about the audience is much softer, more mature sounding than the teenage anthems of Noise Addict’s past.

Ben Lee as a 14 year old on the far right

Ben Lee as a 14 year old on the far right