Seminal Aussie indie-pop muso Ben Lee has surprised everyone, dropping a ‘mixtape’ of songs he had recorded but not released, and it’s absolutely chock-full of surprise guests and collaborations.
The 11-track album, called A Mixtape From Ben Lee, features appearances by Zooey Dechanel, Ben Folds, Sally Seltmann and Neil Finn, just to name a few.
In a post that accompanied the album, Lee explains that the formations of the record first begun way back in 1998, as part of a personal songwriting project he was undertaking. In the seven years following that, he recorded the album with Sam Spiegel (Squeak E Clean) intermittently, allowing friends and collaborators to filter in and out of the creating and recording process.
“For some years these recordings just sat on my hard drive,” Lee said. “I have always loved the recordings, but life moved me in other directions and distractions, and the release of the ‘Mixtape’ recordings were temporarily shelved.”
The album is now available on Bandcamp for $1 (but you are encouraged to pay more if you wish), with proceeds going towards the Inkarri Cultural Organisation, a charity that aims to preserve and protect ancient cultures, in particular the Q’ero people of Peru.
A Mixtape From Ben Lee is available now on Bandcamp.
