Ben Bridwell: ‘Why Were You Born?’

Ben Bridwell Why Were You BornBack in August, Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell announced his first-ever solo tour, in which he’ll perform as Birdsmell for 8 dates in the Southeast U.S. this November. He promised the trip would bring new songs and reworked BoH material at the time, but hadn’t planned specifics beyond that. Now we we have a taste: “Why Were You Born?” is a highlight among three cuts he shared last week, along with “Throw My Mess Around” and “Tulsa.” “I wasn’t exactly in a rush to get them out to the discerning earholes of the public,” he says. “Regardless, this project was pure enjoyment for me and it was nice to not give a damn about anything, but having fun recording these songs.” All three will be sold as 7″ singles at the shows, and — despite that attempt to downplay expectations — this one really is an intimate gem worth picking up. Hear it above.