The history of Wilson’s Reservoir runs deep. It begins at Benjamin’s childhood.
The Name “Wilson’s Reservoir” comes from a time in his teens when his brother and he worked with his father to clear an area of forest in rural Georgia for a planned reservoir. The songs come from a lifetime of experience: coming of age, grappling with death, financial struggles, relationships both made & broken. They are about finding joy, hope, and love in a sometimes dark world. They are real and human.
After years of very separate experiences in culture, and genre Ben decided he wanted to do something different – something closer to home. During a winter of hardship, he put down his electric guitar and started writing songs. His goal was to create something timeless by embracing his roots while still exploring his influences of more recent years. He wanted to tell the story of his life and how he felt inside. This began as a grueling solo project, but was finally brought to light by the introduction of two of his friends who were strangers to each other.
Ben’s friendship with Andrew Martin began while playing together at rock-&-roll revival meetings in a historic theater house located in Goshen, Indiana. Andrew was a local guitar legend (now turned bass player) having played in some of the area’s notable bands. Many years later Ben asked Andrew to play bass on some tracks of his project. After recording together and a few gigs on the east coast Andrew jumped on board. Their friendship grew stronger than ever at this time, and Ben’s vision began to take shape.
In the years before Wilson’s Reservoir, Ben and his wife moved to Dublin, Ireland. He met Alex Ortin Boetti at the Clarence Hotel. Alex worked there at the time, and he and Ben struck up a conversation. They hit it off well. For the next year and a half they played in a couple of bands around the city. Immersing themselves in rehearsal rooms for days on end, they found new and exciting ways to express themselves. Then Alex had to move back to Spain. They stayed in contact over the years hoping someday they would play together again. In the fall of 2009 Alex joined the band.
Though cultivated separately, the forces combined shared a powerful common thread. The songs were expressed fluidly with natural ease. The songs had a real, and tangible voice. After a year of struggling to find the right sound the pieces began to fit together. The next vital piece of the puzzle was teaming up with producer Josh Antonuccio. He was instrumental in helping the three craft a natural sound and the birth of their first self titled record “Wilson’s Reservoir”.
Small Town Americana music is just one way to describe Wilson’s Reservoir. Others would describe it as honest music and one of the most original sounds they’ve heard in a long time. The great folk/country story tellers, gospel, jazz, punk, post rock are to name a few influences that shine through. It’s not unusual to hear someone say they can hear a bit of Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, or Radiohead in their music. While some may try to classify their sound, they just want to write music that connects with people 20 years from now.
