About
Ben Wolman (1981 - ?)
At times plain and direct, at times unrepentantly sarcastic, at times infuriatingly cryptic, Hello Citizen melds influences, interests, and experiences into a unique and alluring sound-world. The music is a synthesis of the many elements that make up the life we all share.
Hello Citizen is a one man project helmed by songwriter Ben Wolman. From humble beginnings playing trumpet in his middle school band to learning guitar in high school, this introvert has always felt that music is the most important and potent creative outlet in his life.
In the spring of 2008 this New Jersey native felt the spirit of manifest destiny stir within him -- minus the urge to commit genocide, he promises -- and he headed out west. Settling in the Portland area, he began to play shows and self-released two albums in 2009. First came the self-titled "Hello Citizen", an exercise in surreal multi-layered rock. Later that year came "Play This At My Funeral", a much simpler acoustic record that accurately replicates a live Hello Citizen performance.
Ben now splits time between Portland and Seattle, occasionally playing shows in both. He is currently working on Hello Citizen's third album, titled "Selenomania", which will be released in the near future.