Ben Reel: Spirit's Not Broken

Ben Reel’s twelfth studio album, Spirit’s Not Broken, begins with raw rock energy and soulful, R&B-infused grooves, evoking echoes of Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, and Sting. The result is an uplifting and deeply human work, both urgent and timeless. 

Over a career spanning more than 35 years, critics have drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan, The Band, John Hiatt, Roy Orbison and even dubbed him “the Irish Springsteen”. Yet Ben Reel remains unmistakably his own man.

Ben Reel began his music career in 1989 at the age of 17 with his first band, Promised Land, later renamed Trim the Velvet. Formed at Crossmaglen High School during the Troubles, music became an escape from an abnormal reality. The band gained a reputation as a powerful live act across Ireland before disbanding in 1997. Reinventing himself as a solo artist, Ben released his debut This Is the Movie in 1999. Since then, he has built a rich body of work across genres, blending rock, folk, soul, and reggae.
 
Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Ben has earned widespread acclaim and appeared on BBC, RTÉ, NPO Radio and more. He has supported and collaborated with artists such as Jools Holland, The Cranberries, Hal Ketchum, The Blockheads, David Olney and Nanci Griffith. In Nashville, he recorded The Nashville Calling (2020) with Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack, featuring E Street Band’s Garry W. Tallent ,an album that reached No. 1 on the Euro Americana Chart.

This decade alone, Ben has released four studio albums, including Locked in & Live (2022), Come a Long Way (2023), and now Spirit’s Not Broken. He has showcased at Folk Alliance (Memphis), played Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café, and toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe. 

With a loyal international fan base and tireless work ethic, Ben Reel remains one of Ireland’s most enduring troubadours.