The Builders and the Butchers

The Builders and the Butchers play music that feels like it was unearthed from a shallow grave in the American West. It is folk music stripped of its politeness, replaced by a frantic, percussive energy that borders on the apocalyptic. The sound is defined by a unique 'deconstructed' drumming style where the kit is split between players, creating a clattering, mechanical heartbeat that drives the songs forward with relentless momentum.

What truly sets them apart is the vocal delivery of Ryan Sollee, whose raspy, strained voice sounds like it is being pushed to the absolute limit. There is a sense of desperate urgency in every track, as if the band is trying to finish the song before the walls cave in. The lyrics lean heavily into themes of death, redemption, and the supernatural, delivered with the fervor of a backwoods preacher.

Start with 'Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well' to hear them at their most atmospheric and cohesive. It captures the transition from their street-performing roots to a more expansive, studio-polished sound without losing the raw, jagged edge that makes them one of the most compelling live acts in the Americana scene.