Ben Caplan

Ben Caplan was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and now resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[4] He began writing music at the age of 13 with friends, but it was at the age of 19 that he started his journey as an independent singer-songwriter.[5] Although he studied at the University of King's College, he decided that in order to have a career in music, it would have to become his priority.[6] He participated in the Artist Entrepreneur program through Coalition Music (Canada’s Music Incubator) which helps emerging artists build their careers, businesses, and brands.[7] He has been a touring musician since 2006 and released his first full-length album in 2009.[8]

In 2011 Caplan toured across Canada, and performed some concerts in Europe as well.[9] In 2012, Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers toured the east coast of Canada, performed at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and performed at the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA) Gala.[10]

Caplan performed live at the 2013 Byron Bay Bluesfest that took place from March 30 to April 1.[11]

From April to the end of July in 2013, Caplan played a number of shows that spread across Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Norway, United Kingdom,and in Canada. Among these shows, he performed at Glastonbury Festival (UK), The Hop Farm Festival (UK), and Roots In The Park Music Festival (Netherlands).[12]

In December 2013, Caplan returned to the Netherlands for a weekend tour that consisted of dates in Tilburg, Arnhem, and Haarlem.[13]

From December 28, 2013 to January 10, 2014, Caplan played a series of shows in Australia and participated in the Woodford Folk Festival and Sydney Festival.[14]

From February 21 to April 1, 2015, Caplan toured the United States for the first time. He performed three times during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas in the middle of the tour.[15]

Between 2015 and 2016 Ben embarked on back to back North American and European Tours [16] While touring Europe Ben has received positive reviews major publications such as Independent UK and The Guardian UK who say "For all the fierceness of the Canadian's appearance, nothing quite prepares for his voice, both spoken and singing. An unmistakable presence. " [17] and "From Satanic hoedowns to swaying country heartbreakers, this evening with the larger-than-life Caplan makes for rollicking fun." ranking him – 4/5 stars[18]