Ben Musser is far from the big-city gigging guitarist who moved to Jackson in the late 2000s. His music had the hard-driven rhythms and smart-ass lyrics of a youth. But now he’s a father and husband, fully settled into a more mature, reflective way of life.
“I get tears in my eyes every time my kid sits down and plays an instrument,” said Musser as he recounted the feelings he channeled while writing his first solo album, “Sentimental Fever.”
The themes of the 12-track solo debut revolve around introspection and appreciation for all the people, places and things that’ve passed through Musser’s life. Musser’s hope is for listeners to experience the same sense of presence he’s feeling at this stage of his life.
“There’s a lot more submission in the writing,” Musser said of the May 2026 album, “which reflects how I’m just happy and grateful to be where I am in my life.”
Over two weeks of intense sessions in producer Scott Matthew’s studio in Mill Valley, California, Musser played keys, drums, bass, vocals, and even accordion. But his Martin acoustic guitar is the core sound.
Musser and Matthews (The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, Roy Orbison) are both drummers at heart which Musser said allowed for fluid back-and-forth. Like many perfectionist musicians, Musser finds it difficult to record efficiently on his own. Having someone like Matthews to share the vision, he said, helps quell the conflicting voices in an artistic mind.
“He helped squash my insecurities. Every time I was like, ‘Is that okay?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, that’s better than okay, that’s you’. That’s unique.”
Jackson’s music scene is known for Americana and country cover bands lighting up barroom floors on Town Square night after night. Thanks to ‘80s and ‘90s radio hits, folks can go almost anywhere and expect to recognize a few familiar tunes played by a band they’ve never heard of.
This isn’t the experience for Musser, however. His mission is to help bring original music back to the fabric of Jackson’s sound. Creating genuine connections with fans of the music is an important part, he said. He aims to not only get his music in the ears of new listeners, but to find audiences who’ll be a bit more deferential and willing to listen to something new.
“Original music is very difficult here for numerous reasons. Generally, across the country it’s more difficult, but as prices and rents increase and property taxes,” he said, “it’s harder to get your original music out, then have people know it and then want to sing along because that’s the experience of cover music.”
Musser will play a release show for “Sentimental Fever” at 5:30 p.m. on June 4 at the Grit General in downtown Jackson. From there, he’ll embark on a self-booked tour of the Rockies featuring a stop at the Wilson Fire Department’s Annual Chicken Fry on July 19 and performances in Telluride, CO and Salt Lake City, UT from Aug. 14-16.
More information about tour dates, Musser’s music on vinyl and streaming at https://www.benmusser.com/.
Listen above for KHOL’s full conversation and live performance with Ben Musser.
Support for this arts and cultural coverage comes from the Wyoming Arts Council.
