A Dirty Dozen with RYAN SOLLEE from THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS – February 2026

Photo credit: Tari Gunstone

According to a recent press release: “Portland-based folk rock band, The Builders and the Butchers, are 20 year veterans of the Portland Music Scene. The Builders and The Butchers formed in 2005. Ryan Sollee fronts the band, sings and plays guitar, joined by Ray Rude (drums and keyboards), Paul Seely (guitar and vocals0, Willy Kunkle (bass, guitar, vocals, percussion), Justin Baier (drums, backup vocals, percussion) and Harvey Tumbleson (mandolin, banjo, guitar, vocals, percussion). The Portland-based band gained a strong following after years of playing anywhere and everywhere across the city. They quickly grew to become one of the most exciting live bands in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest.” We get singer / guitarist Ryan to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

This is our 7th full length record called No Tomorrow. What I hope folks hear is that we put a lot of love and joy into these songs. Its different in that there is a lot more intricate guitar and string work in general, more dynamics as well. Some of our records in the past have been chugging along and this one there is more subtlety. There are several hidden laughs and comments that got left in during the recording of vocals that make me smile.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I think I was 4 and parenting to be Elvis at the grocery store, dancing around as if I was on stage.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Growing up in Alaska was like living on an island, very few bands coming through, but when bands did make it up it was life changing every time. Getting to see Fugazi live when they came to Anchorage was pretty core memory. Getting to open for the Jesus Lizard when they played in Anchorage was life changing.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Tom Waits, because his ability to take a standard song, and fuck it up in a gorgeous way.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I love fishing, I try to go at least once a week, that is my church / meditation place.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I like describing us as apocalyptic folk. So many reviewers make the mistake of calling us a bluegrass band since we have a mandolin, that makes me cringe…

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I generally cook for the band when we are sharing a house, I like making the guys fried chicken, or breakfast burritos. Ray gets the drinks. Harvey is a human jukebox so if someone is jamming on old 90’s nostalgia its him.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

We just did a couple of shows opening for Lucero and Amigo the Devil, I spent the whole time backstage fully starstruck by both of those bands. Feeling major imposter syndrome…

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part of being a musician is connecting with so many different people from so many different walks of life, seeing new places you never would’ve gone if not on tour. I also absolutely love the guys in my band and I love spending time hanging out with them and travelling. I think I’d like to be involved with music in a different way if I wasn’t playing, booking shows for bands sounds like fun. I also was a fish biologist in a former career and loved that as well, so I could see myself going back to that work.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Good question…the question is what is a perfect audience? The answer is an audience that will be silent during a quiet song and crazy during a big up tempo rock song. We’ve maybe had that once or twice. I hate answering what our band name means.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Two things / moments: we went on a 6 week long tour with a band, not gonna name names, that wasn’t a good fit musically or culturally, and we had a lot of hardships on the tour, in retrospect it nearly broke the band. When recording our 3rd record there are some creative choices that have never set well with me, and I would do it differently if I could.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would love to be present when Alan Lomax recorded Leadbelly for the library of congress, there is so much deep honesty and pain in those recordings.

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Category: Interviews