Artists Similar To Ben Howard
Looking for artists with a similar music to Ben Howard? Maybe you liked some of Ben’s songs, but not all of them, and now you’re searching for something in the same style? Whatever the reason, if you are interested in artists like Ben Howard, you have a good taste đ, and this post is for you.
Ben Howard writes and performs beautiful music. I’ve put together a list of great musicians whose sound and vibe are comparable to his.
My article on Ben Howardâs best songs got a lot of love, I see that people really loved that TOP-10 chart. I hope this list helps even more people to discover awesome music of the same feel, quality, and impact.
Music Artists Like Ben Howard
First of all – there’s only one Ben Howard. I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone who listened to more than a couple of his songs. But there are indeed artists who share certain similarities with Ben. Whether it’s a similar sound vibe, or songs with a matching emotional specter, or a voice that strikes the same nerve. These are the artists I’ve chosen for this list.
Sufjan Stevens
This American songwriter and singer has been creating amazing poetic music since early 2000s. Sufjan played an important role in popularization of indie folk genre. If you like Ben Howard, you should definitely hear him as well.
Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith had one of the most gentle voices in folk music. His music was raw, emotional, and beautiful. It’s like his tragic life story found a way into the songs, making them even more real.
Nick Drake
When I think about Nick Drake, the first thing that comes to my mind is how reflective his music is. A hidden gem that only recently been gaining the attention it deserves.
Scott Matthews
Scott Matthews is a master of soulful vocals with intimate guitar. You can almost touch the emotion of his music. I find him very close in spirit to Ben Howard in some of the songs.
Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine is a popular folk singer-songwriter. Some of his music has quite a similar mood to Ben’s songs. If you like soft melodies and gentle rhythms, you gotta check his work.
Joshua Radin
Joshua writes beautiful songs with a gentle vibe. You could have heard his music in various popular TV shows, like House, Grey’s Anatomy, Shameless.
Damien Rice
Damien Rice has released the most touching songs, filled with raw emotion of sadness. Yet, this is a healing type of sadness, as I keep re-discovering each time I listen to them.
Fink
Fink is the most similar to Ben Howard in terms of sound. At least in his earlier albums. I highly recommend checking the Perfect Darkness (2011) release. Or you can check this collection of his Best songs.
Angus & Julia Stone
Angus & Julia Stone are a folk and indie pop duo formed by siblings Angus and Julia Stone. They create sweet, dreamy tunes with charming harmonies. I find some of their upbeat motives comparable to many of Ben Howard songs.
Gregory Alan Isakov
Gregory Alan Isakov has very clear, distinctive vocals and excellent guitar skills to match it. If you are looking for atmospheric and soulful music, listen to this one.
Can You Trust The Genre?
Now that I gave the list, I’d like to explain how I chose these artists and what guided my decisions. Bare with me for the next few quick paragraphs.
You see, if you go the easy way and ask an AI-based system (like YouTube, Spotify, Online radio stations, etc.) for “Artists Similar to Ben Howard” – youâll likely get inaccurate recommendations. Not because these platforms are trying to mislead you. They do it simply because that’s how they were programmed. Most algorithms start by matching artists by genre, then check popularity, and suggest results based on shared tags.
But matching genre or pace/volume/instruments tags doesnât mean two artists actually sound similar. There are way too many nuances, and variations in every single music style. Ask yourself this: Metallica and Limp Bizkit both have a âmetalâ tag, but would you call them alike? I don’t think so.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some tags don’t belong there at all. I have seen plenty of bands and artists being labeled as something they are clearly not. They might have a song or two in a certain style, but what about the rest 200 completely different tracks from their catalog? And how about the vibe, the mood of the music? Only a human can sense and experience that. And even than, it will be a subject to interpretation. Human interpretation.
That’s why I did not base my list on mere genre classification. I formed it based on how each of these artists feels. On what emotions and vibes their music brings in.
Conclusion
I hope this list helps you discover artists who bring the same depth, vibe, and emotion that Ben Howardâs music gives you. Each artist here was chosen not by genre tags, but by their unique feel.