The Builders and the Butchers
It’s been four years since Portland, Oregon’s The Builders and the Butchers released their sixth studio album, Hell & High Water. That album received rave reviews and led to sold out shows – including opening for The Dead South at 3,000 capacity venues across the U.S. Their 2026 album No Tomorrow was produced and recorded by multi-instrumentalist bandmate Ray Rude at his own Laundry Room Studio. It will be released on April 3rd, 2026 via Badman Recording Co.
The Builders and the Butchers’ vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Ryan Sollee states, “it’s been an unexpected privilege to create and perform live music for over 20 years as a ramshackle band. We never could have imagined the cultural, political and social changes that have occurred in that time. Through the rapid deterioration of human connection, the denial of environmental destruction, and inept greed based leadership we still find joy. We find connection through creation. For us, making and performing music is a way to bring humanity to a world bent on destroying it.”
The band has had over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify for years now. Several of their videos have millions of views on You Tube – including “Bringin’ Home the Rain” with 19 million views. They are well known for their energized live performances and have dedicated fans that travel long distances to see them play.
“As our lives become more digital, people are sharing physical spaces less and less. The creation and performance of live music is an ever crucial, consistent, and communal space. In these spaces people can share the sounds, sights and smells of what it’s like to be moved in unison and feel connection,” says Sollee.
With glowing album and show reviews coming from Pitchfork and The Wall Street Journal, among others, their brand of folk-rock is best served live. Audiences can look forward to lively performances, where fourth wall is broken and the audience is able to participate in call and response sing-a-longs. Sometimes the band will hand out instruments for fans to play, and they’ll even get down off stage to perform right on the floor.
“The songs for No Tomorrow were written with our cultural changes and challenges in mind. The overarching message is that we can find hope in each other and still lead lives full of joy and creativity even when systems and leaders fail us. We believe we have much more that unites us, than divides us and that music is one of the best ways to create a connected shared experience for people. Live rock and roll is a church for the non-religious and religious alike. We would love to see you at a show, shake your hand, give you a hug, and talk with you. We are forever grateful to you: our strange, unique, amazing fans. We are thrilled to share this album with you and hope it brings some light into the darkness,” remarks Sollee.
“The members of The Builders And The Butchers have specialized in a kind of white-knuckle Americana: Their acoustic folk-rock sound is shot through with nervy, hellfire-and-brimstone intensity. The Portland-born band’s hometown brethren in The Decemberists provide a useful reference point — singer Ryan Sollee has a wide-open bellow and a gift for vivid imagery.” – Stephen Thompson, NPR Music
“The Builders and the Butchers make records the way the bards used to pass on stories. They’re poetic and captivating, and do to songwriting what Clint Eastwood does to movies,” and this [new record] follows the same, narrative-driven path.” – Consequence of Sound