Ben Lee's musical career began in 1993 with the band Noise Addict, who were signed to Steve Pavlovic's independent label Fellaheen Records, on the strength of a self-produced and distributed four-track demo recorded in Lee's bedroom. Pavlovic's connections brought the band to the attention of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Beastie Boys' Mike D, both of whom released the band's material in the US. The group put out several releases on the Beasties' Grand Royal Records. These including the acoustic Young and Jaded EP in 1994, which contained Lee's Evan Dando tribute, "I Wish I was Him." In 1995 Grand Royal released the band's only full length, the Brad Wood produced Meet The Reel You. Noise Addict made a music video for the song '16' and toured with Sebadoh, but broke up thereafter. Lee was also briefly a member of the alternative act Gerling.Lee's solo career started at the age of 16, while he was still in Noise Addict. He began recording his first solo album, Grandpaw Would, in both Sydney and Chicago with producer Brad Wood. This was followed by the 1997 album, Something To Remember Me By, also produced by Wood. 11999's Breathing Tornados marked a new direction for Lee as he introduced synthesizers and increased instrumentation into his sound. The album was a success in Australia, with the first single, "Cigarettes Will Kill You", finishing second in that year's Triple J Hottest 100.

Lee also enjoyed success with the single "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" from the album hey you. yes you.. It reached #22 on the 2002's Triple J Hottest 100.

In 2001, he joined forces with Evan Dando, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick and Jason Schwartzman of Phantom Planet and acting fame.

Calling themselves Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman, they recorded a single, "Dead or Anything", at Globe Studios, New York City. During 2003, Lee teamed up with Ben Kweller and Ben Folds for a side project entitled The Bens.

They recorded four songs together in Nashville, resulting in a self-titled EP. Lee also dueted with Kylie Minogue in 1999 on a cover of The Reflex for an Australian Duran Duran tribute album. In late 2006, he teamed with California band Rooney for a U.S. tour.

In late 2004, Lee left Steve Pavlovic's Modular Recordings and started up his own record label, Ten Fingers. The first release on the label was the single, "Gamble Everything For Love", followed by the album, Awake Is The New Sleep in February 2005, which went double platinum in Australia.

A defining release in his career, the album showcased a much brighter, positive side of Lee's personality, in contrast to his previous darker musings. Awake Is The New Sleep received several nominations for the 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, and Lee won Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, and Single Of The Year for Catch My Disease, which Lee wrote with Mcgowan Southworth.

Catch My Disease also went to #2 on the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100. In addition, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film, "Just Friends," as well as the soundtrack to the television series, "Grey's Anatomy".

In 2006 it was used in a television commercial for Dell Computers. On Sunday, March 26th, 2006 Lee performed We're All In This Together from his latest album Awake Is The New Sleep at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The single for "We're All In This Together" was released on the 8th of April, 2006. The CD includes b-side cover versions of the song by Pony Up, Holidays On Ice and Gelbison.

And, here, now is Ben Lee’s new album "Ripe" due for a release on October 1st, 2007. Lee says Joel Madden helped out with some backing vocals, along with Sara Watkins from the band Nickel Creek, and US band Rooney. Benmont Tench, keyboardist from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also contributed. The result? A power-pop masterpiece.