The Builders and the Butchers were formed in the fall of 2005 in Portland, Oregon.  The band’s first two years consisted of busking, playing house shows, and showing up unannounced anywhere around Portland where people were gathered.  Folks began to take notice and the band transitioned slowly, going from playing on the floor of venues unplugged to gradually adding a mic here, an amp there, until they organically grew into one of the most exciting live acts in the Pacific Northwest.  Even when plugged in, a cornerstone of almost every builders show is playing on the floor at some point during the set.

Touring relentlessly from 2007-2012 The Builders gathered a cult dedicated fan base across the US and Europe.  Playing dozens of music festivals like Sasquatch and Lollapalooza, as well as supporting artists like Portugal. The Man, Amanda Palmer, Murder By Death, and Heartless Bastards.  

"For more than a decade, 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 All Songs Considered