Songs: Ohia was largely a solo project for singer-songwriter Jason Andrew Molina. Critics and fans alike have found considerable difficulty in trying to define the band's sound, usually settling on more general labels such as indie rock and folk-rock. Most are quick to draw comparisons to Neil Young and Will Oldham, (the latter of which Molina has collaborated with, alongside Alasdair Roberts, as the Amalgamated Sons of Rest). After playing bass guitar in various heavy metal bands in and around Cleveland, Ohio, Molina made the decision to become a solo artist, recruiting other musicians as needed. ...show more

Songs: Ohia was largely a solo project for singer-songwriter Jason Andrew Molina. Critics and fans alike have found considerable difficulty in trying to define the band's sound, usually settling on more general labels such as indie rock and folk-rock. Most are quick to draw comparisons to Neil Young and Will Oldham, (the latter of which Molina has collaborated with, alongside Alasdair Roberts, as the Amalgamated Sons of Rest). After playing bass guitar in various heavy metal bands in and around Cleveland, Ohio, Molina made the decision to become a solo artist, recruiting other musicians as needed.

He made several home recordings under various names, including Songs: Albian, Songs: Radix, and Songs: Unitas, which he distributed himself at live performances. Molina's first release under the Songs: Ohia moniker came in 1996 as a single on Palace Records, Nor Cease Thou Never Now. This was followed by the 1997 full-length album Songs: Ohia (known among fans as the Black Album), released on the Bloomington, Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, the label on which Molina has remained since. Though the band is still virtually unknown in the mainstream, 2002's Didn't It Rain garnered widespread critical acclaim with the indie community throughout the United States, and is arguably the group's most popular album.

He also released Axxess and Ace and The Ghost both in 1999. 2000 saw the release of the "passionate" album The Lioness and the very sparse Ghost Tropic. The release of Magnolia Electric Co. in 2003 marked a shift in direction for Songs: Ohia. ...show less