Born and bred in war-torn Belfast, Northern Ireland, it’s probably not so surprising that Ben Kyle’s sweet and airy pop tunes retain a poignant sense of seriousness. Romantica manage to deliver an understated heart-to-heart in an envelope of sarcastic wit and melodic charm; too smart to be sentimental, too sweet to be taken too seriously. Wilco, Ryan Adams, Nick Drake, Damien Rice, Elvis Costello and The Replacements have all been used to describe their sound, and yet (bassist/multi-instrumentalist) Luke Jacobs calls “Honey” (a single on their debut album It’s Your Weakness That I Want) an R&B track. “Those bass lines are gonna get somebody laid,” he claims. Romantica’s debut sat comfortably in the CMJ Top 200 for over two months, played on FOX-TV, and have received sustained airplay on Twin Cities FM mega-stations KQRS and Cities 97. Romantica’s diversity is musical as well as thematic. They traverse the territory of numerous genres, from pop to folk to alt-country to R&B to rock ‘n roll, all the while retaining a charming accessibility. Mike Alexis of download.com writes...”with Kyle’s strong songwriting wrapped around such capable and thoughtful arrangements, it’s an immensely accomplished debut that--if there’s any justice--will reach far beyond the Minneapolis city limits.” Jacobs and Kyle met in college and teamed up shortly thereafter. Since the release of their debut album, Romantica’s line up has been filled out to include Jessy Greene (Wilco, Jayhawks, Minus 5) on violin, Jeremy Sopinski on 2nd guitar. Jim Orvis on drums and Erick Brandt on keys. Now 6 strong, the band recently shared the stage with such notables as Lost Highway artist Tift Merrit, Hot House Flowers, The Damnwells and Kristen Hersch. 2004 saw Romantica grabbing a Minnesota Music Award for “Best Americana Album” and Ben landing a 2nd place finish for “On My Mind” in the AAA category for the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). Ben also signed an endorsement deal with Avalon Guitars for a new, eco-conscious axe. “Mexico” also won the 2005 ISC Award in the Perfomance category. At present, Romantica continues to tour, finish construction on their new studio and begin work on their follow-up to “It’s Your Weakness That I Want”.