Ben Folds
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter
, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist
of the alternative rock
band Ben Folds Five
. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world. He has also collaborated with musicians such as William Shatner
, Regina Spektor
and "Weird Al" Yankovic
and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with authors such as Nick Hornby
and Neil Gaiman
. In addition to contributing music to the soundtracks of the animated films Over the Hedge
, and Hoodwinked!, Folds produced Amanda Palmer
's first solo album and has been a judge on the NBC
a capella singing contest The Sing-Off
since 2009.
and Billy Joel
on AM radio, and learned them by ear. During his years at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, Folds played in several bands as the pianist, bassist
, or drummer
.
In the late 1980s, Folds (as a bassist) and longtime friend Millard Powers
formed the band Majosha
. The group released several locally produced records. They played their first gig at Duke University
's Battle of the Bands
in 1988, and won. They played at bars and fraternity
parties, and eventually put out a self-produced EP
, which was sold at a few local stores called Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus (1988). The record featured only four songs, with none of them actually being about Jesus
. They recorded Shut Up and Listen to Majosha
in 1989. It contains, among other tracks, the four songs from Party Night (remixed and/or re-recorded) and what Folds would later record with his own band ("Emaline" and "Video"). At about the same time, they did a dance mix of "Get That Bug" that was released in Japan
.
Majosha broke up in early 1990, and Folds formed Pots and Pans with Evan Olson
(bass) and Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell
(guitar and vocals), where Folds played drums. The newly formed band lasted only about a month, after which Olson and Uzzell went on to form Bus Stop with Folds' brother, Chuck Folds, on bass, and Eddie Walker on drums.
Folds eventually got a music publishing deal with Nashville music executive Scott Siman
who saw Folds open for musician Marc Silvey (as well as playing bass for Silvey's band Mass Confusion), and moved to Nashville, Tennessee
, to pursue it in 1990. He played drums for a short stint in Jody's Power Bill, headed by Millard Powers
, Will Owsley
, and Jody Spence. Jody's Power Bill was later renamed The Semantics
. Folds did not take a creative role in the band. He, again, attracted interest from major labels. He ended up playing drums there as a session musician
.
"In Nashville, I was running eight miles a day, hanging out with my friends, walking around eating chocolate-chip cookies and playing a lot of drums, which I enjoyed. Life was easy. I was never frustrated – even though I wasn't fulfilling my contract obligations. If you are failing in Nashville, at least your standard of living is nice. Nashville is a nice way to fail."
Folds attended the University of Miami
's Frost School of Music
on a percussion scholarship, but dropped out with one credit to go before graduating. He devoted a lot of time to working on piano technique. "I spent maybe six months just running scales with a metronome like a freak," Folds said. "I suppose that did something."
Folds tells audiences about a jury recital when he was a student at the University of Miami’s music school. A jury recital consists of playing a prepared repertoire (and sometimes unprepared pieces from prior years of training) before faculty members who apply a grade for the entire semester. Folds, a drummer, showed up with a broken hand from defending his room mate from bullies the night before, but was required to play anyway. He ended up losing his scholarship and in desperation threw his drum kit into the campus' Lake Osceola.
After leaving Miami, Folds moved to Montclair, New Jersey and began to act in theater troupes in New York City. He enjoyed it in 1993 to the point where he didn't want to keep pursuing a musical career. He also played weekly gigs at Sin-é
, famous for being the cafe which had helped start Jeff Buckley
's career.
Soon after, Folds moved back to North Carolina
. The trio
of Folds, bassist Robert Sledge
, and drummer Darren Jessee
formed Ben Folds Five
in 1994 in Chapel Hill
. As Folds put it, “Jeff Buckley
was being signed at that time by Columbia
and I was talking to Steve, his A&R
guy, and somehow we knew the same people or something."
released their self-titled debut album
. The debut was followed by Whatever and Ever Amen
in 1997, and the odds-and-ends compilation Naked Baby Photos
was released in early 1998. Whatever and Ever Amen spawned many singles such as "Brick
", "Song for the Dumped", and "Battle of Who Could Care Less". In 1999, the band released their final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
, which included the hit, "Army
".
Folds has described his former band as "punk rock
for sissies", and his oddball lyrics often contain nuances of melancholy, self conflict, and humorous sarcasm, often punctuated by profanity.
Despite its presence on multiple Billboard genre charts, no Ben Folds Five singles reached the US Hot 100, although they did show well on both adult contemporary and modern rock
charts. However they gained a strong following in the United Kingdom and Australia
early in their career, and like many other 'alternative' American acts this was largely thanks to consistent support from national broadcasters in those countries, the BBC
in Britain and the ABC's
Triple J
youth radio network in Australia (and ABC-TV's music video show Rage
).
The group's first chart breakthrough came in the UK, when "Underground" made the lower reaches of the Top 40, peaking at #37. Britain was the Five's strongest territory in terms of chart success, with five singles making the national Top 40 there – "Underground", "Battle of Who Could Care Less", "Kate", "Brick" and "Army" – although none managed to crack the UK Top 20.
In Australia "Underground" likewise broke the band locally and while it did not make the ARIA chart, it came in at #3 the 1998 Triple J Hottest 100 poll. The 1998 single "Brick" became the group's only major chart placing in Australia, reaching #13; it also came in at #53 in the ARIA Australian Top 100 for that year and earned a Gold Record award while its parent album Whatever and Ever Amen
peaked at #9 and charted for 32 weeks.
Folds and his bandmates have moved many albums since 2001. He said, "The songs have been getting a great reaction, it makes me look forward to having a new album
out there because it’s been a while. This feels like a really free period in my life and I’m really enjoying it.”
Ben Folds Five reunited to perform its first concert appearance in nearly 10 years on September 18, 2008 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
's Memorial Hall. The one-off gig was part of the MySpace
"Front to Back" series, in which artists play an entire album live. The band played its final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
. The concert aired during October and can be viewed at Nowwhat.com. All proceeds from ticket sales benefited the charity Operation Smile
, of which Ben's uncle, Jim Folds, is on the board of directors for the North Carolina Chapter.
LPs
, including an experimental side project called Fear of Pop
, which was released while Ben Folds Five
was still together.
Folds's first solo release after the breakup of the band was Rockin' the Suburbs
in 2001. He played nearly all the instruments, notably guitar
(an instrument seldom used during the Ben Folds Five days). The Luckiest was written for the Amy Heckerling movie Loser
, but the scene it was meant for was deleted. Millard Powers
, Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell
, and Jim Bogios joined him on the promotional tour of the album. "Weird Al" Yankovic
directed and appeared in Folds' video for "Rockin' the Suburbs
". Folds' friend and fellow musician John McCrea, lead singer of the band Cake
, contributed vocals to Folds' song "Fred Jones, Part 2".
A year later, he released Ben Folds Live
, a collection of live solo recordings. In late 2003, two solo EPs
, Speed Graphic
and Sunny 16
, were released. The last EP, Super D, was released in mid-2004.
Songs for Silverman
was released in the United States on April 26, 2005. The album featured Jared Reynolds on bass
and Lindsay Jamieson on drums
, thus returning to the trio format. This album includes the track "Late", a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith
, and also features backup vocals from "Weird Al" Yankovic
on "Time" (Folds had played piano for Yankovic's song "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?" on his Poodle Hat
album).
Folds contributed to William Shatner
's album, Has Been
, as producer
, arranger
, musician, and backup vocalist. Shatner was also involved in Folds' Fear of Pop project, and contributed vocals to a number of songs on the album.
The soundtrack
for the 2006 animated film
Hoodwinked! featured "Red is Blue," performed by Ben Folds.
In May 2006, Folds contributed three original songs to the soundtrack of Over the Hedge
, dubbed "Heist," "Family of Me," and "Still." Included with them was a cover of The Clash
song "Lost in the Supermarket" and a remix of "Rockin' The Suburbs." "Rockin' the Suburbs" featured new lyrics written to complement the script of the film.
On October 24, 2006, Folds released Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, a compilation of songs that were originally released on the EPs Sunny 16, Speed Graphic, and Super D. He announced on his MySpace
blog that he planned to work on his next studio album
in October 2006 (although recording did not actually start until 2007). On that same day, Folds became the first person to broadcast a live concert over MySpace
. The concert was complete with pranks staged ahead of time by Folds, including a drunk man falling over the balcony during "Jesusland" and a suicide attempt at the end. The concert is also notable for featuring a "guitorchestra", a group of acoustic guitarists from Nashville who accompanied Folds on some songs, as well as an impromptu ringtone orchestra made up of audience memebers playing their cellphone's ringtones in unison.
Folds produced The Dresden Dolls
' Amanda Palmer
's first solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer
which was released September 16, 2008. He also performs on the album.
During a concert at the National in Richmond, Virginia on April 11, 2008, Folds announced that he had completed his newest album, and played four new tracks from this album. He played the first track, "Hiroshima", at the same show in Richmond on April 11. He also debuted new music at an impromptu gig at the Exit/In
on December 19, 2007 and at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on January 25, 2008. Other new songs include "Errant Dog", "Effington", "Bitch Went Nuts", "Free Coffee", and "Kylie From Connecticut". Folds played The 6th annual Langerado on March 8, 2008 and was a part of the lineup for the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
On July 16, 2008, an anonymous user posted what they claimed was a "leak" of Ben's latest album on a fan site (eventually called Way to Normal (Fake)). The file contained nine tracks along with a PDF of supposed cover art, and was a mix of what appeared to be legitimate songs from Way to Normal, pastiches of dry humor and melodramatic pop interwoven with bright, energetic melodies. Folds explained on Triple J radio a few weeks later that in one overnight session in Dublin he and the band had recorded 'fake' versions of songs from the new album. His sources had then leaked them to the public as a light-hearted joke on his fans.
Way to Normal
was released on September 30, 2008 in the United States and on September 29, 2008 in the United Kingdom. It became Folds' highest-charting album ever in the US, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200
.
Soon before Way to Normal was released, Folds announced that he planned to record an album with English author Nick Hornby
, with Hornby writing the lyrics and Folds writing the music. The idea of the collaboration came out of the 'fake' leak of the album Way to Normal released in July 2008. "(We will) write and record it in about three days, just like we did in Dublin with the fake record," Folds said.
In August 2008, Folds played piano for friend and Japanese singer-songwriter Angela Aki
's song "Black Glasses" on her new album Answer.
On April 28, 2009, Folds released Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella, an album consisting of college student's a cappella arrangements of his music performed by some of the country's best college a cappella groups.
Folds' song "Rockin' the Suburbs
" has been featured as part of the music for ABC
's sitcom Surviving Suburbia
.
Folds was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards'
judging panel to support independent artists.
From December 14 through 21, 2009, Folds was featured as a judge on NBC
's a cappella
competition The Sing Off alongside Nicole Scherzinger
and Shawn Stockman
and offered insightful, constructive comments and criticisms to the contestants. On the final show, in a departure from his a cappella purism, showcased his talents and played the roaring, riffing piano background on "Why Can't We Be Friends?
" sung by the two finalist groups, The Beelzebubs
from Tufts University
near Boston and Nota
, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He again returned for the show's second season, and has been confirmed to return for the third season in September 2011 alongside Stockman and Sara Bareilles
.
In March 2010, Folds became a YouTube phenomenon in a video titled "Ode To Merton". In the video, Folds improvises several songs about people that he sees on the popular social networking site Chatroulette
, in the style of "Merton
" another YouTube phenomenon who many thought was Folds himself.
Folds' newest album, a collaboration with English author Nick Hornby
, is entitled Lonely Avenue
and was released on September 28, 2010. On June 14, Folds released the official album art via his Twitter account. "From Above", the first single from the album, premiered on Richard Kingsmill's new music show 2010 on Triple J
in Australia on July 18, 2010. "From Above" features Australian singer Kate Miller Heidke on backing vocals.
Folds has recently recorded a video song with Nick Hornby and Pomplamoose. As well, English YouTuber Charlie McDonnell
was commissioned to create the music video for Folds' song "Saskia Hamilton", which was uploaded on October 1, 2010.
on guitar and electronic keyboard, Millard Powers
on bass and keys, and Jim Bogios on drums. Powers and Bogios later went on to join Counting Crows
.
On a tour of Australia, Folds joined with solo artists Ben Kweller
and Ben Lee
to travel the country as The Bens
, at the suggestion of a fan on Kweller's official website. The trio also went on to record a four-track EP
together.
In the summer of 2004, Folds co-headlined an American tour with fellow singer-songwriters Rufus Wainwright
and Guster
. Folds again performed with Wainwright and Lee in the summer of 2005 as part of the "Odd Men Out" tour. In addition, Folds has performed with many other notable musical names, including Weezer
and Tori Amos
. After seeing The Fray
perform with Weezer, Folds asked the band to join him for twelve performances in 2005.
Folds also performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
(WASO) in March 2005, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
(BSO) in November 2005, the North Carolina Symphony
in March 2010, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra
in July 2010. A DVD
of Folds playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was released in December 2005.
On May 9, 2007, Folds performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra. The orchestra's performance was marred when a fight broke out between two audience members in the balcony, though Folds had not yet taken the stage.
Folds performed with symphony orchestras again in August 2006 during a tour of Australia, which included performances with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House
, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
, Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
, and The Queensland Orchestra.
After his MySpace
performance on October 24, 2006, Folds's tour performances began to feature a synthesizer
, which he uses in many of the songs when played live. The synthesizer is a red Nord Lead II synthesizer. During his concerts, Folds performs two of his concert traditions: palm-smashing and throwing his stool at the piano.
Folds toured with John Mayer
as an opening act (though his set typically lasted an hour) in the summer of 2007. During this tour, Mayer sometimes joined Folds on the song "Narcolepsy", playing synth. At various concerts throughout the tour, parents of young children going to see Mayer would file complaints about Folds' lyrics. Folds responded by posting on his website, "We have kids too, but we don't take them out to rock shows that last until 11pm."
On March 29, 2008, Folds played the Cage Center Arena at Berry College in Mt. Berry, GA. During contract negotiations, he was asked by the administration to not play one of his songs due to its explicit lyrics. Folds refused, citing artistic freedom.
On May 9, 2008, Folds played his first completely solo show in years at Western Connecticut State University
due to the fact that his bassist Jared Reynolds was with his wife who had just given birth to their first son.
Folds made a brief solo tour of Australia during August 2009; at one of his sold out Sydney Opera House
concerts he was joined onstage for several songs by Aimee Mann
, who was also touring Australia at the time. At the Palais theatre in Melbourne Missy Higgins
joined him for You Don't Know Me
.
In 2010, Folds went on a brief tour of North America called "Ben Folds and a Piano" where he played solo other than with Zach Williams or Kate Miller-Heidke
and her husband Keir Nuttall as supporting musicians.
A small number of copies that were pre-ordered also included signed manuscripts by Ben Folds and Nick Hornby.
In April 2011 Folds collaborated with Amanda Palmer
, Neil Gaiman
and Damian Kulash
as 8in8 to write, record and produce eight songs in eight hours which were then available online within 24 hours, as well as being performed once on its world tour, as part of the ReThink Music conference.
while they were in high school.
Folds met Anna Goodman
in first grade at Moore Elementary School, Winston Salem and was married to her from 1987–1992. She co-wrote several Ben Folds Five songs: "Alice Childress", "The Last Polka", "Smoke", "Kate" and "Lullaby." Folds was then briefly married to Kate Rosen in 1996. He met Australian Frally Hynes in January 1998 and they were married in Adelaide, South Australia in May 1999. Two months after their wedding, Frally gave birth to their twins, Louis Francis (July 22, 1999) and Gracie Scott (July 23, 1999), the former inspiring his song "Still Fighting It" and the latter inspiring his song "Gracie." Folds filed for divorce in November 2006.
Ben and Fleur Folds were married on November 17, 2007 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas
. They are currently based in Nashville where they live with their three children, Gracie, Louis and Julia-Rose. Folds stated in an online chat on the fan forum thesuburbs.org.uk that he and Hynes share joint custody of their twins. Julia Rose is Ben's stepdaughter.
Ben Folds recently announced in a press conference for The Sing-Off that Ben Folds Five will reunite to record a new album in December. He has not said anything of a Ben Folds Five Tour.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
of the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world. He has also collaborated with musicians such as William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
and "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with authors such as Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
and Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
. In addition to contributing music to the soundtracks of the animated films Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge (film)
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
, and Hoodwinked!, Folds produced Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
's first solo album and has been a judge on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
a capella singing contest The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
since 2009.
Early life and career
Folds became interested in piano at age nine. His father, a carpenter, brought one home through a barter trade with a customer who was unable to pay. During this time, Folds listened to songs by Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
on AM radio, and learned them by ear. During his years at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, Folds played in several bands as the pianist, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, or drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
.
In the late 1980s, Folds (as a bassist) and longtime friend Millard Powers
Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
formed the band Majosha
Majosha
Majosha was a band formed around early 1988 with Ben Folds on bass, Millard Powers on guitar, and Dave Rich on drums. They played their first show at Duke University's Battle of the Bands in 1988 and won. Majosha released an EP, Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus in 1988, which contained four...
. The group released several locally produced records. They played their first gig at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
's Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
in 1988, and won. They played at bars and fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
parties, and eventually put out a self-produced EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, which was sold at a few local stores called Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus (1988). The record featured only four songs, with none of them actually being about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. They recorded Shut Up and Listen to Majosha
Shut Up and Listen to Majosha
Shut Up and Listen to Majosha is Majosha's first and only album. This album never made it to CD, and was only ever available on vinyl and cassette. All songs were written by Ben Folds and Millard Powers except "Emaline", written by both Ben Folds and Evan Olson...
in 1989. It contains, among other tracks, the four songs from Party Night (remixed and/or re-recorded) and what Folds would later record with his own band ("Emaline" and "Video"). At about the same time, they did a dance mix of "Get That Bug" that was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Majosha broke up in early 1990, and Folds formed Pots and Pans with Evan Olson
Evan Olson
Evan Scott Olson is a rock singer and songwriter based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Born in West Point, New York during the "Summer Of Love," 1967, his father was an officer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Olson has recorded seven albums including "One Room" and "Red"...
(bass) and Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell
Snuzz
Snuzz, is a musician from North Carolina and graduate of UNC-G. He played guitar and keyboards for Ben Folds on the tour of "Rockin' the Suburbs" and still writes and releases music under his name as well as playing in several other groups. Snuzz played in Bus Stop with Chuck Folds, Eddie Walker,...
(guitar and vocals), where Folds played drums. The newly formed band lasted only about a month, after which Olson and Uzzell went on to form Bus Stop with Folds' brother, Chuck Folds, on bass, and Eddie Walker on drums.
Folds eventually got a music publishing deal with Nashville music executive Scott Siman
Scott Siman
Scott Foster Siman is a leading American country music entertainment executive based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is president of RPM Management and co-owns RPM Music Group, a Nashville music publishing company...
who saw Folds open for musician Marc Silvey (as well as playing bass for Silvey's band Mass Confusion), and moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, to pursue it in 1990. He played drums for a short stint in Jody's Power Bill, headed by Millard Powers
Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
, Will Owsley
Owsley (musician)
William Reese "Will" Owsley III , known professionally as Owsley, was an American singer-songwriter, best known as for his work as guitarist in Amy Grant's touring band. His solo albums won critical acclaim and one Grammy Award nomination...
, and Jody Spence. Jody's Power Bill was later renamed The Semantics
The Semantics
The Semantics were a band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed by Jody Spence, Millard Powers and Will Owsley. Their music is generally regarded as power pop, combining elements of 70s pop and southern rock.- History :...
. Folds did not take a creative role in the band. He, again, attracted interest from major labels. He ended up playing drums there as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
"In Nashville, I was running eight miles a day, hanging out with my friends, walking around eating chocolate-chip cookies and playing a lot of drums, which I enjoyed. Life was easy. I was never frustrated – even though I wasn't fulfilling my contract obligations. If you are failing in Nashville, at least your standard of living is nice. Nashville is a nice way to fail."
Folds attended the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
's Frost School of Music
Frost School of Music
The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music or Frost School of Music of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, known from 1926 to 2003 as University of Miami School of Music, is a music school in the United States....
on a percussion scholarship, but dropped out with one credit to go before graduating. He devoted a lot of time to working on piano technique. "I spent maybe six months just running scales with a metronome like a freak," Folds said. "I suppose that did something."
Folds tells audiences about a jury recital when he was a student at the University of Miami’s music school. A jury recital consists of playing a prepared repertoire (and sometimes unprepared pieces from prior years of training) before faculty members who apply a grade for the entire semester. Folds, a drummer, showed up with a broken hand from defending his room mate from bullies the night before, but was required to play anyway. He ended up losing his scholarship and in desperation threw his drum kit into the campus' Lake Osceola.
After leaving Miami, Folds moved to Montclair, New Jersey and began to act in theater troupes in New York City. He enjoyed it in 1993 to the point where he didn't want to keep pursuing a musical career. He also played weekly gigs at Sin-é
Sin-é
Sin-é was the name of a music venue in New York City which helped launch the careers of several noted musicians in the early 1990s.-Original café:...
, famous for being the cafe which had helped start Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
's career.
Soon after, Folds moved back to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
of Folds, bassist Robert Sledge
Robert Sledge
Robert Sledge is an American musician, best known for his work with Ben Folds Five.-Biography:Robert Sledge began playing bass guitar at the age of eleven. His brother was playing guitar at his house so he also learned how to play the guitar at the same time...
, and drummer Darren Jessee
Darren Jessee
Darren Jessee is an American musician and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as the drummer for the alternative rock group Ben Folds Five...
formed Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
in 1994 in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
. As Folds put it, “Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
was being signed at that time by Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and I was talking to Steve, his A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
guy, and somehow we knew the same people or something."
Ben Folds Five
In 1995, Ben Folds FiveBen Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
released their self-titled debut album
Ben Folds Five (album)
Ben Folds Five is the self-titled debut album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1995. A non-traditional rock album by any estimation, it was an indie pop album that excluded lead guitars completely...
. The debut was followed by Whatever and Ever Amen
Whatever and Ever Amen
Whatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. A remaster was made available on March 22, 2005. All of the extra tracks had been previously released except for a cover of the Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star", which is a staple of Ben Folds Five's live...
in 1997, and the odds-and-ends compilation Naked Baby Photos
Naked Baby Photos
Naked Baby Photos is a compilation album comprising outtake material from recordings of Ben Folds Five's first two studio albums and live performances. Most of the tracks are previously unreleased rarities....
was released in early 1998. Whatever and Ever Amen spawned many singles such as "Brick
Brick (song)
"Brick" is a song performed by Ben Folds Five released on their 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen and later on Ben Folds Live. The verses were written by Ben Folds about his high school girlfriend undergoing an abortion, and the chorus was written by the band's drummer, Darren Jessee...
", "Song for the Dumped", and "Battle of Who Could Care Less". In 1999, the band released their final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
, which included the hit, "Army
Army (song)
"Army" is an alternative rock song by the band Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.-Lyrics, composition, and popularity:...
".
Folds has described his former band as "punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
for sissies", and his oddball lyrics often contain nuances of melancholy, self conflict, and humorous sarcasm, often punctuated by profanity.
Despite its presence on multiple Billboard genre charts, no Ben Folds Five singles reached the US Hot 100, although they did show well on both adult contemporary and modern rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
charts. However they gained a strong following in the United Kingdom and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
early in their career, and like many other 'alternative' American acts this was largely thanks to consistent support from national broadcasters in those countries, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in Britain and the ABC's
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
youth radio network in Australia (and ABC-TV's music video show Rage
Rage (TV program)
Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
).
The group's first chart breakthrough came in the UK, when "Underground" made the lower reaches of the Top 40, peaking at #37. Britain was the Five's strongest territory in terms of chart success, with five singles making the national Top 40 there – "Underground", "Battle of Who Could Care Less", "Kate", "Brick" and "Army" – although none managed to crack the UK Top 20.
In Australia "Underground" likewise broke the band locally and while it did not make the ARIA chart, it came in at #3 the 1998 Triple J Hottest 100 poll. The 1998 single "Brick" became the group's only major chart placing in Australia, reaching #13; it also came in at #53 in the ARIA Australian Top 100 for that year and earned a Gold Record award while its parent album Whatever and Ever Amen
Whatever and Ever Amen
Whatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. A remaster was made available on March 22, 2005. All of the extra tracks had been previously released except for a cover of the Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star", which is a staple of Ben Folds Five's live...
peaked at #9 and charted for 32 weeks.
Folds and his bandmates have moved many albums since 2001. He said, "The songs have been getting a great reaction, it makes me look forward to having a new album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
out there because it’s been a while. This feels like a really free period in my life and I’m really enjoying it.”
Ben Folds Five reunited to perform its first concert appearance in nearly 10 years on September 18, 2008 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
's Memorial Hall. The one-off gig was part of the MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
"Front to Back" series, in which artists play an entire album live. The band played its final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
. The concert aired during October and can be viewed at Nowwhat.com. All proceeds from ticket sales benefited the charity Operation Smile
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is a not-for-profit medical service organization based in Norfolk, Virginia , founded in 1982. A secular NGO, the children's medical charity provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, assists countries in reaching self-sufficiency with these surgeries, and...
, of which Ben's uncle, Jim Folds, is on the board of directors for the North Carolina Chapter.
Solo career
As of 2008, Folds had released six soloSolo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, including an experimental side project called Fear of Pop
Fear of Pop
Fear of Pop is the name of an experimental recording project by Ben Folds and Caleb Southern , along with John Mark Painter , William Shatner and others...
, which was released while Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
was still together.
Folds's first solo release after the breakup of the band was Rockin' the Suburbs
Rockin' the Suburbs
Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
in 2001. He played nearly all the instruments, notably guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(an instrument seldom used during the Ben Folds Five days). The Luckiest was written for the Amy Heckerling movie Loser
Loser (film)
Loser is a 2000 American romantic comedy film starring Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari and Greg Kinnear. It is about a small town teenager who is accepted into New York University and must cope with the pressures of college life and the big city...
, but the scene it was meant for was deleted. Millard Powers
Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
, Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell
Snuzz
Snuzz, is a musician from North Carolina and graduate of UNC-G. He played guitar and keyboards for Ben Folds on the tour of "Rockin' the Suburbs" and still writes and releases music under his name as well as playing in several other groups. Snuzz played in Bus Stop with Chuck Folds, Eddie Walker,...
, and Jim Bogios joined him on the promotional tour of the album. "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
directed and appeared in Folds' video for "Rockin' the Suburbs
Rockin' the Suburbs
Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
". Folds' friend and fellow musician John McCrea, lead singer of the band Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
, contributed vocals to Folds' song "Fred Jones, Part 2".
A year later, he released Ben Folds Live
Ben Folds Live
Ben Folds Live is a live album by Ben Folds, released in 2002 .This album marked the first official release of the classic Ben Folds live routine, "Rock This Bitch", which he went on to perform at least 60 more times since, including on the releases Songs for Goldfish and on the Live in Perth DVD...
, a collection of live solo recordings. In late 2003, two solo EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Speed Graphic
Speed Graphic (EP)
Speed Graphic is the first of a three-EP series released by Ben Folds. It included a cover track, "In Between Days" . It also included a sparse arrangement of "Give Judy My Notice", which would later appear on Songs for Silverman in a rearranged full-band version...
and Sunny 16
Sunny 16 (EP)
-References:*^ Suddath, Clair, "Ben Folds Is Not Cooler Than You," pg 41, Nashville Scene, November 2, 2006....
, were released. The last EP, Super D, was released in mid-2004.
Songs for Silverman
Songs for Silverman
Songs for Silverman is an album by Ben Folds, first released on April 26, 2005, by Epic Records in the United States. The album reached #13 on the Billboard 200, making it Folds' highest-charting album until the release of Way to Normal in September 2008.The album is named after Ben Goldman, Folds'...
was released in the United States on April 26, 2005. The album featured Jared Reynolds on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Lindsay Jamieson on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, thus returning to the trio format. This album includes the track "Late", a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, and also features backup vocals from "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
on "Time" (Folds had played piano for Yankovic's song "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?" on his Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
album).
Folds contributed to William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
's album, Has Been
Has Been
Has Been is William Shatner's second musical album after 1968's The Transformed Man.The album was produced and arranged by Ben Folds and most of the songs are co-written by Folds and Shatner, with Folds creating arrangements for Shatner's prose-poems, and feature guest appearances from Joe Jackson...
, as producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, musician, and backup vocalist. Shatner was also involved in Folds' Fear of Pop project, and contributed vocals to a number of songs on the album.
The soundtrack
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
for the 2006 animated film
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
Hoodwinked! featured "Red is Blue," performed by Ben Folds.
In May 2006, Folds contributed three original songs to the soundtrack of Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge (film)
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
, dubbed "Heist," "Family of Me," and "Still." Included with them was a cover of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
song "Lost in the Supermarket" and a remix of "Rockin' The Suburbs." "Rockin' the Suburbs" featured new lyrics written to complement the script of the film.
On October 24, 2006, Folds released Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, a compilation of songs that were originally released on the EPs Sunny 16, Speed Graphic, and Super D. He announced on his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog that he planned to work on his next studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
in October 2006 (although recording did not actually start until 2007). On that same day, Folds became the first person to broadcast a live concert over MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. The concert was complete with pranks staged ahead of time by Folds, including a drunk man falling over the balcony during "Jesusland" and a suicide attempt at the end. The concert is also notable for featuring a "guitorchestra", a group of acoustic guitarists from Nashville who accompanied Folds on some songs, as well as an impromptu ringtone orchestra made up of audience memebers playing their cellphone's ringtones in unison.
Folds produced The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
' Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
's first solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Who Killed Amanda Palmer is the first solo album by American musical artist Amanda Palmer.The album was largely recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, with collaborator Ben Folds and was released on Roadrunner Records...
which was released September 16, 2008. He also performs on the album.
During a concert at the National in Richmond, Virginia on April 11, 2008, Folds announced that he had completed his newest album, and played four new tracks from this album. He played the first track, "Hiroshima", at the same show in Richmond on April 11. He also debuted new music at an impromptu gig at the Exit/In
Exit/In
Exit/In is a music venue in Nashville, Tennessee. Exit/In is located on Elliston Place near Centennial Park and Vanderbilt University. It opened in 1971 under the management of Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds. As a small venue seating 200 or so, it developed its unique reputation in the 1970s...
on December 19, 2007 and at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on January 25, 2008. Other new songs include "Errant Dog", "Effington", "Bitch Went Nuts", "Free Coffee", and "Kylie From Connecticut". Folds played The 6th annual Langerado on March 8, 2008 and was a part of the lineup for the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
On July 16, 2008, an anonymous user posted what they claimed was a "leak" of Ben's latest album on a fan site (eventually called Way to Normal (Fake)). The file contained nine tracks along with a PDF of supposed cover art, and was a mix of what appeared to be legitimate songs from Way to Normal, pastiches of dry humor and melodramatic pop interwoven with bright, energetic melodies. Folds explained on Triple J radio a few weeks later that in one overnight session in Dublin he and the band had recorded 'fake' versions of songs from the new album. His sources had then leaked them to the public as a light-hearted joke on his fans.
Way to Normal
Way to Normal
Way to Normal is a 2008 studio album by Ben Folds. It was released on 30 September 2008 in the United States and on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom...
was released on September 30, 2008 in the United States and on September 29, 2008 in the United Kingdom. It became Folds' highest-charting album ever in the US, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Soon before Way to Normal was released, Folds announced that he planned to record an album with English author Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
, with Hornby writing the lyrics and Folds writing the music. The idea of the collaboration came out of the 'fake' leak of the album Way to Normal released in July 2008. "(We will) write and record it in about three days, just like we did in Dublin with the fake record," Folds said.
In August 2008, Folds played piano for friend and Japanese singer-songwriter Angela Aki
Angela Aki
, born Kiyomi Angela Aki on September 15, 1977, is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist from Itano, Tokushima, Japan.-Early life:...
's song "Black Glasses" on her new album Answer.
On April 28, 2009, Folds released Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella, an album consisting of college student's a cappella arrangements of his music performed by some of the country's best college a cappella groups.
Folds' song "Rockin' the Suburbs
Rockin' the Suburbs (song)
"Rockin' the Suburbs" is a song by Ben Folds on the album of the same name. It is Ben Folds' biggest solo hit so far, gaining radio and MTV airplay .- Music and lyrics :Folds...
" has been featured as part of the music for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's sitcom Surviving Suburbia
Surviving Suburbia
Surviving Suburbia is an American sitcom starring Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson that premiered on April 6, 2009 at 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central on ABC. Surviving Suburbia aired its final episode at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central on August 7, 2009...
.
Folds was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards'
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
judging panel to support independent artists.
From December 14 through 21, 2009, Folds was featured as a judge on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
competition The Sing Off alongside Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
and Shawn Stockman
Shawn Stockman
Shawn Patrick Stockman is an American R&B singer, best known as a member of the vocal group Boyz II Men. He is also a judge on the television show The Sing-Off, alongside Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds....
and offered insightful, constructive comments and criticisms to the contestants. On the final show, in a departure from his a cappella purism, showcased his talents and played the roaring, riffing piano background on "Why Can't We Be Friends?
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Why Can't We Be Friends? is the seventh studio album by War.-Reception:Recorded in 1974 and released on United Artists Records in June 1975. The title song reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100. The original LP edition came with a poster. Two singles from the album were released: "Why Can't We Be...
" sung by the two finalist groups, The Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
near Boston and Nota
Nota (group)
Nota is an a cappella group of six male vocalists from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The group met in 1994 and started singing together occasionally. The group won the first season of the musical competition The Sing-Off.-Biography:...
, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He again returned for the show's second season, and has been confirmed to return for the third season in September 2011 alongside Stockman and Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
.
In March 2010, Folds became a YouTube phenomenon in a video titled "Ode To Merton". In the video, Folds improvises several songs about people that he sees on the popular social networking site Chatroulette
Chatroulette
Chatroulette is a website that pairs strangers from around the world together for webcam-based conversations. Visitors to the website begin an online chat with another visitor who is chosen at random...
, in the style of "Merton
Merton (YouTube)
Merton is an American YouTube musician and personality who first gained press attention in March 2010 after making videos of himself interacting with people he meets on Chatroulette and Omegle...
" another YouTube phenomenon who many thought was Folds himself.
Folds' newest album, a collaboration with English author Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
, is entitled Lonely Avenue
Lonely Avenue (album)
Lonely Avenue is a collaboration album by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds and English novelist Nick Hornby, and was released in the United States of America on September 28, 2010 by Nonesuch Records....
and was released on September 28, 2010. On June 14, Folds released the official album art via his Twitter account. "From Above", the first single from the album, premiered on Richard Kingsmill's new music show 2010 on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
in Australia on July 18, 2010. "From Above" features Australian singer Kate Miller Heidke on backing vocals.
Folds has recently recorded a video song with Nick Hornby and Pomplamoose. As well, English YouTuber Charlie McDonnell
Charlie McDonnell
Charles Joseph "Charlie" McDonnell is a British vlogger and musician from Bath, Somerset, England. , his YouTube channel, charlieissocoollike, is the most subscribed in the UK...
was commissioned to create the music video for Folds' song "Saskia Hamilton", which was uploaded on October 1, 2010.
Tours
After Ben Folds Five split, Folds' first tour with a full band was to support the album Rockin' The Suburbs. He was accompanied by Britt "Snüzz" UzzellSnuzz
Snuzz, is a musician from North Carolina and graduate of UNC-G. He played guitar and keyboards for Ben Folds on the tour of "Rockin' the Suburbs" and still writes and releases music under his name as well as playing in several other groups. Snuzz played in Bus Stop with Chuck Folds, Eddie Walker,...
on guitar and electronic keyboard, Millard Powers
Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
on bass and keys, and Jim Bogios on drums. Powers and Bogios later went on to join Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
.
On a tour of Australia, Folds joined with solo artists Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Early life:Ben Kweller was born in San Francisco, CA in 1981. In 1982, his family relocated to Emory, Texas, where his father, Howard Kweller, became the town's first doctor. In 1986, the Kwellers moved to a much larger city,...
and Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Benjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
to travel the country as The Bens
The Bens
The Bens was a rock supergroup consisting of Ben Folds, Ben Kweller and Ben Lee when they toured and recorded as a group for their The Bens Rock Over Australia tour in 2003....
, at the suggestion of a fan on Kweller's official website. The trio also went on to record a four-track EP
The Bens (EP)
The Bens is the only release by the trio The Bens, consisting of Ben Folds, Ben Lee, and Ben Kweller. Released in 2003, the 3,500 original pressings were only available at concerts but quickly sold out. It was some months later re-released on Internet stores. "Just Pretend" was voted number 52 in...
together.
In the summer of 2004, Folds co-headlined an American tour with fellow singer-songwriters Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
and Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
. Folds again performed with Wainwright and Lee in the summer of 2005 as part of the "Odd Men Out" tour. In addition, Folds has performed with many other notable musical names, including Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
and Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
. After seeing The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
perform with Weezer, Folds asked the band to join him for twelve performances in 2005.
Folds also performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...
(WASO) in March 2005, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
(BSO) in November 2005, the North Carolina Symphony
North Carolina Symphony
The North Carolina Symphony is an American orchestra based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with sixty-nine full time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the The Opera Company of North Carolina. In 2007, the organization...
in March 2010, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra
Utah Symphony Orchestra
-History:The first attempt to create a symphony group in the Utah area occurred in 1892, before Utah was a state. The Salt Lake Symphony was created and presented just one concert before disbanding. In 1902 the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra was formed, and it remained in existence until 1911...
in July 2010. A DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Folds playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was released in December 2005.
On May 9, 2007, Folds performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra. The orchestra's performance was marred when a fight broke out between two audience members in the balcony, though Folds had not yet taken the stage.
Folds performed with symphony orchestras again in August 2006 during a tour of Australia, which included performances with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was founded as a 17 player radio ensemble in 1936, in Adelaide, South Australia. The orchestra reformed in 1949 as the 55 member South Australian Symphony Orchestra. It reverted to its original and present title, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in late 1974, and...
, Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
, and The Queensland Orchestra.
After his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
performance on October 24, 2006, Folds's tour performances began to feature a synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, which he uses in many of the songs when played live. The synthesizer is a red Nord Lead II synthesizer. During his concerts, Folds performs two of his concert traditions: palm-smashing and throwing his stool at the piano.
Folds toured with John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
as an opening act (though his set typically lasted an hour) in the summer of 2007. During this tour, Mayer sometimes joined Folds on the song "Narcolepsy", playing synth. At various concerts throughout the tour, parents of young children going to see Mayer would file complaints about Folds' lyrics. Folds responded by posting on his website, "We have kids too, but we don't take them out to rock shows that last until 11pm."
On March 29, 2008, Folds played the Cage Center Arena at Berry College in Mt. Berry, GA. During contract negotiations, he was asked by the administration to not play one of his songs due to its explicit lyrics. Folds refused, citing artistic freedom.
On May 9, 2008, Folds played his first completely solo show in years at Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
due to the fact that his bassist Jared Reynolds was with his wife who had just given birth to their first son.
Folds made a brief solo tour of Australia during August 2009; at one of his sold out Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
concerts he was joined onstage for several songs by Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, who was also touring Australia at the time. At the Palais theatre in Melbourne Missy Higgins
Missy Higgins
Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
joined him for You Don't Know Me
You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds song)
You Don't Know Me is the name of the lead-off single from Ben Folds' third studio album, Way to Normal. The song features Regina Spektor on vocals dueting with Ben Folds...
.
In 2010, Folds went on a brief tour of North America called "Ben Folds and a Piano" where he played solo other than with Zach Williams or Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke is a singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. Although classically trained, she has followed a career in alternative pop music. She is signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in the UK.-Career:...
and her husband Keir Nuttall as supporting musicians.
A small number of copies that were pre-ordered also included signed manuscripts by Ben Folds and Nick Hornby.
In April 2011 Folds collaborated with Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and Damian Kulash
Damian Kulash
Damian Joseph Kulash Jr. is the lead singer and guitarist for Chicago-based rock band OK Go.-Early life:Born in Washington D.C., USA, Kulash graduated from St. Albans School in 1994, and later Brown University in 1998 with a concentration in Art-Semiotics. The family name was originally "Kulas"...
as 8in8 to write, record and produce eight songs in eight hours which were then available online within 24 hours, as well as being performed once on its world tour, as part of the ReThink Music conference.
Personal life
Folds has been married four times. His personal life has inspired several of his songs; the hit single "Brick", co-written with Darren Jessee, was based on the experience of Folds and his girlfriend having an abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
while they were in high school.
Folds met Anna Goodman
Anna Goodman
Anna Goodman is an American songwriter who was married to Ben Folds from 1987 to 1992. She co-wrote several Ben Folds Five songs including Kate , Alice Childress , The Last Polka , Alice Childress , Smoke , and Lullabye .Anna was also a...
in first grade at Moore Elementary School, Winston Salem and was married to her from 1987–1992. She co-wrote several Ben Folds Five songs: "Alice Childress", "The Last Polka", "Smoke", "Kate" and "Lullaby." Folds was then briefly married to Kate Rosen in 1996. He met Australian Frally Hynes in January 1998 and they were married in Adelaide, South Australia in May 1999. Two months after their wedding, Frally gave birth to their twins, Louis Francis (July 22, 1999) and Gracie Scott (July 23, 1999), the former inspiring his song "Still Fighting It" and the latter inspiring his song "Gracie." Folds filed for divorce in November 2006.
Ben and Fleur Folds were married on November 17, 2007 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. They are currently based in Nashville where they live with their three children, Gracie, Louis and Julia-Rose. Folds stated in an online chat on the fan forum thesuburbs.org.uk that he and Hynes share joint custody of their twins. Julia Rose is Ben's stepdaughter.
Ben Folds recently announced in a press conference for The Sing-Off that Ben Folds Five will reunite to record a new album in December. He has not said anything of a Ben Folds Five Tour.
Discography
- Ben Folds FiveBen Folds Five (album)Ben Folds Five is the self-titled debut album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1995. A non-traditional rock album by any estimation, it was an indie pop album that excluded lead guitars completely...
(1995), PassengerPassenger RecordsPassenger Records was a New York-based boutique record label that released music by Adult Album Alternative artists. A subsidiary of Caroline Records, it was owned by Virgin Records/EMI. Its albums were distributed by Caroline Distribution in the US and Virgin or a variety of smaller labels...
/Caroline - Whatever and Ever AmenWhatever and Ever AmenWhatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. A remaster was made available on March 22, 2005. All of the extra tracks had been previously released except for a cover of the Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star", which is a staple of Ben Folds Five's live...
(1997), 550550 Music550 Music was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, located at 550 Madison Avenue in New York...
#42 US - Naked Baby PhotosNaked Baby PhotosNaked Baby Photos is a compilation album comprising outtake material from recordings of Ben Folds Five's first two studio albums and live performances. Most of the tracks are previously unreleased rarities....
(1998), CarolineCaroline RecordsCaroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s. The label originally specialized in putting out budget price LPs by mainly progressive rock and jazz artists generally not considered to have a great deal of 'mainstream' or... - Fear of Pop: Volume 1Fear of Pop: Volume 1Volume 1 is the name of the first album by the experimental band Fear of Pop. The album was a project of Ben Folds, John Mark Painter, Fleming McWilliams, and others...
(1998), 550550 Music550 Music was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, located at 550 Madison Avenue in New York... - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold MessnerThe Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold MessnerThe Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
(1999), 550550 Music550 Music was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, located at 550 Madison Avenue in New York...
#35 US - Rockin' the SuburbsRockin' the SuburbsRockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
(2001), Sony #42 US - Ben Folds LiveBen Folds LiveBen Folds Live is a live album by Ben Folds, released in 2002 .This album marked the first official release of the classic Ben Folds live routine, "Rock This Bitch", which he went on to perform at least 60 more times since, including on the releases Songs for Goldfish and on the Live in Perth DVD...
(2002), Sony #60 US - Songs for SilvermanSongs for SilvermanSongs for Silverman is an album by Ben Folds, first released on April 26, 2005, by Epic Records in the United States. The album reached #13 on the Billboard 200, making it Folds' highest-charting album until the release of Way to Normal in September 2008.The album is named after Ben Goldman, Folds'...
(2005), EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
(Bonus DVD) #13 US - Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP (2006), EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
- Way to NormalWay to NormalWay to Normal is a 2008 studio album by Ben Folds. It was released on 30 September 2008 in the United States and on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom...
(2008), EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
#11 US - Lonely AvenueLonely Avenue (album)Lonely Avenue is a collaboration album by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds and English novelist Nick Hornby, and was released in the United States of America on September 28, 2010 by Nonesuch Records....
(2010), NonesuchNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP... - Nighty Night (2011), in collaboration with Amanda Palmer, Damian Kulash, and Neil Gaiman
- The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (2011), Legacy
- Fifty-Five VaultFifty-Five VaultFifty-Five Vault is a Ben Folds compilation album featuring 56 tracks, mostly unreleased live recordings and demos. It was released jointly with The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective as a digital-only album available via Folds' website....
(2011)
External links
- Official sites: US/UK Australia Germany Japan
- Video of author Nick Hornby performing with Ben Folds and the duo Pomplamoose on "Things You Think"
- Ben Folds Talks The Sing-Off to SportsTownChicago.com
- Ben Folds in New York Magazine Slideshow On "Career Highs and Lows"