Ben Folds Five
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Founder | Ben Folds |
| Defunct | 2000 (initially), 2013 (final) |
| Fate | Disbanded (twice) |
| Headquarters | Chapel Hill , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ben Folds, Robert Sledge, Darren Jessee |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, singles |
Number of employees | 3 (members) |
Ben Folds Five was an American alternative rock trio that originated in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The lineup featured Ben Folds on lead vocals and piano, Robert Sledge handling bass guitar and backing vocals, and Darren Jessee on drums with additional backing vocals. They achieved recognition across alternative, indie, and pop genres. Their track "Brick" from the 1997 release Whatever and Ever Amen gained considerable mainstream radio exposure.
Over their initial seven-year span, the band produced three studio albums, a collection of B-sides and unreleased material, and eight singles. Additionally, they contributed songs to various compilations and soundtracks. Ben Folds Five disbanded in October 2000 but reunited in 2011, culminating in the release of their fourth album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, in 2012 before disbanding once more in 2013.
1993–2000
Ben Folds Five came together in 1993 under Ben Folds' leadership in Chapel Hill. Although their name suggested a quintet, they were actually a trio; the moniker was chosen humorously and for its auditory appeal. Folds characterized their music as "punk rock for sissies," deliberately contrasting with the dominant rock angst of the 1990s.
Their debut radio single was "Underground," taken from their self-titled first album released in 1995 via Caroline Records. The band's most notable commercial hit was "Brick," featured on their sophomore album, Whatever and Ever Amen (1997). This success was followed by a more subdued, jazz-tinged effort with their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. During this period, they contributed "Leather Jacket," an outtake from these sessions, to the 1999 charity compilation No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees.
Their last official release before their initial split was a rendition of Steely Dan's "Barrytown," included on the soundtrack for the film Me, Myself & Irene. After completing a tour supporting Reinhold Messner, they began work on a fourth album but amicably parted ways in October 2000. Some recordings from these sessions later appeared on individual members’ solo projects.
After the break-up (2001–2011)
Following the group's dissolution, Ben Folds pursued a solo career marked by several albums such as Rockin' the Suburbs (2001), Songs for Silverman (2005), Way to Normal (2008), and Lonely Avenue (2010), which was created in collaboration with novelist Nick Hornby. He also produced and co-wrote much of actor William Shatner's sophomore album Has Been, contributed to soundtracks including those for Hoodwinked! and Over the Hedge, and formed the side project The Bens in 2003 alongside Ben Lee and Ben Kweller.
Darren Jessee established the indie group Hotel Lights in 2004, releasing three albums through Bar/None Records—namely Hotel Lights (2006), Firecracker People (2008), and Girl Graffiti (2011). Their music has been featured across television programs and films.
Robert Sledge performed with International Orange until 2005 before joining Chapel Hill’s band Surrender Human, collaborating with Matt McMichaels from Mayflies USA.
Reunions (2008, 2011–2013, 2023)
In September 2008, Ben Folds Five briefly reunited for a one-time performance at UNC Memorial Hall as part of MySpace's "Front to Back" series, delivering a live rendition of their album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. They returned to recording in 2011 by contributing three tracks to Folds’ retrospective collection The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective and resumed live shows during 2012 at festivals such as Mountain Jam, Bonnaroo, and Summerfest.
Their fourth studio effort, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, was unveiled in September 2012. The lead single "Do It Anyway" featured a music video starring Anna Kendrick, Rob Corddry, and cast members from Fraggle Rock. That year included tours across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. In June 2013, they issued their first live album titled Live and toured alongside Barenaked Ladies and Guster. Subsequently, they entered an indefinite hiatus.
Ben Folds continued his solo endeavors with projects including a collaboration with yMusic titled So There (2015), accompanied by extensive touring. Jessee released Hotel Lights’ album Get Your Hand in My Hand (2016) before pursuing two solo records: The Jane, Room 217 (2018) and Remover (2020).
Producer Caleb Southern—often regarded as the unofficial "fourth member" of the band—passed away on July 6, 2023. To honor his memory, Ben Folds Five briefly reunited for a tribute concert on August 28, 2023, at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill where they performed five songs.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | Sales figures | Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | CAN | JPN | SCO | UK | ||||
| Ben Folds Five |
|
— | 37 | — | 72 | — | — |
|
RIAJ: Gold |
| Whatever and Ever Amen |
|
42 | 8 | 48 | 6 | 38 | 30 |
|
RIAA: Platinum, ARIA: Platinum, MC: Gold, RIAJ: Platinum |
| The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner |
|
35 | 5 | 35 | 17 | 32 | 22 |
|
|
| The Sound of the Life of the Mind |
|
10 | 24 | — | 72 | 48 | 40 |
|
|
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live |
|
| The Complete Sessions at West 54th |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Naked Baby Photos |
|
| Playlist: The Very Best of Ben Folds Five |
|
Singles
| Title | Year released | Highest chart positions achieved | Associated album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Radio Airplay | US Alternative | Australia | Canada | Japan | United Kingdom | |||
| "Jackson Cannery" | 1994 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ben Folds Five |
| "Underground" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | |
| "Where's Summer B.?" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | |
| "Philosophy" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Uncle Walter" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Battle of Who Could Care Less" | 1997 | — | 22 | 149 | — | — | 26 | Whatever and Ever Amen |
| "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" | 1997 | — | — | 134 | — | — | — | |
| "Kate" | 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | |
| "Brick" | 1997 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 12 | — | 26 | |
| "Song for the Dumped" | 1998 | — | 23 | 73 | — | — | — | |
| "Army" | 1999 | — | 17 | 65 | — | — | 28 | The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner |
| "Don't Change Your Plans" | 1999 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Do It Anyway" | 2012 | — | — | — | — | 88 | — | The Sound of the Life of the Mind |
DVDs
- Ben Folds Five – The Complete Sessions at West 54th (1999) – Released by Epic Music Video
Additional contributions
- Featured on the Mr. Wrong soundtrack (1996) with the track "Song for the Dumped"
- Included in the The Truth About Cats & Dogs soundtrack (1996) performing "Bad Idea"
- Appeared on KCRW Rare On Air, Volume 3 (1997) with "Alice Childress"
- Covered "She Don't Use Jelly" originally by The Flaming Lips on Lounge-A-Palooza (1997)
- Presented "Brick (3AM Dance Remix)" in MegaHits Dance Party, Volume 2 (1998)
- Featured "One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces" on Triple J Hottest 100, Volume 5 (1998)
- Contributed "Kate" to the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch – The Album soundtrack (1998)
- Performed "Air" for the Godzilla soundtrack (1998)
- Delivered a rendition of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" on Burt Bacharach: One Amazing Night (1998)
- Included "Theme From Dr. Pyser" on Teleconned, Volume 1: We Want The Airwaves (1998)
- Contributed "Leather Jacket" to the benefit compilation No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees (1999)
- Covered Steely Dan’s "Barrytown" from Pretzel Logic for the Me, Myself & Irene soundtrack (2000)
- Added "Where's Summer B.?" to the Songs for Summer charity album (2000)
- Featured "Brick" on the compilation Non Stop '90s Rock (2001)
- Recorded "Smoke" for Songbook (2002)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Ben Folds
- Musical groups from North Carolina
- Alternative rock groups from North Carolina
- American power pop groups
- Musical groups from Chapel Hill-Carrboro, North Carolina
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups disestablished in 2000
- Musical groups reestablished in 2008
- Musical groups reestablished in 2011
- Musical groups disestablished in 2013
- 1993 establishments in North Carolina
- 550 Music artists
- Geek rock groups
- American musical trios