American rock trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1993 by Ben Folds (vocals/piano), Robert Sledge (bass/vocals), and Darren Jessee (drums/vocals). Distinguished by Folds's prominent piano playing and the absence of a guitar — Folds described the band as "punk rock for sissies."
Four studio albums between Ben Folds Five (1995) and The Sound of the Life of the Mind (2012). Commercial peak: Whatever and Ever Amen (1997, featuring "Brick"). The band dissolved in 2000; Folds pursued a successful solo career before the trio reunited in 2011 for The Sound of the Life of the Mind.