Ben Folds Five is an American alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group is composed of Ben Folds (lead vocals, piano), Robert Sledge (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Darren Jessee (drums, backing vocals). The group achieved success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes. Their single "Brick" from the second album, Whatever and Ever Amen (1997), gained airplay on many mainstream radio stations. During their first seven years, the band released three studio records, a compilation of B-sides and outtakes, and eight singles. They also contributed to a number of soundtracks and compilations. Ben Folds Five disbanded in October 2000, but reunited in 2011, and released their fourth album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, in 2012, before disbanding again in 2013. On July 7th 2026, they announced their plan to tour in support a 30th anniversary edition of their debut album.
History
1993–2000 Ben Folds Five was formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill by Ben Folds. They were a trio in spite of their name, which was chosen for a joke, and because Folds thought it sounded better than Ben Folds Three. Folds once described their music as "punk rock...
Extract from Wikipedia: “Ben Folds Five” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Concerts
Members
36 people from MusicBrainz
- 1993–2000Ben Folds — eponymous, keyboard, lead vocals, melodica, original, piano
- 1993–2000Darren Jessee — background vocals, drums (drum set), original, percussion
- 1993–2000Robert Sledge — background vocals, bass guitar, double bass, original, synthesizer
- 2008–2008Ben Folds — eponymous, lead vocals, original
- 2008–2008Ben Folds — eponymous, melodica, original
- 2008–2008Ben Folds — eponymous, original, piano
- 2008–2008Ben Folds — eponymous, keyboard, original
- 2008–2008Darren Jessee — background vocals, original
- 2008–2008Darren Jessee — original, percussion
- 2008–2008Darren Jessee — drums (drum set), original
- 2008–2008Robert Sledge — background vocals, original
- 2008–2008Robert Sledge — double bass, original
- 2008–2008Robert Sledge — original, synthesizer
- 2008–2008Robert Sledge — bass guitar, original
- 2011–2013Ben Folds — eponymous, lead vocals, original
- 2011–2013Ben Folds — eponymous, melodica, original
- 2011–2013Ben Folds — eponymous, original, piano
- 2011–2013Ben Folds — eponymous, keyboard, original
- 2011–2013Darren Jessee — background vocals, original
- 2011–2013Darren Jessee — original, percussion
- 2011–2013Darren Jessee — drums (drum set), original
- 2011–2013Robert Sledge — background vocals, original
- 2011–2013Robert Sledge — double bass, original
- 2011–2013Robert Sledge — original, synthesizer
- 2011–2013Robert Sledge — bass guitar, original
- 2023–2023Ben Folds — eponymous, lead vocals, original
- 2023–2023Ben Folds — eponymous, melodica, original
- 2023–2023Ben Folds — eponymous, original, piano
- 2023–2023Ben Folds — eponymous, keyboard, original
- 2023–2023Robert Sledge — background vocals, original
- 2023–2023Robert Sledge — double bass, original
- 2023–2023Robert Sledge — original, synthesizer
- 2023–2023Robert Sledge — bass guitar, original
- 2023–2023Darren Jessee — background vocals, original
- 2023–2023Darren Jessee — original, percussion
- 2023–2023Darren Jessee — drums (drum set), original
Discography
50 releases from MusicBrainz · ★ 1 in my collection
Albums (5)
- 1995Ben Folds Five
- 1997Whatever and Ever Amen
- 1999The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
- 2012The Sound of the Life of the Mind
- —Underground: Pre 1995 Demos
EPs (2)
- 1995Summer EP
- 1999The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Singles (16)
- 1994Brick
- 1994Jackson Cannery
- 1996Philosophy
- 1996Uncle Walter
- 1996Underground
- 1996Where's Summer B?
- 1997Battle of Who Could Care Less
- 1997Battle of Who Could Care Less
- 1997Kate
- 1997One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
- 1997Song for the Dumped
- 1998Air
- 1999Army
- 1999Don't Change Your Plans
- 1999Magic
- 2013Draw a Crowd
More: singles, compilations, live & other releases
Lives (14)
- 19981998-01-10: Saturday Night Live: New York, NY, USA
- 1999Live at the Chicago Metro
- 2001The Complete Sessions at West 54th
- 2013★Live
- 2021Won’t You Look Up at the Skyline? (Live Santa Monica 1995)
- 20231999-09-10: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
- 2025Live from the Warfield
- —1996-01-26: 7th House, Pontiac, MI, USA
- —1996-03-16: Boulder, CO, USA
- —1997-11-06: New York, NY, USA
- —Ben Folds Five In Concert 1997
- —Ben Folds Live II
- —Girls, Girls, Girls
- —Live at U. Scranton 4/29/00
Compilations (8)
- 1997Naked Baby Photos
- 2009Ben Folds File: Complete Best of Ben Folds Five & Ben Folds
- 2011Original Album Classics
- 2015Playlist: The Very Best of Ben Folds Five
- 2018“Brick” The Songs of Ben Folds 1994–2012
- 2024It's All Right with God
- —Bad Ideas
- —The Mitch Easter Session
Others (5)
- 1998The Beginnings
- 1999Reinhold Messner
- 1999Truth and Rumors With Ben Folds Five
- —19 Demos
- —1999-05-03: Park West, Chicago, IL, USA