Ben Folds Five (1994–2000) was a three member band formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They played what might be called piano-dominated pop/rock. Much of their work was influenced by jazz, evident in frequent improvised passages through bridge and/or ending. Members of the band were Ben Folds, who was the lead singer, played the keyboard/piano and wrote most of the songs; Robert Sledge on bass and Darren Jessee on drums. The group enjoyed the success of the single "Brick" in 1998, a ballad written by Folds about his high school girlfriend getting an abortion. After the band's amicable breakup, Folds began a solo career. Robert Sledge's subsequent band International Orange has broken up, while Darren Jessee is the frontman for the band Hotel Lights .

Folds once described their music as "punk rock for sissies" — a reaction to the angst prevalent in 90s rock [1]. When asked about his band's name he jokingly responded "you mean a trio isn't five?"[2].

Discography

Albums

• Ben Folds Five (1995) - Passenger /Caroline Records
• Whatever and Ever Amen (1997) - 550 - #30 UK
• Naked Baby Photos (1998) - Passenger/Caroline
• The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999) - 550 - #22 UK

Singles

• "Underground" (1996) #37 UK
• "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" (1997) #26 UK
• "Kate" (1997) #39 UK
• "Brick" (1998) #26 UK; #11 on US adult contemporary charts
• "Army" (1999) #28 UK

External Links

• Official Site
• Official site of International Orange
• Official site of Hotel Lights
• Fan site
• Ben Folds Five Lyrics Database