Ben Folds Five’s reunion wasn’t planned—it just felt right. Thirteen years after their last album, the trio found themselves back together, almost by accident, when they reunited for a 2008 MySpace session. “It was effortless,” Folds recalls. “We clicked so well, and I think that planted the seed.” That seed eventually grew into The Sound of the Life of the Mind, an album that both embraces their signature sound and pushes them into new territory.
From the first track, Erase Me, it’s clear that this isn’t just a rehash of the past. “It had enough of our trademark sound, but it was also different for us,” Folds explains. The band put it first because it refused to lean too hard in any one direction—was this a rock album? A ballad-heavy return? “We didn’t want people to put it on and immediately categorize us,” he adds. Bassist Robert Sledge sees it as a song that represents their evolution: “We can handle broader subjects and more challenging musical ideas now, with more ease.”
So who are they writing for these days? “Ourselves, first,” says Folds. “If we’re excited in the studio, hopefully others will be too.” But Sledge adds a second, unexpected demographic: “The skanks,” he jokes, prompting laughter from the band. Drummer Darren Jessee chimes in, “The skanks with high skirts.” Their dynamic remains as offbeat as ever, but don’t mistake this for a nostalgia trip. “It’s not about revisiting the past,” Folds insists. “We just had more music to make.”
A turning point on the record comes with Sky High, a stunningly gorgeous track that shifts the album’s tone. “We always put a lot of time into our ballads,” Folds says, citing past deep cuts like Brick and Evaporated. But while Sky High retains the band’s melancholic core, it’s also a testament to how much they’ve grown. “What the band does with it is really special,” he says. “We’ve always tried to create an album experience—something that has highs, lows, and a natural flow.”
And this reunion isn’t just a one-and-done affair. They wrote far more songs than they recorded, leaving the door open for what’s next. “We could go in right now and knock out another album instead of touring,” Folds reveals. “That’s what they used to do in the ’70s—just keep making records.” But in 2012, the reality is different. “We’ve got too much promotion to do,” he laughs. “I don’t know how they managed that back then.”
For now, they’re embracing the live show again—and reluctantly, the outdoors. “We’re not exactly a beach band,” Folds jokes, squinting in the sunlight. “Nobody here knows how to surf.” The band laughs at the irony of finding themselves in such a setting, imagining an alternate universe where they rebrand as a beach rock trio. “We’ll all learn together,” Sledge deadpans. “Right after we put on our leather jackets.”
Sunburns aside, one thing is clear: Ben Folds Five is back. And whether in the studio, on stage, or uncomfortably standing in the sand, they’re still as sharp, weird, and musically compelling as ever.
