After 13 years, Ben Folds Five is back in the studio.
The singer/pianist announced on Twitter that he and bandmates Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee are currently working on a fourth Ben Folds Five album. “It’s happening fo sho – Day 1 in studio with Robert and Darren through March,” Folds tweeted Jan. 25, adding the hashtag #NewBenFoldsFiveRecord and a photo of the studio action (see above).
And fans can expect new music sooner than later: “Spring release,” Folds tweeted in response to a fan who asked, “when will we hear something?” — a quick turnaround from the slated sessions.
After years of pursuing solo projects, the trio reemerged for a reunion show in their native Chapel Hill in Sept. 2008, before reconvening to lay down three new tracks for the Folds retrospective album “The Best Imitation of Myself” last year.
The album will be the group’s fourth studio album — and the first since 1999’s “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.” Shortly following its release, the trio — who gained fame with songs such as “Brick” — announced a split in 2000. Following the band’s breakup, Folds pursued a solo career including, most notably, 2001’s “Rockin’ the Suburbs” and most recently, a judge stint on NBC’s “The Sing Off.”
Details regarding Ben Folds Five’s next album are still sparse, but fans may want to keep an eye on Folds’ Twitter feed.