Ben Folds tours this fall with new album

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ben Folds, former frontman of the Ben Folds Five, has mapped out a 15-date tour to support the September 30 release of his third album as a solo artist, “Way To Normal.”

A classically trained percussionist, Folds opens his U.S. tour with two classical performances — September 6 in Philadelphia, PA with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and September 7 with a season-opening performance by the Nashville Symphony in Nashville, TN. The remainder of the tour will stop in theaters and clubs, wrapping up on November 14 in Los Angeles, CA.

“Way To Normal” was mostly recorded at Folds’ studio in Nashville and was produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse, The Hives). Featuring Folds on vocals and piano, “Way to Normal” also features long-time bassist Jared Reynolds and drummer Sam Smith as well as a guest vocal from indie pop singer Regina Spektor on the album’s first single, “You Don’t Know Me.” Folds wrote the album at the end of 2007 following the finalization of a two-year divorce.

“The songs are not topical,” Folds said in a statement. “I was not interested in making a record about the D-word. I got all that stuff out of my system on the last record [2005’s “Songs for Silverman”], which was deliberately stoic. This new album is really about me being free, which is why it feels cathartic and expressive. It’s about me coming back to being myself. I came out of the courthouse, kissed the ground, and walked straight into the studio. I felt like a bottle of champagne that had been shaken for 18 months and popped open in the studio. That’s why this record has so much energy.”

Folds has been out on numerous tours, including a few with The Bens, a “supergroup” Folds formed with fellow singer-songwriters Ben Kweller and Ben Lee in 2003. He has also been on tour with Rufus Wainwright and Guster in 2004, The Fray in 2005 and John Mayer in 2007.

Ben Folds itinerary
(Dates subject to change)