Ben Folds Records Fan-Based YouTube Album

Always full of surprises, offbeat piano rocker Ben Folds’ latest project is a compilation album that showcases not just the singer/songwriter himself but the talent of his loyal fans.

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Always full of surprises, offbeat piano rocker Ben Folds’ latest project is a compilation album that showcases not just the singer/songwriter himself but the talent of his loyal fans.

Upon a suggestion from a friend, Folds found several videos on YouTube of fans performing his songs. He was so impressed by his fans’ effort and talent that he created a contest to find the best covers, with the best of the bunch receiving a spot on the artist’s next project–a fan-only cover album.

“I just started realizing there were a lot of them and they were really good,” Folds told Sky News. “And in fact, what I was hearing, I kinda liked better than my version, some of them. And I thought, we need to make an album of this.”

Folds contacted several artists that piqued his interest, but his sudden interest in college students’ dorm room covers may have seemed too good to be true for some.

“I would just go on YouTube and pop them a note and say: “This is Ben, I love what you’re doing, send me an email.” And then I realized that they weren’t believing me, half of them because they were sending me these kind of f*** off notes!”

The record will feature the best versions of popular Folds songs, with all proceeds from the project going to charity. No other details, such as a release date or title, have been released.

Ben Folds kicks off a month-long tour on February 11 to promote his latest solo effort, Way to Normal.


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