Ben Folds MSN Chat - Monday, July 28, 2003

allthestarsupinthesky in Onstage1 asks: hey ben this isn't really a question i just wanted to tell you, you are my inspiration for my music and i wanted t o thank you for being an awesome musician.

DishDiva says: There are so many great questions this afternoon, we'll try to get to as many as we can!

DishDiva says: Ben, welcome to MSN Live! It's great to have you here!

Ben_Folds_Live says: hi.

DishDiva says: Let's get started, your fans have loads of questions for you!

Ben_Folds_Live says: bring em on

travrad in Onstage1 asks: What is the song "One Down" about, and when and why was it written

Ben_Folds_Live says: the song one down i had a deadline

Ben_Folds_Live says: it was a song i wrote for a publishing deadline

Ben_Folds_Live says: they told me i had to write 4.6 songs to finish my contract before i got paid

Ben_Folds_Live says: and so i wrote that one first in my basement.

Ben_Folds_Live says: but it's about bastardizing what you do for money,, to a certain extent

PaleAndHungover in Onstage1 asks: Just got the new EP today.. and if I may ask, who is that on the phone in "Dog", curiousity abounds!

Ben_Folds_Live says: ah, that's my wife frally. she called while i was doing my backup vocal. it's on tape exactly as she rang

Ben_Folds_Live says: i put her on speakerphone when i saw her name pop up on my cell phone.

HerbsDonuts in Onstage1 asks: Do you have a favorite key you write in? How do you go about creating a song... an idea in your head, then to the piano? Or does the piano inform your head?

Ben_Folds_Live says: i have songs in my head, in their 'proper' key and then i get to a piano to pick them out. i find out what key they're in at that point. i rarely concieve a song at the piano.

Ben_Folds_Live says: so often i have to learn to play something it a tough key

Ben_Folds_Live says: i have lots of songs in F# and B. pains in the ass...

chiaotzufreak in Onstage1 asks: Hey Ben, how was the Lottapianos tour hooked up? Are you a Tori fan?

Ben_Folds_Live says: yeah. i love tori amos and i've always cited her as one of the best pop pianists. we've tried to make this tour work out for a couple of years, but timing has always been off. so i'm glad it's happening now.

coh_cam_indie in Onstage1 asks: Ben,you're an amazing writer and put a whole scenario into someones head. Is the new EP anything about your own life expierence or people you've met?

Ben_Folds_Live says: all my writing is about what i know about. it means more to me that way. the songs on this ep were written at different times, and actually,

Ben_Folds_Live says: speedgraphic is full of collaborations with other people, which is unusual for me. but if i can't relate directly to a song, it's hard for me to sing.

Ben_Folds_Live says: the next EP, sunny 16 will be all songs that i've written alone, which is more normal for me.

rutgers2332 in Onstage1 asks: Hey Ben is the phone call in dog how you really answer the phone? its a pretty funny joke

Ben_Folds_Live says: yeah, well, everyone around should know that if they call me in the studio, they could end up on my record

Ben_Folds_Live says: i did that to my father on

Ben_Folds_Live says: i answered,

Ben_Folds_Live says: you there?

Ben_Folds_Live says: because i knew it'd push frally's buttons and she'd say something funny.

missing_the_war in Onstage1 asks: My enitre family are your biggest fans in Oklahoma. We are totally pumped about your concert in Stillwater, and I have been talking it up to all my friends. Are you going to be issueing backstage passes, cause my whole family would love to meet you?

Ben_Folds_Live says: ah, well, the nice thing about being the opening act is that i have no control over anything. haha. so, i'd like to promise you that, but i'm a guest myself

travrad in Onstage1 asks: You recently played "Underground" in CT, you stated you just stopped playing it for awhile. Are their songs you DON'T like to play anymore?

Ben_Folds_Live says: well, it's not that i don't like playing that song, it's just that it has a lot of parts going on at once and i'm alone at a piano. i have so many songs which shine as solo peices so it

Ben_Folds_Live says: doesn't make sense to play underground usually. the crowd there were so kind and such a singing crowd that it made sense.

Ben_Folds_Live says: there are a couple of songs which i don't relate to anymore, so i just don't do em.

Louis_E_B in Onstage1 asks: My name is Louie, and I know your son's name is Louie...why'd you pick the name Louie (it's not that common of a name!)?

Ben_Folds_Live says: i don't know. louis, it is. joe louis maybe? i don't know. i liked the sound of it cause it's an old fashioned name.

Ben_Folds_Live says: i'm not as nuts about new-ish names for kids. i like the old names. his sister's name is gracie. old name.

DishDiva says: Some of your songs, Not the Same, for example, touch on religious and/or spiritual topics. How does religion and/or your own spiritual beliefs effect your music, and moreover, your life as a whole?

Ben_Folds_Live says: well, in a way, i guess it's everything, and at the same time, it's not something i think about much... i don't know. it's a very personal thing and i'm of the school that you

Ben_Folds_Live says: should watch out for any over-organized money based religion. no reason someone should burn in hell for not sending money... or for not being born in the right country.

alleniveko21 in Onstage1 asks: ben i saw you at a show in MA and you called someone on your cell phone while we sang the chorus to dream on, was that your wife too?

Ben_Folds_Live says: yeah. haha. i left a message. it sounds creepy on the machine too. like chanting. damn funny. nice work MA

TrollingForNow in Onstage1 asks: I love the music, thanks for all the years of musical enjoyment, (I got here late) will you and Robert and Jessee record together again?

Ben_Folds_Live says: it sounds like some kind of devil (beep), since we're on the subject of religion.

Ken_sears371 in Onstage1 asks: My wife and I were married July 12, and we had the hardest time choosing a wedding song. We finally picked "The Luckiest." Thank you. It was perfect.

Ben_Folds_Live says: i doubt we will. that time passed and we've all got so many other things to do.

Ben_Folds_Live says: wow. cool. thanks. i'm glad i could be there.

DishDiva says: My wife and I were married July 12, and we had the hardest time choosing a wedding song. We finally picked "The Luckiest." Thank you. It was perfect.

DishDiva says: From an audience member

Ben_Folds_Live says: wow. cool. thanks. i'm glad i could be there.

sarableu in Onstage1 asks: My favorite show of your's in Portland was at the Roseland - do you prefer the smaller venues?

Ben_Folds_Live says: i don't really have a preference. i usually find good things about a place and the people in it. i'm just there.

Ben_Folds_Live says: small is good. big is good. too big sucks, but that's not something i have to deal with often

-not-the-same- in Onstage1 asks: What could you say in this chat that would prove to us that you are truly the legendary Ben Folds, and not just some representative? (Be Creative)

Ben_Folds_Live says: be creative. that's a lot of pressure.

Ben_Folds_Live says: that's why i sucked in creative classes in school.

Ben_Folds_Live says: i couldn't do that on call. so, shit, i can't tell you why i'm ben. i'd give you my mother's maiden name,

Ben_Folds_Live says: but then you could get free shit at Band H photo on my account, which would suck for me...

Ben_Folds_Live says: actually, i just stopped going to that place because they wouldn't ship film to my hotel. bastards...

Ben_Folds_Live says: i'm still trying to be creative and nothing's happening.

Ben_Folds_Live says: steam is coming from my ears. still nothing.

DishDiva says: ok, ok, we'll let you off the hook. .

DishDiva says: here's a question which may help

Ben_Folds_Live says: oh thank you jesus

FranTarkington in Onstage1 asks: don't know if this q. already went thru, but can you confirm that you have 10 pairs of the same reddish brown pants?

Ben_Folds_Live says: haha. no. sorry to say i only have one pair.

Ben_Folds_Live says: i had another years ago, which was actually my favorite. the ones i have now are wearing pretty thin,

Ben_Folds_Live says: but i don't tour without them. i never wear them at home. they're my rock pants i guess.

Ben_Folds_Live says: normally at home i wear a lot more pink fuzzy stuff. wigs etc

Ben_Folds_Live says: prance up and down the street at midnight

alleniveko21 in Onstage1 asks: is it hard to play the saem songs day in and day out and still maintain the same emotion and enthusiasm?

Ben_Folds_Live says: it's not really because i'm hearing what i'm doing through the audience's ears

Ben_Folds_Live says: and i can feel that it's not repetitive for the audience. and when it hits that point, i can feel it.

Ben_Folds_Live says: there's always something different at each show and i try to stay loose so something accidental can happen. like,

Ben_Folds_Live says: rock this bitch on the live cd. totally made that up on the spot and now it's on record..

the_not_so_important_ben in Onstage1 asks: BEN- i saw one of your old highschool yearbooks from reynolds high on ebay, doesnt that frighten you?

Ben_Folds_Live says: high school frightens me yeah. high school's a tough period. my picture in that yearbook is pretty damn awful too.

Ben_Folds_Live says: i had taken my only good picture for the yearbook ever that year. and it got messed up.

Ben_Folds_Live says: so they called me to the office on one of my terrible acne days and told me to sit down and have another picture taken. i was bummed.

callender22 in Onstage1 asks: How does Elton feel about your covery of Tiny Dancer?

Ben_Folds_Live says: he said he thought it was disgraceful and a damn shame

Ben_Folds_Live says: actually, no. he said he liked it and was flattered.

DishDiva says: ah, funny guy

Ben_Folds_Live says: some country singer covered it and made it a hit the next month, so i felt kinda corny about that.

The4thPwrPffGrl in Onstage1 asks: How did you get involved with the Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute album?

Ben_Folds_Live says: through ben kweller. it was his gig and he just got ben lee and i to help him since we were working on an EP together

Ben_Folds_Live says: this is the year of EP's isn't it?

Ben_Folds_Live says: i will have done 4 EP's, and two full length albums by the year's end.

ModernOpenheartsurgery in Onstage1 asks: Hey, your my hero, but besides that, do you find any particular genre of music to be hideous?

Ben_Folds_Live says: not really. there's usually something real somewhere in a musical genre, then a bunch of people who jump on the bandwagon and give it a bad name.

Ben_Folds_Live says: genres based on one emotion are usually suspicious

DishDiva says: Ben thanks for joining your fans today from around the world to talk about your music and your tour with Tori,

Ben_Folds_Live says: final thoughts... just that i'll have lots of short records coming out this year, with very limited promotion.

Ben_Folds_Live says: more music less talk... check out iTunes music store frequently. i record a song or two and put it there usually.

DishDiva says: Thanks to Ben Folds for joining his fans tonight on MSN Live!

DishDiva says: Thanks also to tonight's awesome team of hosts --Trish, Budd and Josie. You guys are the best there is.

DishDiva says: BTW, to the person who got married and had "luckiest" as your wedding song, let me know

DishDiva says: and I'll put your name up here

DishDiva says: for some reason your name didn't come through with yoru question