Ben Folds' wacky new a cappella record

Leave it to Ben Folds to put out what is essentially a greatest-hits album…sung by college a cappella groups. On April 28, the North Carolina-born singer/songwriter/pianist/cutup will release Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!, which features more than a dozen undergraduate groups (and even one high-school act) performing instrument-free versions of some of his best-known songs. After soliciting applicants for the project, Folds spent hours watching contenders on YouTube and traveled the country to record the lucky "winners" himself, without the use of the technological trickery (notably programs like Auto-Tune or Pro Tools) that most groups utilize these days. The result isn’t perfect—there’s a bum note here and there—but it’s quite charming. Folds even gets in on the act, performing a cappella versions of his tracks "Boxing" and "Effington." We quizzed Folds, from his home in Nashville, on his peculiar new project. Read the full Q&A after the jump.

Music Mix It’s interesting that you’ve chosen to spotlight college a cappella groups, since so many of them sing your songs without ever sending you a red cent of royalty money.

Ben Folds That doesn’t bother me. When people are out theredoing your music, it’s like when you’re mowing lawns. People see youmowing the lawn, and they come up and you get more lawn-mowing work.People hear the music, enjoy it, and then those who can afford it payfor it, then it comes around. I guess it’s what we call value added.It’s really fine with me.

Music Mix I was in an a cappella group in college 15years ago, and I would have had a heart attack if the artist whose songI was singing was standing right there. Were the groups nervous to singin front of you?

Folds They all did a really good job of not letting that getin the way of anything. Before I showed up, I considered a lot ofstrategies: Maybe I’m going to need to leave the room. Maybe I’m goingto need to be a little more stern. But what I found was that they justneeded to be treated like professionals. Lots of these groups haveopened up for us on the road, and one girl had been totally cool whilewe were recording. We took some pictures, she still seemed fine. Afterthe show, I guess all was clear, and then she went ahead and cut loosewith the fan stuff. And I thought that was really cool! She had mefooled!

Music Mix Was there one song that you didn’t think would work a cappella but did?

Folds The "Jesusland" arrangement that the University of North Carolina Loreleis didwas pretty impressive because, one, they’re an all-female group, andthat makes it more difficult because they don’t have the range. Andthen it’s just a hell of a tempo to have to work out. And it came outbetter on the record than I even anticipated.

Music Mix There’s a group from the University of Chicago called Voices in Your Head that sings "Magic" on the record, and to me they’re in a different league than the rest of the groups.

Folds That is a different animal. I allowed representation ofa computer-generated, tuned one, and that’s it. It was significantlytweaked in Pro Tools. That doesn’t make it less, but I feellike the genre is about the event at the moment. But this version of"Magic" is an example of state-of-the-art a cappella recording. That’sthe only one I heard of that ilk that didn’t turn me off.

Music Mix Ten years ago you turned me on to Grandaddy. What’s floating your boat musically right now?

Folds Well, I’m finally living in one place in a manner thatI can have all my vinyl in one place. So I’ve got my turntable set upand I’ve been going through my classical records to see which onessound good. I’m kinda nerdy. I’ll listen to two versions of a Beethovensymphony and one sounds better than the other. And that one I’ll giveaway. The last new thing I’ve had going through my head is The Bird and The Bee.

Music Mix So now that you’ve worked with college a cappella groups and William Shatner, what’s your next bizarre musical collaboration going to be?

Folds I’m working on an album with Nick Hornby. He’s writingthe lyrics and I’m doing the music. His cadencing is really differentbecause he’s not a musician. He’s sent me about 18 sets of lyrics. He’sdisciplined. And I suspect that as he hears them, that’s going to spurmore writing too. So I’m always going to be keeping up with Nick.