If it appears that Ben Folds just kind of wakes up every day without much forethought to what he’ll do that day, it’s because that’s essentially what he does.
One day he might decide to be a guest on a TV show or appear in a movie, and the next he might decide going into the recording studio with “Weird Al” Yankovic or William Shatner seems like a cool way to spend his time. He doesn’t really have long-term goals or a lengthy to-do list.
“It’s always circumstantial,” he says. “When presented with parts, I like to make something out of them. Following my interests has made things fresh and often unpredictable. I’m not sure what that looks like from the outside, but it’s fairly natural for me.
“I don’t really have a list. Those bucket lists just sort of serve to disappoint. I like to wake up and wonder what I’ll see and what I might want to make of it. I have an opportunity to write symphonic and choral pieces for universities. That’s next probably.”
For now, he is touring with his new record, “So There,” and will make a stop in Chattanooga for a show Friday, Nov. 6, at the Tivoli Theatre. For the CD, Folds collaborated with New York City-based chamber ensemble yMusic, who will join him for the show here. Folds calls it “one of the best records I’ve made.”
It’s the first time Folds, who describes his early work with Ben Folds Five as “punk rock for sissies,” has worked with the group, though not his first attempt at symphonic music. He wrote Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in 2013. He thrives on the ability to pick and choose projects.
“Without that freedom, I can’t imagine I would even be doing this interview,” he says. “I have to think that following your interest is the only real path. I may be blind, and maybe there can be more compromise and more script than I realize. However, I do believe that even the cheesiest pop music becomes successful for natural and organic reasons and is the result of following interests.”
For someone who likes having the freedom to do what he wants, Folds says the recording process for “So There” was very rigid, which was still somehow liberating.
“I’ve always had freedom,” he says.
“It’s a matter of how much of that freedom are you aware of. I think we stand blindfolded in front of a massive expanse. But that’s just a fancy way of saying, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing.’ The less I know about what’s coming up, the more free I can be. I think. Then it’s complicated. Because I believe that strict form can also free you. I believe that is partly the case with the new album. It had to be arranged within an inch of its life, and in that formality I found a lot of freedom.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.