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Ben Folds on Hayley Williams’s Fallon Performance

Ben Folds
Jason Tate

Ben Folds has a newsletter and he recently wrote about Hayley Williams’s performance on Fallon:

Something that’s striking from the start of “True Believer” is Hayley radically singing in her lower register. It ain’t indie baby voice and it’s not rock chick affectation.  It’s assertively at the bottom of her speaking range.  She’s not hiding.  She’s serious. This is a human being speaking her mind without blinking – taking ownership for what she’s saying.

In terms of musicality, in a world where we all assume it must be all dumbed down, especially when it’s taking up valuable ad time(!) Hayley brought the eloquence of a proper string section (arranged by Doug Peck), but she didn’t use them as props.  They occupied their own space (there were blocked upstage of her.). They had a voice, and a turn to be featured.  They weren’t buried or used like a synthesizer.  In 2025 when each symphony orchestra still might only have a small handful of black musicians (until the 80s it was ALL men, no women), this stunning section of black and brown players was as good as you’ll ever hear.

Review: Ben Folds – Live With The National Symphony Orchestra

Adam Grundy

There’s a certain magic behind Ben Folds and his unique brand of quirky, piano-based pop rock. It’s hard to put your finger on why it’s so impactful and meaningful when you listen to his music, but it’s undeniably there. This “magic” is on full display in the surprise-release of Live With The National Symphony Orchestra, that was recorded at Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center before the current administration took over the day-to-day operations and artistic direction. I’m so glad this recording exists, since Ben Folds has always had a knack for writing insightful music directly from the heart. The vinyl version of the recording features ten songs, while the digital version includes an additional four bonus tracks. For eight years, Folds served as National Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Artistic Advisor at the Kennedy Center before he resigned, and yet this album does an incredible job of playing homage to this wonderful legacy Ben Folds and The National Symphony Orchestra have each established at our Nation’s capital’s most historic venues for the arts.

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