American singer-songwriter Ben Folds' album What Matters Most releases June 2nd, 2023. To celebrate the occasion, Folds will have a headline show at The Helix, presented by Singular Artists, on November 20th.

Ben Folds was the lead singer of the Ben Folds Five, which gained prominence throughout the 90s in the rock scene with their defining piano-pop.

While known for his piano playing skills, he also dabbles in other artistic pursuits. He's had gallery shows of his photography in both the US and in Europe. Folds has also starred in film and television projects, most recently making an appearance in the Amazon Prime series The Wilds.

Also a prolific composer, Ben Folds has worked with the Nashville Symphony and Nashville Ballet, yMusic, and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center as the artistic advisor.

Either way, the North Carolinian musician has been running solo since 2001, although he has collaborated with others, like the celebrated English author Nick Hornby on the 2010 album, Lonely Avenue.

What Matters Most will be the 56-year-old's first album in almost eight years since So There from 2015. It was recorded in East Nashville with co-produccer Joe Pisapia.

Out now is the first single from the track, 'Winslow Gardens.'

 

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The upcoming album "isn’t so much a statement as it is an offering, an open hand reaching out to all those wounded and bewildered by a world that seems to make less and less sense every day."

The track list will include a range of emotional themes, fluctuating between bittersweet and hilarious but overall overshadowed by "a quiet sense of longing and dread" as it explores the impact of the passage of time on interpersonal relationships.

"A text message goes unanswered; an old classmate descends into the dark depths of internet conspiracies; a relationship unravels in the middle of a lake."

"Taken as a whole, the result is an undeniably joyful record that refuses to succumb to the weight of the world around it, an ecstatic reminder of all the beauty and promise hiding in plain sight for anyone willing (and present enough) to recognize their moments as they arrive."

Starting from €40, tickets go on sale on February 23rd at 10AM, here:

By signing up for Singular Artists' mailing list, tickets may be available for pre-sale from February 22nd, at 10AM