Ben Folds will release “Sleigher”, his first ever Christmas album, on October 25th via New West Records. The 10-song collection is built on a mix of 7 original songs and reimagined classics like Mel Torme and Robert Wells’ “The Christmas Song,” Burt Bacharach’s ‘The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle,’ as well as the Mills Brothers’ ‘You Don’t Have to be a Santa Claus.’ It also features the actress and songwriter Lindsey Kraft on the duet, ‘We Could Have This.’ The album was produced by Ben Folds and recorded by Joe Costa in Nashville and Los Angeles. It follows his 2023 studio album, “What Matters Most”.
“Christmas is constant,” says Folds. “Allowing you to take stock of what’s different, to understand who you are and all the ways you’ve grown and changed.” He continues, “There’s something about Christmas that really pushes you to ask, ‘Who am I now? How did I get here?’ You can look back on Christmases from your childhood and see the progression, or you can zoom out and look back at Christmas songs from the ‘30s and ‘40s and ‘50s and see we’ve evolved socially and culturally. Having that consistent framework is really illuminating. I love those holiday classics that are totally broad and timeless, but I’ve only ever been able to be myself, and I realized the most generous thing I could do with this album was write the best songs I could, no matter where that took me. Anything else just wouldn’t ring true.”
Folds is also currently on the road in the States (with no plans for UK or EU gigs – shame!) until the end of the year on his Paper Airplane Request Tour. During each performance, the audience is encouraged to send song requests to the stage via paper airplanes.
“Sleigher” will be available across digital platforms, on CD, and standard black vinyl. A limited & autographed “Rudolph Red” Color Vinyl edition will be available exclusively at Barnes & Noble, while a limited & autographed “Coke Bottle Clear” vinyl edition will be available at Independent Retailers worldwide. An autographed compact disc edition will also be available. A limited & autographed “Evergreen Green” vinyl edition is available for pre-order now via New West Records.
Ben Folds “Sleigher” Tracklist:
1. Little Drummer Bolero
2. Sleepwalking Through Christmas
3. Me and Maurice
4. Christmas Time Rhyme
5. Waiting for Snow
6. We Could Have This (feat Lindsey Kraft)
7. The Christmas Song
8. The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle
9. Xmas Aye Eye
10. You Don’t Have to be a Santa Claus
Watch the ‘Christmas Song’ below
