o ▁of ▁F olds , ▁bass ist ▁Robert ▁S ledge , ▁and ▁drum mer ▁Dar ren ▁Jes see ▁formed ▁Ben ▁F olds ▁Five ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁in ▁Chap el ▁Hill . ▁As ▁F olds ▁put ▁it , ▁" J eff ▁Buck ley ▁was ▁being ▁signed ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁by ▁Columbia ▁and ▁I ▁was ▁talking ▁to ▁Steve , ▁his ▁A & R ▁gu y , ▁and ▁somehow ▁we ▁knew ▁the ▁same ▁people ▁or ▁something ." ▁ ▁Ben ▁F olds ▁Five ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Ben ▁F olds ▁Five ▁released ▁their ▁self - t itled ▁debut ▁album . ▁The ▁debut ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁Wh atever ▁and ▁Ever ▁A men ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁odd s - and - ends ▁compilation ▁N aked ▁Baby ▁Ph otos ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁Wh atever ▁and ▁Ever ▁A men ▁included ▁many ▁singles ▁such ▁as ▁" S ong ▁for ▁the ▁D ump ed ", ▁" B attle ▁of ▁Who ▁Could ▁Care ▁Less ", ▁and ▁the ▁band ' s ▁most ▁successful ▁song , ▁" B rick ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁band ▁released ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁their ▁final ▁album ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁de cade , ▁The ▁Un author ized ▁Biography ▁of ▁Rein hold ▁Mess ner , ▁which ▁included ▁the ▁hit ▁" Ar my ". ▁ ▁F olds ▁has ▁described ▁Ben ▁F olds ▁Five ▁as ▁" p unk ▁rock ▁for ▁s iss ies ", ▁and ▁his ▁lyr ics ▁often