▁later ▁that ▁in ▁one ▁over night ▁session ▁in ▁Dublin ▁he ▁and ▁the ▁band ▁had ▁recorded ▁' f ake ' ▁versions ▁of ▁songs ▁from ▁the ▁new ▁album . ▁His ▁sources ▁had ▁then ▁le aked ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁as ▁a ▁light - heart ed ▁jo ke ▁on ▁his ▁fans . ▁ ▁Way ▁to ▁Normal ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁It ▁became ▁F olds ' ▁highest - chart ing ▁album ▁ever ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁debut ing ▁at ▁no . ▁ 1 1 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁ 2 0 0 . ▁ ▁So on ▁before ▁Way ▁to ▁Normal ▁was ▁released , ▁F olds ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁planned ▁to ▁record ▁an ▁album ▁with ▁English ▁author ▁Nick ▁Horn by , ▁with ▁Horn by ▁writing ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁and ▁F olds ▁writing ▁the ▁music . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁collaboration ▁came ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁" f ake " ▁leak ▁of ▁the ▁album ▁Way ▁to ▁Normal ▁released ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁"( We ▁will ) ▁write ▁and ▁record ▁it ▁in ▁about ▁three ▁days , ▁just ▁like ▁we ▁did ▁in ▁Dublin ▁with ▁the ▁fake ▁record ," ▁F olds ▁said . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁F olds ▁released ▁Ben ▁F olds ▁Pres ents : ▁University ▁A ▁C app ella !, ▁an ▁album ▁consisting ▁of ▁college ▁student ' s ▁a