"Fair" game
"Fifth Element" is one of 18 groups vying for a spot on Folds' new album
Allison Proite
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: Scene
When UW-Eau Claire a cappella group "Fifth Element" heard that singer-songwriter Ben Folds was producing a college a cappella album, they jumped at the chance to be a part of it.
Seniors Nels Urtel and Anthony Meehl, juniors Frank Moran, Alex Collie and Pete Elkin, sophomore Joe Holtan and freshman Tim Mattson make up "Fifth Element" and all wanted an opportunity to record for Folds.
"An alumnus of the group saw that Ben Folds was doing this and thought it would be a great opportunity for us, even if we didn't make it," said Urtel.
"We cut it a little close because we had about three weeks before the deadline to arrange a song and send it in," he said.
But the late arrival didn't hinder their performance, it only helped them.
"Because we were so late, we got to check out the competition and see what kind of songs they were submitting."
The group chose "Fair" off of Folds' album, "Whatever and Ever Amen," because it was off the radar, Urtel said.
"A lot of people were doing The Luckiest and we just wanted to be different," Urtel said.
"We thought it was a great song to really show off our voices," Collie said.
After recording "Fair," they put the song on YouTube and within days Folds himself was contacting "Fifth Element." Out of the 200 groups that submitted a song to Folds, 18 were chosen, "Fifth Element" being one of them.
"He said he really liked it and would be in contact, so that was pretty cool," Urtel said.
A few weeks later, Folds and his manager contacted "Fifth Element" and told them to go ahead and start recording "Fair" for the album, but were told they were still going to be cutting songs later.
"Fifth Element" recorded the song at the Masters Recording Institute in Edina, Minn. The studio was once owned by R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Usher and Brian McKnight have all previously recorded in the same studio.
Seniors Nels Urtel and Anthony Meehl, juniors Frank Moran, Alex Collie and Pete Elkin, sophomore Joe Holtan and freshman Tim Mattson make up "Fifth Element" and all wanted an opportunity to record for Folds.
"An alumnus of the group saw that Ben Folds was doing this and thought it would be a great opportunity for us, even if we didn't make it," said Urtel.
"We cut it a little close because we had about three weeks before the deadline to arrange a song and send it in," he said.
But the late arrival didn't hinder their performance, it only helped them.
"Because we were so late, we got to check out the competition and see what kind of songs they were submitting."
The group chose "Fair" off of Folds' album, "Whatever and Ever Amen," because it was off the radar, Urtel said.
"A lot of people were doing The Luckiest and we just wanted to be different," Urtel said.
"We thought it was a great song to really show off our voices," Collie said.
After recording "Fair," they put the song on YouTube and within days Folds himself was contacting "Fifth Element." Out of the 200 groups that submitted a song to Folds, 18 were chosen, "Fifth Element" being one of them.
"He said he really liked it and would be in contact, so that was pretty cool," Urtel said.
A few weeks later, Folds and his manager contacted "Fifth Element" and told them to go ahead and start recording "Fair" for the album, but were told they were still going to be cutting songs later.
"Fifth Element" recorded the song at the Masters Recording Institute in Edina, Minn. The studio was once owned by R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Usher and Brian McKnight have all previously recorded in the same studio.
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