July 13, 2010 11:43

Ben Folds and Nick Hornby collaboration album set for September release

Musician and author united to record 'Lonely Avenue'

Ben Folds and author Nick Hornby's collaboration album, 'Lonely Avenue', is set to be released on September 28.

Folds wrote and recorded the music for the album while Hornby wrote the lyrics. Listen to a demo of album track 'Levi Johnston's Blues' by clicking below.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today, Hornby explained that Folds got in touch after the author wrote about him in his 2002 essay collection 31 Songs.

Folds said: "Nick and I got along well and sent back and forth some emails, [me] asking if he would do some lyrics and I'd write music. There is usually a melody that comes into my head quickly because he's got a distinct voice for each song. There's a character, I can see everything. At the same time he's not giving me throwaways, so I'm not getting a moment of rest. That made it a bit more difficult."

Hornby said that he believed Folds treated his words with the utmost respect, explaining that, "He was respectful to the extent that when one line had a typo in it he sung the typo. He thought it was a word I'd made up."