Ben Folds Five are marking the 30th anniversary of their 1995 self-titled debut with a reissue that includes a previously unheard early version of the record, titled Shelved First Attempt. Before working with producer Caleb Southern on the album that was eventually released, the trio had recorded an initial set of sessions with producer Dave "Stiff" Johnson that were abandoned and never issued. Ben Folds recently rediscovered these recordings on digital audio tape in his personal archive, and they are now being released for the first time.

Shelved First Attempt features seven songs that later appeared on the debut, plus "Evaporated" (which surfaced on 1997's Whatever And Ever Amen) and three unreleased outtakes: "Emaline," "Dick Holster," and "Eddie Walker." It will appear as the second disc of the 2CD and 2LP reissue Ben Folds Five (30th Anniversary), out 4 September on Capitol, and will also be available separately in digital form. The original sessions were made in Philadelphia over three weeks on a roughly $14,000 budget from Caroline Records; Folds recalls the results as competent but ultimately "didn't feel like us." The band have shared the shelved version of album opener "Underground" as a first taste.