In 2002 Neil Hannon toured the States supporting Ben Folds during his ‘Ben Folds and a Piano’ tour. While Ben Folds was playing the piano for his set, Neil Hannon played the guitar. They also both shared the stage from times to times: Ben used to came during Neil Hannon’s set to perform with him ‘Songs Of Love’, and Neil came to perform Ben Folds Five’s song ‘Mess’ with Ben. These collaborations would lead later to a more collaborative UK tour in late 2002 and Ben Folds’ recording covers of ‘Songs Of Love’ on his EP Sunny 16 and the album Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP.

But priori to this, Ben Folds released a live album in late 2002 entitled Ben Folds Live (a reference to Ben Folds Five) which focused on the prior American tour. Sadly, no recording of Neil and Ben’s collaborations where kept for release, until the 2011 anthology Fifty-Five Vault; however memories of Neil are to be found on the album as the sleeve features a couple of photos with Neil Hannon.