recently, I caught up with "Jean Don't"-- The Franks' talented lead singer and frontman. read on below and snag an mp3 at the bottom.
Tell us how the band came about.
Some time ago I decided I'd like to start a punk band but was having a hard time figuring out who I'd like to start it with. There were a few casual friends I'd approached about it but when it actually came time to play the songs I'd written for them it was too uncomfortable. I was sitting in my room with my would-be bassist, stumbling over myself and apologizing for it, really not doing anyone a favor nor any of my work justice. So I was telling Ron and Mimi that same story one weekend afternoon at Mimi's parents house in Beverly Hills and Ron, I think it was, was just like, “Why don't you play the songs for us?” He and I had played in a couple bands together before and Mimi we knew as a generally great talent, so after I played them a few songs we just started to mess around all together. Luckily Mimi's parents have a drum kit, piano and electric guitar setup in their living room. Mimi had hardly played drums before but her dad's been at it for a long time so she just kind of learned a base through osmosis and occasional diddling about. Ron was never really a bassist but had a solid foundation in guitar and piano so was able to fudge it pretty well in those early days. I wasn't a great guitarist either, so it all kind of worked out that we collectively didn't entirely know what we were doing. After working on a few songs I asked if they would be in my band called the Franks and they said yes, of course, so it became our band the Franks.
Do you ever think about how, in the future, people might be having sex to the music you write?
No, I don't think I've ever thought about that. I do sort of like the idea though. Our songs aren't very romantic though. Almost the opposite. The closest I've gotten to writing a love song is really about porn. Of course...
What’s your favourite city to play?
It's hard to say but if I had to say I guess I'd have to say L.A. We have an allegiance to this city, naturally, but beyond that we haven't played elsewhere enough to justify giving the award away.
You’ve released a couple of super solid EPs, when can we expect a full length?
I wish I knew. The plan is to release another super solid EP, which we'll hopefully record towards the end of summer. The plan, as it stands, is after that comes the full-length, maybe a compilation album, and hopefully something by our alter-alter egos, the Heebie Jeebies. We'll see how it all pans out.
Who is Frank?
Frank is a man who doesn't hide his greatness. He's been a third grade teacher, a singer, an architect, a baseball player, a monster, a founding father... Charlemagne was a Frank
Are there any songs you wish you could have written?
Without a doubt, "Government Center" by the Modern Lovers. Nary a day goes by when I don't wish I'd written that song. To me it's just about perfect.
There are too many irreplaceable punk bands in the past, but what are your top three modern punk bands?
Black Lips, LCD Soundsystem, the Hives.
Do you have a favourite band/album/some sort of default music you always turn to?
Well, it really depends on my mood. There are a few bands and albums I can almost always listen to: Modern Lovers, Velvet Underground, those really early Beatles records, earlier Frank Sinatra and Elvis, this Okeh Records comp I have of Chicago blues singers... And if all else fails, and I just don't know what to listen to, I'll usually put on Leslie Gore's "Cry If I Want To" a little bit faster and a little bit louder than I'm "supposed" to.
Who are your vocal inspirations?
Lux Interior and, again, Jonathan Richman. I've been trying to get a little more soulful recently but would be embarrassed to site any real singers for inspiration. I try not to think about it too much but if I hear something I really like I'll try to mimic it when it works. Ron definitely hits up Beach Boys on those harmonies, mixed maybe with a little Lou Reed, and does it pretty well if I may say so. I have no clue what Mimi does but it's working for her.
Musically speaking, what do you get finicky about?
It didn't use to be this way when I was really young, but nowadays I'd say lyrics. There are things I hear other singers singing that just turn me off entirely. Like, “You can really say that out loud to a room full of people multiple times?!” Unnecessary repetition falls into that same category -- Oh, you really like that line so much you feel like repeating it twenty times in a song? Good for you, too bad for us.
Do you like to watch footage of older bands’ gigs?
I love to as long as they're not stadium gigs. Those don't really do it for me -- too big.
If, G-d forbid, you relocate outside of California, do you think there will be less of a sun-drenched sound in your midst? How much does the environment influence your music?
Of course I can't say for sure but I would expect as much. Because we've only existed in Southern California I don't have much of a point of reference. I think, though, if we moved to someplace like Portland we might sound a bit darker, a bit more dreery like Joy Division or the Fall -- the English have shit weather and their music often reflects that moodiness. But then again, New York has some real seasons and one could argue that the Ramones are pretty sun-soaked too.. Is maybe an acceptable answer? In L.A. we get decent weather year round so there's little hardships in that regard. But what is hard is the pressure that goes with eternal sunshine, like everything should always be OK. I think you get that some in our music -- this want for fun, fueled by bottled up frustration and depression.
How do you feel about music blogs?
I love them when they love me. Otherwise I don't really care anymore. I do think that all this discussion of new music is killing the medium. The fans are too cool, too knowledgeable, too opinionated, so that it's not about the fun of it anymore. I'm about as guilty as the next guy, maybe more, but we've killed rock music by making it too heady. That's why electronic music is so popular these days -- because people enjoy it without dissecting it. In "Trenchtown Rock" Bob Marley sings, "One good thing about music, when it hits you you feel no pain." Well, that's not really the case these days. And I'm not advocating escapism but I think there is a liberation through dance and mayhem that the general indie music blog culture rejects because it's not high-brow enough.
Who would you like to tour with?
Other than those modern punk bands I listed, King Khan & BBQ Show, Jacuzzi Boys, Nobunny, Wolf Parade, Future Island...
In San Francisco, you were bleeding on stage. Do you remember what that was from?
Yeah, that tour I was battling this small crater of a wound on the knuckle of my thumb on my strumming hand. I think I got it day one from playing too hard and each night reopened it and emptied its contents on my guitar and shirt.
I love dancing to punk music. What music gets you to move?
Late 50s and early 60s rock, R&B, and soul. Good punk does too, of course. And modern electronic music will move me if I'm in the right mood -- Diplo, Rusko, only best.
Do you remember the first song you guys played in front of an audience?
It was a song called "Too Much To Do," which was also the first song we'd written. I thought it was clever to sing, "I don't want too much to do, I don't want too much to do, I don't want too much to do with you," because at the time I wrote the lyrics I was feeling pretty stressed out over school and work and also an ex-girlfriend. The bassline was really Clash inspired -- "London Calling" -- in part because the tune lent itself to it and in part because we'd been listening to that album a lot and really loved the way it intros in. If memory serves us correctly, it was the first song we played at our first show, which we had on the top floor kitchen of a three-story, eight-bedroom house Ron and I were living in at the time with six other people. It was one of our best friends' birthdays and we had a big house party, which sort of doubled as our coming out. I have photos of the performance but don't remember much of it, like how it went over. Good, I think. It's one of those things you say you wish you could relive but would probably be ridiculously embarrassed if you did.
Summertime is upon us and festival season is looming. Would you guys like to eventually get into that circuit or do you think you’ll stick to clubs?
If we can get to that level, I'd love to play festivals. It seems like a really fun circuit to get onto and a great way to spend the summer if you're in a band. I don't know how the shows would compare cause we've never played one but hopefully I'll be able to check back in and tell you before too long.
What recent release has had you mesmerized?
Future Islands: In Evening Air
Do you ever wish you could be part of a different musical era or movement?
Yeah I've spent many days of my life wishing for just that. I've wished for basically every era but not so much anymore. I like today. It's frustrating but exciting because I have no idea what might come along. I will say, however, I might rather live in the late '50s, early '60s, if for no other reason than that I wouldn't have any expectations of what rock and roll could or should be.
What do you eat with oatmeal?
Usually it's raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and sugar and milk. I would prefer blueberries over raisins but they don't have them at the cafeteria where I work.
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