Q&A With AV Alt-Pop Featured Artist: FRANKIE
Ambient Vibes had the opportunity to ask LA pop singer, FRANKIE, about what’s going on in her world. Read her thoughts about Avril Lavigne, songwriting, and her dream collabs below!
What first got you into music?
Music has always been a part of my life! I've always been singing since I could talk and started piano lessons when I was 6. The real turning point for me was when Avril Lavigne hit the music scene playing her guitar and writing her own songs. She inspired me so much that I started writing songs and playing guitar when I was 10. That shift really embedded me as a singer songwriter and became my therapy. Everyday after school I'd go to my room and write a song about what happened to me that day. That's when music became my whole life.
Out of all of the songs you’ve released, which one is your favorite and why?
Oh man it's hard to choose, they're all my babies! My latest release is a song called The Hard Way and it's really special to me. It's all about the lessons I've learned the hard way from losing a parent to first heartbreak and sharing what I've learned from a place of healing. I feel like it was a challenge to squish all those stories into a 3 minute song but I'm really proud of how it turned out lyrically and it sounds exactly how it feels which is always the goal. I'm really looking forward to playing that live one day.
Where is your favorite place where you’ve had the opportunity to perform?
I was fortunate enough to perform at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco which is my hometown - Oakland to be exact. I performed to a sold out crowd of a little under 10,000 people and it was the most amazing experience. My in-ears went out and I couldn't hear myself so I sang off muscle memory which was scary but the crowd was so amazing that I didn't even notice I was having technical difficulties because it was a room filled with so much love. One of those once in a lifetime pinch me moments.
Which musician or producer would you most like to collaborate with?
There are so many. Taylor Swift and Coldplay I always say but those are obviously big dreams. Stevie Nicks is my forever idol so anything with her would be a dream. I also really love Jon Bellion, Ricky Reed, Lauv, Haim, Borns, Julia Michaels, Kacey Musgraves, Avril Lavigne, the list goes on...
If you could have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
That we're cut from the same cloth. If they connected to my music and let me into their world then they get me and I get them. We're one in the same...also that I was kind and give good hugs.
What is your creative process like?
It's different every time but I'm such a melody person usually it starts with that. I like to wait for a melody to come to me. It'll just hit me driving or taking a shower or walking around out of nowhere and I have to quickly record it into my phone. Then I'll sit with it and flush it out on guitar and try to channel what feelings go with the melody and what kind of song it should be. Then I usually write scratch lyrics down and show my cousin, Maya Knowles, (who's my songwriting collaborator) and she'll help me fine tune everything, hone in on what I'm trying to say, add and tweak melodies and then it really becomes a song. Then I'll take it to a producer and try to chip away at what I'm hearing in my head with the production and get their perspective and have them do their thing as well.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Honestly... music is my life and being a musician isn't a career to me, it's a calling. So there is no other career I would want at the moment. I have other goals and avenues that I want to explore but it all falls under that umbrella.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Stay true to yourself. What makes you stand out is your unique self. I know that sounds cheesy but it's true. The second you compare yourself to others or try to sound like someone else because what that person is doing is working, it wont sound genuine and it won't work for you. As long as you're putting out music you love into the world and sharing your stories and your truth then it'll connect with people and you'll forever be proud of it knowing it came from the heart.
Is there anything you would like to add or anything new we should be looking out for?
Releasing more music straight away in the new year and it's all leading to an EP. Can't say much more but I'm so excited and grateful to release this new batch and looking forward to a musically filled year in 2021!
Listen to “The Hard Way” and “Almost Famous” by FRANKIE on the Ambient Vibes: Alt Pop playlist.