Frankie Rose (formerly of Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, and Vivian Girls) has been putting out some excellent singles in anticipation of her upcoming second solo album Herein Wild.
Following this year’s performance at Pitchfork Music Festival, Frankie Rose announced news of her recent signing to Fat Possum Records, and confirmed that a new record was in the works. The Brooklyn-based artist recently followed up with the official announcement of her new album which will be out locally November 1 via Caroline Label Services.
Along with the news of a Fat Possum debut, Rose also shared a new track with fans titled ‘Sorrow’, the first off Herein Wild. ‘Sorrow’ is a catchy summertime anthem, possessing a nostalgic quality that serves to perfectly complement Rose’s vocals.
Compared to your earlier work, the new record offers a more expansive sound with a great range of instrumentation, is this sound something you’ve always wanted to explore?
Although Herein Wild may come off sounding more expansive, in truth, there is far less instrumentation happening then on my previous album Interstellar. I did this intentionally because I wanted to make an album that was performable live. To perform Interstellar, I had to creatively come up with a way to have a live show that did the record justice ,but without requiring me to bring a choir and orchestra on tour.
Did the move to Fat Possum help facilitate this expansion? How have you found working with the label?
The move to Fat Possum was strange. I have been on Slumberland Records for as long as I can remember and I hold them very dear to my heart. Interstellar was an album wholly produced from calling in favours on a very small budget, but to make another record on that scale would have mean more resources. In the end, that was the main reason for the move.
What were some of the major challenges you faced in the making of Herein Wild?
I was on an insane two month turn around schedule. Not only because of a label deadline, but also the studio I was working in at the time only had so much time available. I have never made a record in such a short time frame before. It is so different because there is no time to second guess. I had to stick with the decisions I made with no looking back. In a way it made for an album that is like a time capsule of what was happening in those few months leading up to the record. I like the finished result, but I don’t think I will ever work that way again.
How did the process differ to that of making Interstellar?
I took maybe a year to make Interstellar. From making demos to finally recording I did about 65 days in two different studios over the span of months. I prefer this way of working because I really have to think about the different stages of the project.
How are you finding making music as a solo artist, do you enjoy having complete creative control?
I really love working alone and I also love working in collaboration. Working alone is easy because having complete control and creating exactly the music I want to create is much more satisfying in the end. However I also like working with people and producing. I have a new two piece project called ‘Beverly’ in the works and I am very excited about it.
What do you miss about your time with your previous bands, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts?
I miss not having to make decisions. The hardest thing about a band is being the band leader who calls the shots. It can be stressful!
How do you think the influence of your time with these groups presents itself on Herein Wild?
I think I learned something from every band that I have ever been in. Sometimes the greatest lessons had nothing at all to do with music. Watching Jb from crystal stilts every night taught me SO much about guitar sound. And my experience as founder of Vivian Girls taught me a whole lot about how I do not want to run a band. I think my music is an accumulation of all my experiences both good and bad.
What were some of your other sources of inspiration while making the album?
The whole year after I had finished touring Interstellar was kind of a rough one for me. I think that really comes through lyrically on Herein Wild, I never think too much about lyrics and I often write them on the fly, but there is clearly a river of sadness running though the words on the album.
There are a lot of references to dreams on Herein Wild, and the lyrics seem deeper than those on previous albums, can you tell us a little about where these lyrics came from?
I have Incredibly vivid dreams and nightmares. Almost every night. Sometimes I can’t tell if things happened in a dream or if they happened in real life. I think sometimes for some people the waking life and the dream life can be easily confused. which one is real? Herein Wild is an album about feeling trapped in a body here on this plane or place or planet or whatever you want to call it, and a few things that can take place whether you like it or not, for instance dreams and loss, and once in awhile infatuation. There is a love song on the album too, the only love song I have ever written.
There are plans to tour the UK and Europe next month, and North America throughout February next year. What on stage setup can audiences expect at those shows; will you tour with a love string section?
Yes, we just got off tour with Franz Ferdinand , which was one of the best tours I have ever been on. Now we are going on tour with White Lies until February both in the UK and in the States. I’m afraid I wont be having a string section anytime soon. Anything could happen though! Perhaps for the next record!
Any plans to come to Australia in the near future?
I’m anxiously waiting for the invite!
Herein Wild is out now through Fat Possum Records/Caroline Label Services. Listen to ‘ Sorrow’ below.
