LA-based musician Frankie’s life has changed quitttteeee a bit since her days of singing to herself in a mirror as a child. As an RCA artist working on her debut studio album, she’s heading off to retreats to write music with her band, prepping to play the biggest show of her life when she hits the stage at Lollapalooza this Saturday (be sure to check for our behind-the-scenes piece with her then) and, oh yeah — garnering cred from a little known fellow artist named Taylor Swift.
Swift included this up-and-comer’s tune “New Obsession” from her current EP, Dreamstate, on a list of “New Songs to Make Your Life More Awesome (I Promise!)” back in October of last year, and believe us when we say that no matter where you stand on the Kanye feud, when it comes to this, she wasn’t wrong.
Yet no matter what crazy, exciting things life throws her way, Frankie still finds PLENTY of time to tap into her creative side, whether it be writing new tunes with her bandmates or jamming away on the piano or guitar (both of which she’s adept at). Find out just what makes her tick and how she channels her art below, as she indulges us in a brilliant round of 7 Minutes in (Creativity) Heaven.
BIO: Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist/Performer + All-around Badass Musician
Originally from the Bay Area and currently residing in Los Angeles, Frankie feels ridiculously lucky that she gets to write songs and sing them for people across the country every single day.
B+C: What’s the crappiest gig or job you’ve ever had on your way to the top, and what did you learn from it?
I’m a lucky girl because my bandmates are my best friends, so even when we would have shows with two people in the audience, we would still go insane and rock out like crazy. We always made each other crack up on stage! However, I used to teach guitar, piano and singing lessons to young kids, and that was just a little rough. I’m self-taught at piano, so I had to step up my game to pull it off like I was a prodigy!
What is the last app you downloaded, and what did you use it for?
The last app I downloaded was Bitmoji and I’m obsessed with it. [My bandmates] and I have a group thread, and for a while we would only text in Bitmoji characters to see how far it would go. We [all] really tried to get our [Bitmoji characters] to look identical to us, but [my drummer Ben’s character] never did, so every time I see his I crack up.
Who would your dream collaborator be?
I have loved Stevie Nicks for so long. She is my ultimate queen, and ever since I was little I would dance in front of my TV as I watched her concerts. My dream is to go to her house and listen to her play piano and sing while she tells me stories about her songs and the meaning behind them. That’s the ultimate “pinch-me” goal. Let’s just all take a moment and pray that [it] happens one day.
Where do you go when you have writer’s block, and how do you overcome it?
When I have writers block, I just listen to my mind and don’t try to write. I can always tell [when my songs are] forced and I just scratch [them]. I write most of my songs with my boys, and we’re true believers that when things are natural is when the best stuff comes out. If it’s forced, we scratch it and wait until it comes organically — even if that takes weeks or months.
What’s on your go-to playlist right now?
I love “Genghis Khan” by Miiike Snow right now a lot. On mainstream pop, the boys and I are loving “Cheap Thrills” by Sia. We’re so lucky because we’ve been playing a bunch of radio shows/festivals with all [of] these amazing artists, so this summer we have had the pleasure [of seeing] so many of [them] live backstage. This summer has been filled with “pinch-me” moments.
Where do you go and what do you do to tap into your creativity when you’re at home in LA?
The boys and I love writing by the water. Any time we do a writing retreat, we always get a house on the beach. There’s something about looking out at the ocean that gets me in a zen state to write, so any place by the beach is our ideal spot!
What was your favorite thing to do or make as a kid?
Honestly, I’ve been writing songs and playing guitar since I was 10! I tried sports and arts/crafts but it never clicked. I was that girl who would come home from school and write a song about what happened that day! I’m a music nerd, and that’s always been my favorite and only way to create.
What is the last thing you made with your hands?
I cook all the time; does that count? *laughs* I probably made a thank you card and decorated it. I do that a lot to send thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way.
(Photos via Cindy Ord/Getty)
