Frank James Band
Before diving into the interview, we speak with Frank James Band about their heartfelt new single Believe, a song twenty years in the making that reflects hope, personal growth, and life-changing experiences.
1. “Believe” took twenty years to write and was inspired by your experiences living overseas. How did the song evolve over those two decades, and what emotions were you determined to preserve in the final version?
Believe (one of my first songs) has been through many incarnations. The chord progression and main riff have always been basically the same but the way it was played live has changed a few times: from acoustic to electric, time signatures, where we placed the harmonies all the way to the recent (recorded) addition of a string arrangement. At the heart of the song is the idea of “getting over the hurt” and starting new – being able to put the past behind you and looking with hope to the future.
As I have gotten older since the 1st draft of the song my perspective has also changed in that were I’ve been at different points in my life in relation to the core message of the song has also played a role in how we performed the song. I wanted the studio recording to reflect the hope that only the young at heart can have and I feel we accomplished that.
2. This single marks a departure from your heavier rock sound. What inspired you to explore a different musical direction, and what did that shift allow you to express that your previous work could not?
Again, “Believe” is of a hopeful nature where most of my previous compositions where for lack of a better term “angrier” I wanted to take a more “delicate” approach. We wanted the narrator to sound less jaded and we wanted the music to sound that way was as well all while staying true, it just happened organically.
3. The song centers on themes of adventure, distance, and connection. Looking back, how did those early experiences away from home shape both your songwriting and your perspective as an artist?
It was Henry Van Dyke who said: “True art is a reflection of life” and that couldn’t be more true in my case. All of my songs stem from lived experiences and it’s those experiences that tint the glasses of my perception. I wouldn’t be able to write about something for which I didn’t have strong feelings.
4. You worked closely with producer Marc Muir at Muir’s Music Manor. What did Marc bring to the recording process, and how did your collaboration help shape the final sound of “Believe”?
Marc is not only a genius but a very sensitive person and he “gets me”. Most of the time I come to him with nothing more than chords, lyrics, a melody and a feeling and he always manages to deliver what I’m not able to articulate. I consider myself privileged and fortunate to be able to work with someone as gifted as he is and he is an integral part of the final sound.
5. You’ve mentioned that finding the right feel for the song required a lot of experimentation. Can you share a particular breakthrough moment in the studio when everything finally clicked into place?
During the musical interlude in believe we had originally intended to just lay the riff over the strings but everyone felt like something was missing. We tried adding a variety of sounds and instruments, a lead guitar but it was Marc who suggested the Ebow/slide combination and as soon as we heard it, we knew that was IT.
6. “Believe” will appear on your upcoming album Sweat, Strings & Scars. How does this single represent the album as a whole, and what can listeners expect from the rest of the record?
The listeners can expect a very eclectic album. Each song on the album is different. We have an acoustic song recorded with timpani and cello and others that center around a piano arrangement, we also have heavy rock “barn burners”. This song represents the rest of the album in that all the songs are personal and heartfelt.