THE MODERN RECORD INTERVIEWS... FRANKIE BEETLESTONE AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2023
WE CAUGHT UP WITH FRANKIE BEETLESTONE AT LEEDS FESTIVal 2023 for a quick chat.
Kayla] Hello, I’m Kayla and this is Matthew, and we are here today from the Modern Record, based in Scotland. We thought it would be cool to catch you and ask some questions
[Kayla] How did you start your career in music?
[Frankie] Um, I got a guitar when I was, like, eleven. I kind of was like, noodling about on that for a couple of years trying to figure that out. But then it was, I don't know. It's just always something I've, I've been drawn to doing, like, you know, I don't know. I was a bit of, like, one of them kids who was, like, kind of, learn how to dance, like Michael Jackson and so I was always liked performing and stuff. And like, music was just kind of the most obvious one to choose to perform with, I guess. So, since I was eleven, I've been messing about with it, basically.
[Matthew] Did you ever play in pubs and stuff?
[Frankie] Yeah, so we started, like, when I was 15, me and my best mate who is the drummer in my band, and it's called Dan. We kind of just, like, got a few songs together as own stuff to start playing around the pubs in Sheffield and then we did about ten shows in Sheffield, and then it was locked down and then after that, we kind of started like, figuring out what we really wanted to do with it and meeting people and stuff.
[Matthew] Who are some of your musical influences?
[Frankie] It changes every day, but I would say that, um, for the song writing stuff, very inspired by, like, um, talking Heads and Oasis, I like, kind of just a general, you know, these different songs and things. I'll give you loads to say, you think, like Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, a bit all over the place. Someone more recently is Paul Simon, he has been like, actually, you could probably put him as the first because Paul Simon is the one that like musically, I love the most.
[Kayla] Can you share your thoughts on performing at festivals compared to regular shows?
[Frankie] It’s different, it's funny, because you do when you do your own gig, it's obviously like people come in to watch you and they know you. But at festivals you’re aware that people might walk past and see you and like, we'll listen to this sort of thing because they don’t know you. But you also have this, like, there's an energy where it's like, you would if they're gonna know we are after this sort of thing. It feels good!
[Matthew] Could you tell us about a memorable or unexpected interaction you’ve had while performing?
[Frankie] um, I met K-S-I last year at Leeds which I highly doubt we will write a song together but we managed to windle our way onto the backstage bit like the scavengers that we are, managed to get some backstage tickets and all these celebrities are just walking around but like, we were just having a drink, and we saw K-S-I and we all grew, up watching the side men and stuff, so we were all like freaking out or whatever, so we went and met him!
[Kayla] Being from Sheffield, how has your local music scene impacted your growth, and are there any local artists that have influenced your sound?
[Frankie] I think, weirdly, I don't think I'm very inspired by Pulp and Artic Monkeys and stuff and the social commentary thing that comes with a lot of the bands from Sheffield. I am inspired by that. But I wouldn't have said it was like something that we were directly referencing. Like, I think it's just a weird thing that happens when you're from that part of the country.
[Kayla] Is there a big music scene in Sheffield?
[Frankie] Not anymore. To be honest, when we play gigs over the country, it feels like Leeds and Manchester and London are like bigger.
[Kayla] Have you been further up North?
[Frankie] We've been Glasgow. Where are you guys from?
[Matthew] Fife and Edinburgh
[Frankie] Edinburgh. Oh, Edinburgh was one of the best gigs we ever played, genuinely, Scotland’s fucking crazy but yeah, we don’t have anything scheduled at the moment but would love to get one on.
[Matthew] As a relatively new musician, what are some of the challenges you've faced in the industry, and how have you overcome them, like social media?
[Frankie] Yeah, it's some of the gets on your nerves a bit, and you have to like, kind of, it's weird, because you, when you're on social, when you write a song, I can be completely vulnerable in a song and go, this is something I've made of it. But with social media is very much This is why I have it. And so, when you are doing that every day, I feel like a different person to what I was 20 min ago, let go, let alone what I was four months ago. So, it is a weird thing to have to present yourself as this, like, constant, evolving. Thing, but to be honest, man, like, I think the fact that we have the chance to directly speak to the fans and to people who care about it. I think that's a blessing, because 30 years ago, we'd like to go through some record label and some guy who knows everything about music, who's never put fucking song out, and then you have to wait for his approval, and we don't have to do that anymore. So that's a beautiful thing. The fact that we can immediately speak to people who care about it I think it's an amazing thing.
[Kayla] You toured with Tom Grennan, how was it and how has it impacted your career?
[Frankie] Massively, that was kind of a crazy thing for us to do, because we were, like, I was playing pubs in Sheffield to like, ten people and then we went on this, like, arena tour, it was amazing. It definitely impacted my view of songs. And what, like, a really great song, the effect that can have on someone's before that was kind of just messing around over beats that I made, and, like, talking, rapping and talking about randoms of Whereas now I feel like I'm, I enjoy that.
But I'm more in the business of, like, I wanna write really great songs that connect with people more emotionally than, like, spoken word things or something. That that was the biggest thing I took away from it, I think.
[Matthew] Do your fans have a name?
[Frankie] they've created, like, a couple of accounts, like The Pop Star, because we've got a song called Pop Star and they're like, Frankie Beetlestone’s Pop Stars, but I haven't had anything to do with that.
[Kayla] What would you like them to be called?
[Frankie] I'd like them to be called gingers and they've all got a dye their hair orange and try and make sure that we don't go extinct. That's what I like them to be.
[Kayla] Last questions, can you share any exciting future plans with us?
[Frankie] I've been writing. I'm recording my next project. That's kind of what've been focusing on. We've got a couple of gigs in, like, Manchester and Sheffield over the next couple months. I've just moved to London, doing all the artwork and stuff and for the next project, I want it all to be, like, draw on it and stuff. So that's kind of, what I’ve been focusing on, just trying to figure this shit out man, I guess I don't know.
[Kayla] and we will be seeing you in Scotland?
[Frankie] Definitely, 100%
[Matthew] Well thank you for your time, it was lovely to meet you and enjoy the rest of your weekend