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Frank Bell
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In the corner of an East Village cafe in NYC, sits a disheveled Frank Bell. Almost blending in like...In the corner of an East Village cafe in NYC, sits a disheveled Frank Bell. Almost blending in like a fixture with the decor, scruffy faced, squinted eyes, in his ripped jeans, fedora, and scarf in the middle of summer - he doesn't look like the next big thing in indie music, and yet, that is precisely what he is...
"I love this place," says the 24 year old singer-songwriter in between sips of wine. "It's one of NYC's best kept secrets if you ask me. Sometimes I'll just come in here and sit all day. Work on some songs, catch up on emails, people watch and the like. Robin Williams was sitting over there yesterday; it was the weirdest thing..."
Frank lights a cigarette; and it sort of just dangles between his lips for a second before he inhales. "I'll quit some day... Perhaps when I don't enjoy it anymore," Frank mumbles. I ask him if he's referring to music, or smoking. With a sly smile he glances up from his glass, "Smoking. I'll always play music."
I'd be surprised if Frank wasn't enjoying his current musical journey. Back in January, Frank was catapulted into instant exposure from relative obscurity thanks to the popular viral video website YouTube.com. Landing a spot as their no.1 featured artist, Frank garnered over millions of views of his 'bedroom music videos' in days. "It was fucking insane... One day no one knows my music, and the next, I've got thousands and thousands of emails in my personal inbox. It all happened so quickly, but it felt nice to have 'good' problems," he recalls. Not shortly after the feature, YouTube invited Frank to NYC to perform at Terminal 5 in front of a distinguished crowd of celebrities, and advertisement execs. "It was good times. My first trip back to NYC in a while. The performance went great, despite my being a little nervous playing in front of so many people. The highlight of the night was by far the afterparty. There's something seriously entertaining about getting drunk with business suits and CEOs. If you ever get the chance, I'd recommend it. I've got a dresser drawer someplace in Atlanta, filled with the business cards of "important" people all of whom I can't remember for the life of me..."
After his NYC escapade, Bell flew immediately to Canada to start recording his debut EP. While recording, he would spend his nights playing out at random bars and coffee houses, making new friends and earning the love and respect of new listeners. "I froze my ass off!" He laughs aloud. "I vividly remember making that phone call home to ship more long underwear. Nothing about long underwear says sexy, but when you're walking in downtown Toronto in the middle of a snow storm with your cello or guitar case, better safe than sorry!"
Frank Bell's EP, On Passion and Reason, is currently for sale worldwide on iTunes. Categorizing Frank's music is just as difficult trying to categorize him as a person, or type of musician. Citing influences from Nina Simone, to Frank Sinatra, his musical taste are well diversified. "I've been listening to a lot of 80's hyper ballad rock lately. Queen, Bon Jovi, Journey and all that jazz. 'You Give Love a Bad Name' is a great way to start off a night on the town!"
The EP, On Passion and Reason is an amalgam of Acoustic, Folk, Jazz, Pop, Funk and Rock all in one. The one theme that seems to tie in all the songs together, is his honest conviction. When Bell sings his songs, the emotion behind them is sometimes scary, and yet as a listener, one can't help but relate to his words. It's for this reason he stands out in a crowd of crooning singer-songwriters that seem to be sprouting up everywhere these days. His building fan-base recognize this, and it shouldn't be long until Frank receives even more success on the global scale.
As our barista comes over and hands us the check, I ask Frank what's next.
"I'm just going to keep singing about life. I hope to travel more in the near future - I'm missing the world. I'm still doing videos on YouTube, and plan to Tour soon. Eventually work on a full-length album... In all honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to what's next. I try to live one day at a time, doing whatever feels right. Music is the thing that keeps me semi-sane. I wouldn't be alive without it. Lucky for me, I'm now able to share it with others, all while hopefully having fun while I'm at it."
Kristina Bollen
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On Passion and Reason
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Frank Bell
On Passion and Reason
By Kim Burdges
Frank_bell_onpassionandreason Frank Bell may ...Frank Bell
On Passion and Reason
By Kim Burdges
Frank_bell_onpassionandreason Frank Bell may be one of Atlanta’s many talented singer/ songwriters, but his new EP, On Passion and Reason, brings something more than just the typical well written acoustic album: a touch of jazz and soul.
With vocals and lyrics reminiscent of John Legend, Bell utilizes the guitar to the extent Legend uses the piano to craft his easy soulful songs. “Red” and the breezy “Floating” beautifully showcase Bell’s use of guitar, soul, and blues tones in conveying his lyrics. Bell’s rapid stream of consciousness and bluesy pop rhythm on “Nothing Lasts FOURever” echo many of Jason Mraz’s most popular radio hits.
Bell’s gentle crescendo orchestration on “Rewind” is a nice touch for a song that is about wanting to reverse how a relationship was handled. Also included on the EP is “The Penguin” a quirky tune about a talking penguin, in which Bell equates falling in love to falling through ice. On Passion and Reason is an impressive debut of a gifted artist with a bright future and many more albums to come.
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One Degree Closer to Frank Bell
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After returning to the States from a press tour in Amsterdam, Frank Bell meets me for drinks in East...After returning to the States from a press tour in Amsterdam, Frank Bell meets me for drinks in East Atlanta.
Originally a classically-trained cellist, Frank later expanded his instrumental arsenal as a way to further express himself as an artist. As an outlet, Frank began posting videos of his songs on YouTube, which brought him international attention and 800,000 video views (in four days) after being featured on their homepage. Shortly after, he flew to Canada to record his debut EP 'On Passion and Reason', a folky, neo-soul acoustic rock album which would later be released independently, Worldwide. Frank's distinctive voice and remarkable knack for expressing an endless gamut of emotions continue to garner him much deserved acclaim. When asked to describe his sound - "It's a strange thing," he admits. "I'm always growing as a person, and inevitably my music grows as well. If i could easily describe what I mean and feel in words, I probably wouldn't write most of my music in the first place..." Oddly enough, his vagueness makes complete sense. With an industry so often over saturated with glitz and glam, meaning and substance is often lost. Frank Bell is a refreshing break from the norm.
Frank is currently planning a US tour and working on a new full length album.
“On Passion and Reason” is available on iTunes: www.itunes.com/frankbell
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Everything Falls Into Place [Album] plus exclusive Frank Bell Interview
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Four years ago, Frank Bell made a decision that would change his musical path forever. Originally a ...Four years ago, Frank Bell made a decision that would change his musical path forever. Originally a classically-trained cellist, Bell went on to discover alternative means of expression through music. He decided to post videos of his music on Youtube. One of those videos, an original track titled “The Penguin,” became featured on Youtube’s homepage and amassed an impressive 800,000+ views. This success led to the release of his debut EP “On Passion and Reason.” While his music embodies an acoustic/folk type genre, we get a very classic and jazzy vibe from his style, particularly his voice. This was represented well on his debut EP, which was released worldwide. And yet we are left wondering how his sound could be defined. The answer: It’s not meant to be. Bell has said it himself, “I’m always growing as a person, and inevitably my music grows as well. If I could easily describe what I mean and feel in words, I probably wouldn’t write most of my music in the first place…” The mystery leaves us wanting more. Our curiosity keeps us interested. This is important, especially in an industry where songs lose value a few days after they release. Bell’s lyrics are brilliant and insightful. His recent display of this is on his new record titled “Everything Falls Into Place.” The album is an amazing blend of pop, rock, soul, funk, and more. It is an uplifting collection of songs that should be in everyone’s iTunes library. Get a preview of the entire album below. We also have an exclusive interview with Bell where he talks about his influences, his style, and some of his upcoming projects. Follow the link to grab a copy of the album on iTunes and watch some of his best videos within the interview. Check it all out below. Get on the hype.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH FRANK BELL
HypeTune.com: How has your career as a musician changed since your original song “The Penguin,” which is now approaching 1,000,000 views, was featured on Youtube?
Frank Bell: The other day I was in bed reminiscing on my laptop, looking back at those early YouTube videos from way back. I was amazed at how much things have changed since then. I didn’t really start posting videos on YouTube with my career in mind. I remember writing “The Penguin” and showing it to a friend afterwards. I wasn’t planing on posting it at all, mostly because I was afraid of how I would react if people didn’t like it, ya know? I wasn’t sure I could handle the feedback. After a bit of convincing, I went ahead and took the leap and the rest is still developing. Since “The Penguin” getting featured, it’s been a succession of more leaps, decisions, opportunities etc. It’s all amazing really – One of the greatest feelings to me is knowing that I’m being heard. Even if only by one person, it means the world to know that someone is listening. YouTube afforded that outlet and made it possible on multiple platforms. It feels good to create a video or album and know that people are going to listen.
HypeTune.com: Congratulations on the release of your new album “Everything Falls Into Place.” What would you say is different about this album from what we heard on your amazing debut EP “On Passion and Reason”?
Frank Bell: First, thanks for the kind words! If the 2008 EP, On Passion and Reason represents some sort of dichotomy of following your heart versus thinking rationally, I think this record holds onto those faucets of life, but represents acknowledgment of where I am. Holding on to both, the good, AND the bad at the same time. This relates to daily struggles that I feel we all go through at some point in our lives. Personal issues, relationship issues the list goes on. We’re ALL searching for some sort of purpose, whether we know it or not. My goal in this record is to remind people that everything eventually falls into place – whether its from a track that explicitly says that, or from a song that you’re able to listen to and forget whatever it is that’s bothering y
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Album Recommendation : Frank Bell – 'Everything Falls Into Place
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INTERVIEW: FRANK BELL
October 30, 2011
‘Everything Falls into Place’ is the new release from Fra...INTERVIEW: FRANK BELL
October 30, 2011
‘Everything Falls into Place’ is the new release from Frank Bell – a talented singer and songwriter who began his career posting videos on YouTube, and reached amazingly 800,000 video views (in four days).
With a fine combination of neo-soul, acoustic rock and blues, he have what it takes to easily climb up in the same line as John Legend and Robin Thicke.
Hi Frank Bell, tell us about yourself – how did you first get involved with writing and performing music?
If you were to ask my Mum, she would probably tell you I started when I was just a baby… Apparently I had a knack for beating on pots and pans lol. I started piano lessons at a very young age and HATED it as seems to be a not so uncommon trend, then one day I randomly found the cello, and it kinda stuck with me. I did the whole classical training track with the cello growing up, and all through university, and along that journey I started writing my own music, and dabbling with the guitar, and *gasp* the piano again. I started performing from the comfort of my bedroom in YouTube videos, which (thankfully) led to actually playing my music for people live.
Which acts have shaped and inspired you?
Music wise? Oh wow.. I try to listen to everything and anything. Growing up, I was all about Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand (My Mum’s influence there), The Beatles, Edith Piaf, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, both Bobs, The Police, Radiohead – I’ll listen to anything, whether it’s Pop, Rock, Country, Indie, Hip-Hop, Classical etc – I’d like to say that it all really influences me in one way or another. A lot of it has to do with in what context I’m listening to something.
Alexandra (Frank Bell Biggie Smalls Mashup)
What’s the best thing about Los Angeles as a music city?
Los Angeles is an interesting city, that’s for sure! I don’t know how fair it would be for me to answer this question as I’m often in and out of LA… It’s akin to most major cities really – It has it’s ups and downs. You really have to work to make sure you’re not lost in the cacophony of the hustle and bustle as is the same with NYC, and other major cities. LA is a funny town, I think it’s important not to take it too seriously or it will definitely eat you up. I love the music friends that I have here, and it’s not a rare site to have people over for dinner, drinks, and a songwriting session of sorts. I don’t frequent the club, or concert scene as much as I used to, but I thoroughly enjoy popping in on the smaller listing room venues, such as Hotel Cafe. That place rocks…
What’s the best advice you’ve got from another musician?
Cellist, Yo-Yo Ma once told me to remember that the music I create is bigger than “myself”. I think I was 16 at the time when he shared that with me among other words of wisdom… I’ll never forget that. As a musician, it’s important to remember that we serve music, and not the other way around. With all the glitz and glam in the music industry, the smoke and mirrors, meaning is sometimes lost. To be able to create something like music, is a privilege, and a beautiful one at that!
What was the last record you bought?
Hmmm, I want to say that Jay-Z/Kanye collaboration, “Watch The Throne”, but I can’t honestly say I’ve listened to the entire record from start to finish yet. Also, two of my favorite people, Lisa Hannigan, and Rachael Yamagata also have new albums out now that I plan on listening too soon one rainy day. I’ve still got to pick up the new Justice and Coldplay records… I’m actually quite far behind on my music – Going to make a playlist for my next flight, that’s for sure!
What are your careers highlights so far?
I LOVE performing, so I would say the shows… There’s something about being able to pour your heart out in front of a crowd of strangers… Be it for 10 people, or 10,000 people, it all begins with only vague notions and assumptions of who we are, and by the end of the night, it’s lik
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A Conversation With Frank Bell & Deej Hofer: The Making Of “Everything Falls Into Place”
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A Conversation With Frank Bell & Deej Hofer: The Making Of “Everything Falls Into Place”
In Augus...A Conversation With Frank Bell & Deej Hofer: The Making Of “Everything Falls Into Place”
In August of 2010, musician Frank Bell and producer Deej Hofer were introduced through a mutual friend and decided to see what music they could create together. Their collaboration immediately proved successful, as the tracks for Frank’s latest album, “Everything Falls Into Place” did just as the title suggests. Read on to learn about their studio dynamic and how the album came together.
Without using the words “pop,” “hip-hop,” or “soul” describe your sound.
Frank: The sound a bendy straw makes when freshly bent. The sound a soda can makes when first opened, but mic-ed through a Vintage ’57 Fender Twin.
Deej: The warm, excited feeling you get when you pick up someone you love from the airport. The wistful longing you feel when you take them for their return flight.
Burgundy-colored melodic hooks riding inside gritty, lavender grooves.
Let’s talk about the new album Everything Falls into Place. What was (or were!) your inspiration(s)?
Deej: Initially, my inspiration was Frank. I watched some of his you tube videos and thought “Damn, he’s so raw, so much soul, I love his songwriting instincts.” We started talking and trading playlists…with everything from Al Green to MGMT to Adele to James Blake to Danger Mouse…and everything in between. And, during the process of making the record, it was really unbelievable (and magical) how many times we would be discussing a song that we liked, and would then immediately hear the song on the radio, or over the loudspeaker at the restaurant we where at. That’s one example of how, ultimately, the inspiration came in real time. It was woven into the process itself, and it was amazing. We inspired each other, and were inspired by whatever invisible forces that were helping us.
Frank: Yeah, I totally agree. And from a message standpoint, I’d add this: Making this record inspired me to take a journey where I looked deeply into my experience as a man, a human, and an artist. One thing I believe is that we are ALL searching for some sort of purpose, whether we know it or not. And, I feel like one of the things I’ve learned is that purpose comes from accepting the good AND the bad, the heartache AND the joy. Deej and I had a lot of long sessions together, exploring this sort of thing together while making music, and at some point it became obvious that we where creating an album that expressed that journey in song form. So, my hope is that this record reminds people (and myself) that the journey is worthwhile and, eventually, “Everything Falls Into Place.”
How did you end up working together on it?
Frank: Odd as it is, Deej and I are both from Atlanta, but actually met each other a year ago in Bozeman, Montana! We were introduced by a mutual friend, Yarrow Kraner, who runs Hatch Fest, a festival where I had just appeared as a groundbreaker artist.
Deej: Yeah, my music studio is adjacent to Yarrow’s film studio. He sent me an email one day saying “You gotta meet my buddy Frank.” Yarrow has an unbelievable knack for attracting really creative, talented people into his life and to Hatch Fest, so I knew Frank must be worth meeting. The next day, I stepped outside for some fresh air, and there was Frank. It was a sunny day, and as we looked out at the Bridger Mountains, we started a conversation that set us both into an unexpected direction for 2012.
Frank: We decided we should work together on something. At first, we weren’t sure exactly what, or to what extent, but we knew we should try it and see where it took us. It started off as a 3-4 song EP. As we dug into those first few tracks, Deej and I started hinting to each other that maybe the project should be bigger.
What was the collaborative process like? Did you each bring ideas to the table originally? Or did things fall into place organically when working together?
Frank: Ah, I see what you did t
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2010 HATCH Groundbreaking Musician Award Winner Frank Bell to Release New Album
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2010 HATCH Groundbreaking Musician Award Winner Frank Bell to Release New Album
Singer/songwriter...2010 HATCH Groundbreaking Musician Award Winner Frank Bell to Release New Album
Singer/songwriter and recipient of the 2010 HATCH Groundbreaking Musician award, Frank Bell, released his second album, Everything Falls Into Place, to digital outlets on Tuesday, October 11th.
Santa Monica, CA, October 13, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Singer-songwriter and recipient of the 2010 HATCH Groundbreaking Musician award, Frank Bell independently released his second album, Everything Falls Into Place, to digital outlets on Tuesday, October 11th, said Audrey Marshall, online marketing at Spin Move Records.
Everything Falls Into Place, a follow-up to Bell’s 2008 On Passion and Reason EP, features 11 tracks produced by Deej Hofer and a song co-written with Interscope recording artist, Matt Morris, titled “Something Real.” Bell and Morris met at the HATCH festival in Asheville, NC and wrote the song aboard the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.
Recording of the album literally “fell into place,” when Bell visited Montana for a vacation, and wrote a song in the mountains that inspired him to stay and continue to write. He recorded a few songs with Hofer and originally intended to only release an EP, but as the momentum of the project grew, Bell decided to go ahead and record a full-length album.
“This record represents holding on to both the good and the bad at the same time – the daily struggles that I feel we all go through at some point in our lives,” said Bell. “My goal in this record is to remind people that everything eventually falls into place.”
Bell plans to tour select cities in the United States and Europe over the next several months in support of the album.
For more information, promo requests, or to set up an interview, please contact audrey@spinmoverecords.com or visit frankbell.net.
Everything Falls Into Place track listing:
1. Better Days
2. Someone Like You
3. Surrender
4. Shades of Grey
5. Something Real
6. Everything Falls Into Place
7. Terminal
8. Candid Calculations
9. Home
10. Alexandra
11. Someone Like You (acoustic)
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