Fronz Arp

A brutally honest and raw performance of music and theatre, The Wheel of Frank Confession is an original and entirely entertaining evening. Spanning from Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, four talented singer songwriters have teamed up to create an evening of confessions, poetry, secrets and stunning music. 

The combination and contrast of the four musicians (Ben Stewart- Brisbane, Emily Davis- Adelaide, Emma Dean- Brisbane, Brendan MacLean- Sydney) makeThe Wheel of Frank Confession an eclectic mix of tale and song. Stemming from a folk, pop, musical theatre and acoustic rock arena, ‘The Wheel’ is a spontaneous treat.

An outstandingly original idea, the construction of the piece takes place around each performer spinning the wheel of frank confession. Fear, love, death, hate and pride are all up for the heckling of tales and confession.

South Melbourne’s Butterfly Club covers tonights intimate crowd in deep red lighting, a perfect accompaniment to the secrets and confessions about to be revealed. 

Presumably used to performing in a larger space, the performers ease comfortably into the night. No one knows where the wheel will land, leaving each of the shows completely original. The Butterfly Club, though perhaps a little too intimate for the crowd numbers, still shines in all its kitsch-like wonder. The intimate audience seems a little nervous when first asked to share a confession but, as the show continues into the deeper, darker world of the performers, a sense of trust is created and confessions start filtering onto the stage. 

‘The Wheel’ team derives a warm atmosphere throughout, as they delve into stories of love, friendship, loss, fear and pride. 
Ben Stewart, an acoustic singer songwriter from Brisbane, binds the show together with his hauntingly poetic voice. His brave cover of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, highlights this mans ability as a singer and storyteller. Adelaide’s Emily Davis, clad in a stunning black corset, is the core of the show. Her rawness and complete honesty in deliverance quickly abolishes any sort of hierarchy between performer and audience. The crowd seems immediately comfortable in her presence. Emma Dean, a well-known musician from Brisbane, steps naturally into a more theatre type performance while still managing to deliver her words and music with truth and a sense of honesty. When performing her single, Real Life Computer Game, this songstress demonstrates her passion and musical talent. Sydney’s Brendan MacLean is the charming finish to this wonderful group of performers. His wit, his voice and his sense of humbleness are the perfect compliment.

Part cabaret, part musical and part intimate theatre- The Wheel of Frank Confession is a little difficult to define. But attempted definitions aside, The Wheel… is an original and enchanting idea and these four talented musicians, have pulled it out without a flaw. 
- ArtsHub Blog

When it comes to making music Ashgrove's Ben Stewart has all bases covered.
The face of one-man band Fronz Arp will be a headline act at Triple J's 2013 Hottest 100 Australia Day party in the city this Sunday.
He is the singer, songwriter, album artist, producer, lead and bass guitarist, percussionist and creator of every other sound heard in each of his self-described ''quirky pop-rock'' tracks.

The 33-year-old undertook a self-imposed assignment last year to produce a radio-ready track every two weeks for 12 months.
''I called the project Fronz Arp is a Tiny Crooked Orchestra,'' he said.
''It was a lot of time and work but I was really happy with what I was able to produce.''
And so was Triple J Unearthed, dedicated to playing Australian independent and unsigned musicians, which aired many of his tracks including On My Side and Love in Animation.
Contriving his band name from visual artists Franz Kline (1910-1962) and Jean Arp (1886-1966) Stewart said he was inspired by their abstract works.
''I design the cover art for my songs and in their kind of abstract collage styles,'' he said.
''My music tends to stray away from main stream. I'm definitely more concerned with trying to beat my own path in the industry and to become a good music and song writer.''
Triple J's 2013 Hottest 100 Australia Day party will run on Saturday and Sunday from 4pm at The Exchange Hotel.
Visit theexchange.com.au or phone 3229 3522.
Listen to Fronz Arp tracks at fronzarp.com - Quest Newpaper (Brisbane, Australia)

Imagine a beautiful 1930s vaudeville cabaret theatre. Now, imagine the young, scruffy stage hand who spends his time soaking up the lifestyle of the eccentric director of the theatre and the tragic lives of the men and women who perform in it. And now put that into music form; throw in the influence alternative rock such David Bowie, Kate Bush Tom Waits and Muse, the vocals of what can only be described as a male Kate Miller-Heidke and then add a dash of gypsy style folk – what is your product? Fronz Arp is the answer. Emerging Sydney band Fronz Arp hail from the theatre of the strange, their music a twisting and turning combination of modern indie rock, folk and vaudeville cabaret. Made up of lead man Fronz Arp on vocals and ukulele; the band consists of members Seamus Kirkpatrick on bass and clarinet, Tony Dean on drums and Brisbane artist Emma Dean on violin and backing vocals.
Fronz Arp’s debut album entitled What Strange Machines was self-produced by the band and was released in early 2011. Featured as a Triple J unearthed artist, Fronz Arp’s debut single Violet the Killjoy was described as “disgustingly good” and provided a positive future for the album. What Strange Machines ignores all mainstream ideology of song choice and produces a wonderful collaboration of Fronz Arp’s devilishly different songs that creates a colourful tapestry of magnificent songs – sometimes complex and sometimes simple, but always theatrical; it an album of “…songs full of drama and action, designed to get pulses racing and yet still sounding both intricate and adventurous.” (Rave magazine)
Violet the Killjoy, Fronz Arp’s debut masterpiece is a dramatic, yet upbeat song about an impossible lover; reminiscent of the narrative style songs of The Beatles such as Eleanor Rigby. Arp’s vocals are strong and confident as he delivers the narrative of the woman who is as dangerous as she is a saviour. The bridge darkens as an octave is lowered on the piano, taking the song to a deeper place with the lyrics “I’m afraid, she left me alone, she left me alone with this – I’m shaking, I’m shaking”, exposing the vulnerability the character experienced after his experience with Violet the Killjoy. At the conclusion Arp regains his confidence ending with a strong repetition of the phrase “I wanted you to save me from the outside in”.
A mostly upbeat and positively driven album, Fronz Arp is not afraid to venture into depths of pain and vulnerability in songs such as Holes and If I Ever . Melding beautifully into the song following Violet the Killjoy; low, haunting vocals from Arp and a string intro delivered beautifully by Dean the song is introduced with a darker feeling. Arp’s vocals tumble as he sings about how “it all came crashing down” and how he “just wanted to get away”. The song uses a variety of instruments from the strings to ukulele and piano alongside drums and guitar. As the song escalates it quickens in pace, a bridge leads a steep crescendo of piano and vocals from Arp and Emma and strong drum rhythms in the background from Dean delivered with the ever present bass of Kirkpatrick create a compelling musical sound.
A particularly interesting product of What Strange Machines comes with a particularly interesting title – Vagina Removal . Playing with a circus-like melody the song is like a gypsy folk tale and with Arp’s high, insistent vocal range is reminiscent of Mike Patton of Mr. Bungle. Initially intended to feature in a theatre production, Vagina Removal is a short, but unique song that tells the tale of “…a girl desperate to fit in so literally tears herself apart, has a doctor cut her down until all that’s left is a dismembered head, to follow the fashions. However, when she has finally removed everything that stops her from fitting in she realises there’s nothing left that is identifiably herself” as described by Arp. But despite the enthralling narrative, did not stop iTunes from censoring the song on their website for the use of the word ‘vagina’.
Tell Me, Tell Me brings back the scruffy stage hand into play in the imaginative mind. The song demands a night of drunken revelry in the midst of the confusion and frustration. One can not hesitate but to imagine a 1930s gentleman’s club full of the smoke of cigarettes and the consumption of far too much cheap booze in order to drown out the pain of daily life, for even just one night. With the addition of ukulele, guitar and … kazoo, Tell Me, Tell Me displays the after-hours vaudeville side of the unique band.
Fronz Arp is a delightfully different band in the spectrum of modern music. Bringing their twisted bohemian sounds into Australian music, Fronz Arp is sure to become a talking point in amidst the traditional rock sounds of Australia. With brilliantly diverse musicality, Arp’s versatile vocals and the use of less conventional instruments such as the kazoo and the ukulele, Fronz Arp are not afraid to be adventurous and are certainly proud of their uniqueness. The standout songs of this album include Violet the Killjoy, Vagina Removal and What Strange Machines. - Traxx Radio

It’s easy to figure out where the David Bowie comparisons come from after hearing just a few notes from Fronz Arp. The poppy sound and catchy beats certainly bring to mind one of Britain’s finest. The album Fronz Arp is a Tiny Crooked Orchestra has a unique name, but it also has an interesting backstory. The album was released one song at a time, with each track debuting two weeks after the previous one. All told, 27 tracks were released over two volumes, and you can listen to the first album below. - The Indie Mine