Simply Six: Brian Franke

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

For me it was not so much a moment of becoming a singer but to be a guitarist at first.  The defining moment for me was listening to a local college radio station in New Jerseyplaying hard rock and grunge music one night in the early 1990s.  I was hooked to that music.  At that point I was curious how to make the sounds the bands played, learn how to play their songs, and then write my own.  The singing part came along later after I'd learned guitar.  I began singing in the high school chorus and in musicals, then was the backup singer in my first band.

 

 

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites? These days with the Internet and lots of music services, I'm always finding new bands or getting recommendations from friends on what to listen to.  There's so much out there that it's hard to give everything a true and full listen to completely get what the bands are doing.  One thing I try not to do is listen to too much music all the time as it can influence my songwriting.  Some of my all-time favorite artists though are: Bruce Springsteen, Elliott Smith, Van Halen, Blind Pilot, Alice in Chains, The Beatles, Vertical Horizon, Rogue Wave, Miles Davis, Chris Cornell, Nirvana, and King's X.

 

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live? It happened very recently for me and that was putting my first solo album out.  The effort took over a year to complete during which time I lost my job and began pursuing music full-time.  But getting my art out there, seeing people enjoy it, and make a connection with it is gratifying.  I also had a release party for the album that I organized which was the most fun I had had playing on stage in a long, long time.

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events? I do believe that music can change people or at least influence people in certain ways.  Music can make people angry or it can make people cry--it depends what the artist is trying to do with a song.  Some of the best songs in my opinion are the ones someone can connect with to a feeling they have or an event in their life or an issue--and always remember that connection throughout their life when they hear the song.  On the other hand, some songs are just meant for listening--it goes both ways I think.  What it comes down to in my mind is if the artist is challenging the listener to get past just listening and coming away with an emotion or purpose in the song.  In terms of influencing current events, time to time there's an album or a song or even a concert that defines our times in a way that does get people to notice, think, and even take action on a current event.  The most recent example I can think of is artists who raised money for Haiti with a TV concert.

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician? Great questions and there are books and blogs that answer that first question better than I can.  I see technology affecting the music industry in four key ways.  One, I definitely see how we consume music has changed.  We can get more music, more quickly, more effortlessly and store more of it in than ever before thanks to technology.  Second, it's easier than ever for artists like myself to get their music out to the public.  You don't really need a label to have a career.  There are an overwhelming number of online tools I use everyday to organize and promote my music.  Third, music is starting to return to the hands of fans.  Social media, email, websites, etc have allowed fans to have more input into music, artist's careers, and they now have more power over what they want to hear and how they want to hear it.  And the final thing I'll say is that technology has made the music industry more uncertain in where it's heading.  Laws affecting music are years behind, labels are dying off, there are always new ways of marketing and promoting--so much is in a constant evolution right now.  For me, technology has been a time saver and great vehicle for most aspects of having a music career.  I especially love to connect with my fans.  Along with that, it's very simple to upload songs, pictures, and videos to just about any communication device, get instant feedback, and have conversations with anyone in the world you wouldn't otherwise have about your music.  So, yes, technology is a HUGE part of my career and I use it everyday.

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?  I'd say a pair of flip flops, I hope that counts as a type of shoe.  Flip flops are a laid back type of shoe, comfortable, and they don't hide what other shoes might--your feet.  Those are some qualities my personality hold--laid back person, honest, and putting who I am out there for who I am through my music.