Mitch: Your latest single, say it, just came out on September 18. Do you mind sharing a bit about the track and what inspired it?
Frankie: I’ve been writing and releasing for like three years, and I think I fell into the trap of thinking about what’s going to do well on TikTok. You kind of subconsciously fall into that trap when you’re writing. It brought me down a bit over the past couple of months, and I was feeling a bit lost, not really knowing what to do.
I remember the day we wrote ‘Say It’, my producer was like, “Frankie, I think we need to write something that makes your heart and head happy. Don’t sit in this session thinking about what’s going to be good commercially. That’s just poisoning you at the moment. I can see it on your face.” So we started having a jam and playing some random stuff. I was playing guitar, he was drumming, and the song kind of just came out naturally. What’s funny is that the moment I stopped trying to be commercial, I ended up writing my most commercial song so far. So that was really cool.
I started writing about a situation where I felt like I had to change myself for somebody to love me. When I realised they did love me, I started questioning whether they actually loved me or just the version of myself I’d created for them. Did they love that version, or did they actually love me? I don’t think it was even their fault. I was the one trying to be who they wanted me to be.
I haven’t really tried to purposefully write about that before. It kind of just came out, and it was super healing because I think a lot of people can relate to those lyrics on different levels.
It’s been really special to see that connection. I wrote this song about thinking I had to change myself for somebody, when really, I don’t have to change myself at all. So it’s been really sweet to see people connect with the song in that way.
Mitch: What do you hope people feel while listening?
Frankie: I think understood. The biggest thing that would annoy me in any situation on an emotional level is if somebody doesn’t understand me.
That’s kind of why I write songs, because even if nobody hears them, I still have this way of conveying exactly how I’m feeling.
I grew up listening to songs that made me feel understood, so to be able to be that person or that songwriter for somebody else would be the most special thing ever.
Mitch: If the track was playing in a movie scene, what would the scene look and feel like?
Frankie: I would say it’s a really emotional scene after a breakup, where someone’s riding their bike in the rain and crying. I feel like that would be really cool.
Mitch: You teased the song on TikTok and received millions of views and 13,000 pre-saves! Were you expecting it to take off in that way?
Frankie: No! It’s so weird. I had been posting it for a few weeks, and people were liking it. I was like, “Okay, cool, we’ll put this one out.”
I remember the first video I’d recorded was the one with my friend dancing in the background, and I never posted it because I was like, “That’s cringe. People are going to think this is a joke.”
Then one day, I had nothing to post. I was on holiday in the South Island, and I was like, I kind of have to post that video. As soon as I posted it, it took off, which was so cool. I love that it was the video that really kicked everything off. Seeing people doing the dance is actually really cool.
I remember we were like, “Oh, we’ll put up a pre-save for it and just see how it goes,” and we got three and a half thousand in the first day.
Mitch: What’s your favourite memory from making the track?
Frankie: You know what? The day we made the song, I spent the morning crying because we were trying to finish another song, and I just could not get the chorus right.
I was so in my head about that whole commercial thing, and I just wasn’t feeling it. So to take a break, come back a few hours later and end up making a song with my friends, having the most fun I’ve ever had in the studio, was honestly my favourite thing ever.
I think the love for music that we experienced while making that song is what makes it connect with people so much.
That was probably my favourite memory. Just laughing and mucking around with the production for like two hours. It was so fun.
Mitch: What’s one thing you’d love to manifest for your career over the next 12 months?
Frankie: Oh, I love manifesting, by the way! I love that you said that. I've been talking about it all morning.
I'm an artist who really loves touring. I live and die for it. It's my favourite part of the job because I'm so extroverted. An international festival would be really cool. I'd like to do something like Lolla. I feel like Lollapalooza would be crazy.
Mitch: What can fans expect from you next?
Frankie: I’m playing some New Zealand festivals this summer that I’m super excited about.
We’re setting up our live arrangement, and I think the shows are going to have a similar feel to the content we’ve been creating around this new release. So I’m really excited to have all my friends on stage with me.
I’ve been writing in this pocket for the past month, but it’s actually something I’ve been doing my whole life, just not releasing. I’m kind of realising that this is what’s most true to me, and the fact that it’s ended up being commercial is great because it really fulfils me.
I’ve been writing every single day for the past month, so there’s definitely more music coming soon. But my lips are sealed other than that!
Mitch: Who are some emerging AUS/NZ musicians that people should get behind?
Frankie: I'm a longtime fan of BENEE. I think she's incredible.
The Beths are really cool. Paige from New Zealand, so incredible. There's a Tuesday from New Zealand. Emerson. Where’s Jai?
Some of those people are my really good friends, and I think it's so incredible that for such a small country, we have so much talent. So those are my favourites.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS!!
Mitch: Favourite lyric from the track?
Frankie: “Yeah, you try to mold me right, I never did”
Mitch: If you could feature any artist on ‘say it’, who??
Frankie: Noah Kahan! I would die!
Mitch: Go-to karaoke song?
Frankie: Probably an ABBA Mamma Mia song like ‘Dancing Queen’ or something!
Mitch: You’re forming a super group. Who are the other artists joining you?
Frankie: My music taste is in many different genres, so I feel like it'd be cool to have people from different genres. Zara Larsson's killing it right now. I love Chappell, and Ella Langley is pretty incredible as well.
There's this girl called Yana. She's from the States. She's a smaller artist, and I'm obsessed with her. I love her so much. So her as well.