March 21, 2025
Frank Sacramone is keys player and multi-instrumentalist with prog metal / orchestral rock outfit Earthside. They’ve just come off a successful US headline tour, and we caught up with Frank just before they headed off on said tour. Lots of really honest insights that make it worth the price of admission alone. To listen /...
The post Frank Sacramone, Earthside appeared first on The Keyboard Chronicles.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
It is tricky.
It's like, I'm thankful a lot.
I'm angry a lot.
I'm all of these things.
I want to just be honest.
I'm not going to like sugarcoat.
and welcome to the Keyboard Chronicles, a podcast for keyboard players.
I'm your host, David Holloway, and I'm absolutely enthused to be here with you.
(00:23):
And there's a guy that's never more enthusiastic in society than Paul Bindig.
How are you?
I'm always enthusiastic, you're right.
And look, we've just had a very refreshing, enthusiastic chat with our guest, I think.
Yeah, look, Frank Scaramone is an amazing player.
He's part of an incredible outfit called Earthside.
(00:46):
As you'll hear, Earthside take a really impressive approach to the way they both composeand perform.
I think it's to say, Paul, and I know I would kill to see them if they came out our way.
Yeah, they they just looking at videos of them.
They have a very high energy stage presence.
And as David said, they have a slightly unusual unconventional approach to performance,which I don't think I'll reveal here.
(01:12):
We'll let you listen to it on the podcast.
That would be very cool to see in the flesh.
No doubt.
And the other incentive to listen the whole way through is Frank actually provides somereally impressive and honest answers on issues that we all face as keyboard players.
And all of our guests have always been exceedingly forthright and honest, but it doesn'tget much more forthright and honest than some of the stuff Frank says.
(01:36):
So we're worth listening just for that alone.
So yeah, we'll let you go in and listen and we'll talk to you after the show.
It's great to see you and thanks for joining us this evening.
(01:56):
Yeah, really appreciate you taking the time.
How's things?
It's going all right.
I had a little bit of a tough start to the year.
I had to have some surgery on my nose because I haven't been able to breathe well my wholelife.
So I came into this year saying, I don't want to be on stage with my mouth gaping open,sucking for air.
(02:24):
Another time, we're ready to move on 2025.
ready to breathe clearly and be able to put in some even harder cardio than I already dowhen I'm performing.
and it's worked well, Frank.
You feel like a new man now that you can breathe?
I'm getting there, still have some inflammation, but I'm sleeping a little bit better andit's a little more comfortable.
(02:49):
So I think over the course of the year, we're on a good track.
As you know, things like that usually come down to genetics.
So let's talk about your upbringing and blame other people for things in your upbringing.
So let's talk about what got you into music in the first place, Frank.
What developed a passion for it for you?
Well, those are slightly two different questions, which are interesting.
(03:12):
the first question being is I don't even remember starting music because my parents handedme a violin when I was four years old and I didn't even have a conscious memory of even
when I started music.
So I started music very, very young.
And I think that's why I kind of like.
Have a bit of like a linguistic relationship with music.
(03:34):
Like it's, it's like you, you feel the language just as you.
your upbringing, you learn your language, you know, was like from that young of a time,you know, I feel connected to it, even though I wasn't conscious of, you know, when I
started.
And then like the, guess the passion, you know, that stuff probably started more when Iwas like around like, I want to say like 11 or 12 years old, you know, I would just
(04:03):
practice music because
I think I had like some level of aptitude.
You know, I wasn't like a prodigy, but I, you know, I had some skills and I, I always hadlike a pretty good ear.
And, when I was super young, I'd always be like, even in the, even in the baby seat in thecar, you know, I'm always like this to the music.
Like I can't stop moving when I hear music, any genre I am moving.
(04:27):
I think it's really when I realized that like a person could create their own music isreally when.
things like I feel like clicked for me.
You know, I didn't love practicing, just practicing classical music.
I mean, there's plenty of beautiful pieces, like don't get me wrong.
I played some really interesting repertoire, you know, growing up playing classical.
(04:48):
But it was like really when you could like be like, oh, I can create this now.
So Jamie, the guitarist, we've actually been friends since I was like seven years old.
And we actually like started writing songs as early as like...
between 10 and 12 years old.
And we just hit the tape recorder in the living room and he would come over and we jamand, and you know, that that's kind of like where it started.
(05:15):
also got like this old Yamaha, like a hundred dollar keyboard where you could like playalong to like the presets.
And if you like play a chord, it, it does an accompaniment for that chord.
And once I like discovered you could like do that and then write a melody over it.
And I was like, I was like, whoa, this is what's cool about music.
(05:38):
that kind of changed my like interest from like, just like playing music to that, likebeing a writer, a producer, like making your own music, all of that stuff.
so, so yeah, that's where the more the passion stuff started to come in for me.
that's great.
And so it sounds like you had two things going in parallel there.
(06:00):
You're doing, you just mentioned playing classical.
So just tell us a little bit about what lessons or other education you were having andthen how you developed your creative side as well, say up until, you know, leaving school.
Yeah, definitely.
So as far as like my like, more like academic background in music.
(06:21):
Yeah.
I started in classical classical violin from up from when I was like four until like 14about let's say 10 years.
And then I picked up piano when I was like six or seven.
So I was actually studying violin and piano class play at the same time.
And it was a lot.
Violin's an extremely difficult instrument.
(06:42):
It was just like, kind of just at some point was like, I don't really love thisinstrument, but I'm going to stick with piano.
And honestly, I know I'm going to skip around a lot.
That's just how I am.
But learning the violin really like gave me a lot of dimension and like thought processinto like composing and like understanding like strings and, the emotive side of those
(07:08):
kinds of instruments and kind of playing in orchestras and stuff.
kind of fed my brain like these denser arrangements and bigger things that would then kindof lead to where we are now with like Earthside.
So, yeah, I played in orchestras.
I studied solo violin.
And then, yeah, I kept going with classical throughout high school.
(07:32):
studied, you know, I did AP music theory in high school, all of that.
I did a little bit of composition lessons, but a lot of stuff was self-taught.
I would say like Jamie and I like kind of just like pushed each other and we both likekind of like found our way.
mean, our parents didn't know like you couldn't get like recording lessons or productionlessons.
(07:54):
mean, we were recording like DI into like these digital disc mixers that like it wasjanky.
Like our old demos, you'd never think like these guys are going to produce something likeEpic in the future.
It's just like these ridiculous like
metal zone direct into like a digital mix, you know, it was horrible.
(08:15):
like we, we always like tried and pursued the creativity.
I think, I think that was one that is an advantage of growing up at a time where you justdidn't have all these YouTube tutorials and stuff.
Like you really had to push yourself to create something, not to put any like blame on thenew artists and young artists.
It's just, it was a different thing.
And you can definitely learn a lot from not having a lot.
(08:38):
and having to find your way.
And so I studied, basically kept doing like piano study until, you know, my first and lastyear of Berkeley College of Music.
So I went there for my first year of college and I just like, I did not want to like studypiano in any formal way and have that and not have that be studied like at all.
(09:01):
I just didn't have the drive and the interest.
And so I kind of finished.
Like my final level of repertoire was like, think, yeah, my, my Berkeley audition piecewas Allegro Barbaro by Bella Bar Talk.
Pretty like crazy song, which is pretty aggressive and cool.
Definitely suited like my style and my flair, but that was kind of like where, where Ireached, you know, my, height of my level in classical piano.
(09:30):
No, that's brilliant.
I suppose it leads to my next question of how did you go from doing that at Berkeley to,it sounds like, said, Jamie was a friend from an early age to the formation of EarthSight.
Yeah, so Jamie, Ben and I actually started what was Earthside.
(09:50):
And there was a bassist from the school, Jamie, and I went to, I'd met Ben in my freshmanyear of high school and we went to school together, freshman and sophomore year.
Then I transferred back to my old school, which I'd gone to with Jamie.
And then we all just kind of like Captain Planet, like combined forces.
And yeah, so that was kind of like the early formation and we were called Bushwhack.
(10:14):
It was like an instrumental, more, had more like experimental, weird, like dreamtheater-esque kind of vibe to it.
It wasn't necessarily like ended up being the music we really were like a hundred percentpassionate about, but it ended up in a way being an incredible exercise in just learning
(10:36):
about music because
Every song was so random, we, we wanted to try everything.
Like nothing was off the table and it was just about like pushing ourselves to see whatelements we could combine in the craziest ways and not holding back and not feeling like,
you can't do this.
You can't do that.
I have to stick to this specific genre trope and I have to do this.
(10:59):
so as time went on, we kind of abandoned the Bushwhack project for various reasons and we.
basically wrote the song, The Closest I've Come, somewhere around 2010.
And we were like, okay, I think we've found our place.
I think we found what we were looking for as artists.
(11:21):
And that's when we kind of like made the transition to Earthside.
Ryan the bassist was a friend of a friend.
Yeah, kind of a friend of a friend situation, one of our friends.
was dating this girl and her brother is Ryan.
So he was like, oh, my brother, goes to Hart School of Music, is a well-establishedconservatory in Connecticut.
(11:48):
He's a conservatory.
We gave him a shot and we were like, yeah, we need this guy.
So yeah, that's how Earthside kind of began.
Yeah, which is an amazing story, As you said, the friendships you formed in school,they're still your friends now and indeed your work colleagues.
And I was just sort of thinking about, I think most of us who do music, we probably at ayoung age were in various bands and you have big dreams and big ideas.
(12:19):
And we probably all think that one of the first bands we're in, we might make it.
I don't know if ever really, anyone ever really makes it, but at some point you went from,we are with these young guys, we think we've got a cool concept, we've got some music we
love, and now you're doing the thing.
You're actually doing the thing.
And an earth side for our viewers and listeners are about to kick off, I believe, aheadline US tour.
(12:42):
So, you know, and so you've had some, some good success and probably plenty more ahead ofyou.
So my question, Frank is when.
When did you know?
Did it just happen organically or did you always believe you would be doing the thing?
Or at some point did you go, hang on, no, this is happening, this is real for us.
Tell us about that development and that evolving.
(13:02):
That's a great question.
Honestly, the answer I want to say is like, it's like, I'm like, am I doing it?
know, that's, I, you know, I, I definitely feel like we, we can do this, like we, can getit out there.
(13:23):
And honestly, I thought, you know,
maybe naively kind of thought that like the industry would kind of go this way.
We make this like undeniable record that is like everything we can pour in our lives intothis, a dream in static.
We taught work tirelessly for like, you know, five years to put it out.
(13:46):
And then we will become like the next porcupine tree.
And it didn't happen.
It's not how the world works.
So as far as the music goes, I mean, I think there is a lot of self belief withinEarthside.
think we feel that we have achieved the best of what we could offer, you know, as people,as musicians, as philosophizers, you know, whatever.
(14:12):
And, and I think the hard part is like the industry part and reflecting on, you know, haveI, I really, have I really made it?
Have I really
made an impact by doing something, you know, that's gonna like, I can focus on as a careerand all this stuff.
And in a weird way, I guess at 36 years old, you know, and this is our first headline run,maybe we're just starting, you know, you could make an argument like, this is kind of the
(14:42):
beginning for EarthSide, even though, you for example, Jamie and I, it's already been 22years of our life.
making music.
I think, I think for me, I always feel conflicted because I feel, I feel like we've donesomething really cool with the music, but yet the outside acclaim isn't, you know, it's
(15:04):
not like, you know, we're selling out things in a second or whatever it's, it's, or, orthat like every post that goes up, it's like, porcupine tree is the best band of, you
know,
The year 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.
(15:26):
And it's like, yeah, it is tricky.
It's like, I'm thankful a lot.
I'm angry a lot.
I'm, I'm, I'm all of these things.
I want to just be honest.
I'm not going to like sugar coat, like, you know, and just be like, yeah, it'severything's like, you know, I got to put up a face for everyone who's listening out
there.
It's like, it's, it's a, and we all know, and I'm sure all the listeners know like,
(15:49):
being a musician is such a life and we have such complex emotions and that's what makes ittough but beautiful.
It's it's all of those things.
I don't know if that really answered your question, but that's...
You answered it beautifully, Frank.
The highs are so high, but the lows can be so low as well.
(16:10):
I feel like, your honesty is really appreciated and you're vulnerable, but I feel likeyou're selling yourself a bit short because you have achieved a lot.
And I agree with you.
think there's probably a lot to come ahead for your band.
But what I would love to do is bring our listeners and viewers a little bit closer to yourband who may not have heard you before.
(16:31):
You described yourself just now as a prog band.
Putting labels on bands is something I don't like doing because, you know, I can put theminto a box but it is helpful to attract new people to the sort of music you do.
So can you describe the music of Earthside to someone who may not have heard it before?
Yeah, mean, honestly, we, I just use the word progressive rock, but like, would call, youknow, we've branded ourselves when we came out.
(16:56):
think the most apt branding is cinematic rock.
I mean, that's who we are at a core is telling a story.
It's less about like, there is a lot of technicality, but the technicality is in thedetails and it's not the technicality of the guitar playing or the keyboard playing.
It's in.
every detail of the production, every transition between each part of music, it's acarefully constructed thing.
(17:25):
you know, we are a rock band.
We have heavy riffs.
You know, there is metal in there.
But at our core, we're also cinematic.
The influences in our lives, the strings, the...
Arranging in that way, the kind of study of orchestration, like Jamie's experience is morein the orchestration and theory.
(17:50):
And for me, it's the production.
And I focus a lot on like how to put emotion into sound waves.
And like, I'm very focused on specific timbres of things.
how that makes a listener feel and know, like, and Ben is very conscious about like theflow and the rhythm and not making anything feel.
(18:14):
I feel like Ben is like, Ben's like the anti-corny, got like, kind of, doesn't like tryto, I don't know, he almost is like, he's like the technical guy of the band and just kind
of like allows there to have the technicalities shine through while.
Jamie and I are more about the atmosphere and the chord progressions and the densitywithin that.
(18:37):
So like everyone's kind of playing together and Ryan is exceptionally like rhythmicoriented and has such a good way of locking with Ben and just kind of like being loud and
growly when he needs to and you know, laid back and delayed.
So like it really is like a cinematic experience in terms of.
(18:58):
Like I said, the earth side's goal is to tell a story, to tell our story, to tell ouremotions.
and, and I do think there's a lot of different like bands who follow kind of somethinglike that in progressive music.
mean, I do think our music is progressive as the word progressive, but I would never callour band like a prog rock band in the traditional sense of a prog rock band.
(19:25):
So.
Yeah, I can try more adjectives, but that's what I got.
I do want to ask you, mean, across the two albums you've released, I mean, they'reincredible pieces of work.
And you mentioned yourself that you spent five years essentially working on a dream instatic.
Just tell us about how you've developed as a band writing this stuff.
(19:46):
What are you coming to the party already written?
How are you working it up in the studio?
And I also know you have lots of guest singers and other people join too.
So just tell us how you approach that.
Yeah, well, I think there's been a lot we've learned, even though it's two albums.
I mean, essentially, for example, Let the Truth Speak, it's essentially eight or nineindependent album productions.
(20:12):
Each song is essentially an album.
It took eight years.
it's like the needs and production needs and writing needs of Let the Truth Speak versusAll We Knew and Never Loved versus
Denial Zarya versus Tyranny, like it's all like they're almost like independent album.
(20:34):
I don't know the word I'm looking, you know how like some albums have like a thematicproduction in them and they like use a certain type of sound and instrument.
Well, but we're like doing that, but like for each song.
So, so I mean, it's.
I mean, we do, we do label ourselves as ambitious.
think that is an accurate term.
(20:54):
Certainly no one can take that away from us, whether you like it or not, like the music ornot.
You know, I would say that, would say that like we haven't necessarily written new musicyet, but there's, there's definitely ideas in the pipeline.
So, you know, the way if I think to think about it is I think we understand prioritiesbetter.
(21:15):
I used, I'm using this example just as one where like,
you know, everything has to be at the maximum level.
Microphone used, instrumentalist, everything.
has to be, you know, here or it doesn't count.
And in reality, when you're making a 300-track session, you don't need a $10,000microphone on like violin 25.
(21:49):
You know, overdub like it's not going to be the front and center of the mix.
don't need to, or you don't need to prioritize every single element because the mixengineer may not even care and just like do some other random thing with it.
And, the same goes with like certain revisions.
(22:11):
If we nudge this one snare hit over three milliseconds, it's going to make the song.
So.
Let's make 10 different versions of mob mentality and then listen to each one that hasthis one snare to it.
then like weeks can, and then you have three people who have to make a democratic decisionthat that was the best move for the music.
(22:33):
And I mean, everyone we've met thinks we're insane.
mean, we're just insane human beings.
And, but we're also, I would say on top of that though,
We're the most functional, well, maybe you could argue that, but I think like we're alsovery aware.
We're not like unaware that this is happening and we're, think, I think it's just like, wewant a lot out of ourselves.
(22:57):
We have big hearts and maybe we're too like, we're, we're get too wrapped up in certainthings.
And especially if you have a bunch of people with OCD issues, like, yeah, it just createslike this situation where it can be a never ending cycle.
And I think we're learning about, we've learned a lot about this cycle and what we reallycan prioritize and how we can write the quality of music we need to, but do it in a way
(23:26):
that is more functional.
I mean, this, this new single we just dropped, I think is a good example of, you know,
our ability to do something of a high quality in a short turnaround time.
Now granted the song was already written a while ago.
So, you know, it was a bit easier to organize, but even in the shorter turnaround, becausewe've learned these lessons from before, for example, like with the drum tracking, went
(23:55):
like really smooth and we captured incredible sounds because of having already built theexperience and also not.
getting too in the weeds of things that weren't ultimately gonna give the listener anyextra emotion or not when listening to the song.
Yeah, I think it's such a great point you make and we're passionate about what we create,but then it can reach a point of diminishing returns where you're putting so much effort
(24:22):
in to get so little back because you've got 99 % of the job done already.
yeah, and a great lesson for all of us, think, who are working on important projects thatwe're passionate about.
I'm really interested, Frank, in you've got this tour coming up.
And as you've told us, your music is very dense, it's very bombastic and listeners andviewers, if you haven't picked it up, this band Earthside don't really have a lead singer,
(24:48):
they have various guest vocalists who come in and sing on various tracks.
So I'm really interested in how do you translate all of that to live performance?
That was always going to be like one of the hardest things for us.
think just, you know, we've grown up in this kind of suburban area of Connecticut where,you know, there's not this Mecca of musicians.
(25:10):
And I think having exposure to, you know, top tier vocalists wasn't quite like, you know,I don't think we had just from the people we knew and where we were.
didn't, I feel like we never had access to the person we were like looking for.
So, you know, as a band, we were like, we don't want to just like stop because like wedon't have a singer.
(25:31):
Like we have to, we have to move forward.
We have to do something.
So we kind of decided it's like, well, if a DJ can have guests, singers and play theirtracks at music festivals and do stuff like there's also, you know, why can't we or, or
world music musicians.
I used to grow up, I listened to a lot of Yanni and you know, like I saw him live.
(25:54):
I believe in Massachusetts and when I was in high school and it was awesome to see allthese different guest performers from around the world, you know, playing, playing along.
And it was like, you know, why can't we do this?
And I think so, so, so once we kind of like went, with it, you know, yeah, the questionwas always going to be like, okay, how are we going to do this live?
(26:20):
I do think the rise of electronic music has.
allowed for there to be a forgiveness of backing tracks and like singers, like I said,tons of electronic music festivals where the DJs are playing their songs they've written
with vocalists and they're doing it in their DJ performance.
(26:43):
And people are used to listening to hearing the backing track of that.
So I think one way we're in a time where it's become more acceptable.
I won't say that it's a hundred percent acceptable amongst all like rock listeners androck, metal, progressive, whatever.
We think that if we can still convey the emotion of the music live, people will still feelsomething.
(27:08):
And, you know, when we go on stage, it's, yeah, maybe we have the singer backing track,but we're incorporating it with visuals, multimedia, and us like just.
giving it 110%, laying it all on the line, whether it's 20 people in the audience or athousand or at a music festival in the UK, it doesn't matter.
(27:32):
We just go for it.
And I think that's what people come away with.
Yes, there will be some people who are just like, I can't get over this.
We're not gonna win everyone over.
We just have to deal with it.
And so...
But I do think the performance we give allows people to believe that we're not justphoning this in, that we are very invested in the music that we've made.
(27:57):
Well, you mentioned yourself, you'll be doing a high level of cardio on stage when westarted talking.
I think that's given you all...
need clips.
Yeah
It's a high energy performance as befits the music.
As I said, it's very bombastic.
It really hits you hard in the senses and I'm sure you'll be able to deliver that.
You know, it's funny, I was reflecting on what you said.
You're right, a lot of old school rock fans get very funny about tracks, but the irony isevery single legacy rock band out there that's still performing all use tracks.
(28:28):
it's actually, what's important is the performance and the passion and the emotion that'scoming across.
And you're playing live, you're not miming, you're actually playing live.
And just on the live front, Frank, so let's talk in two little forks here, as far as yourkeyboard rig that you use on stage and then also, yeah, just the physicality and what
you're actually delivering on stage.
(28:49):
What I'm using right now as far as gear are two MIDI controllers, one to A88 and A49.
Shout out Roland sponsorship anywhere.
And I have my AX7 keytar as well through a wireless rig.
So yeah, those are the three, they're all Roland's, but I like how small and compact theyare.
(29:13):
I can fit.
both of them in one keyboard case because the A88 is so shallow.
I can just throw pedals, everything into that.
And then I use, I have three outboard modules.
have the classic motif rack, the motif XS and the Integra 7.
(29:34):
And actually I don't really play with like a lot of our music was like made with.
just the sounds from those modules.
There are like VSTs that I've used, but like the core of the sound like really comes fromthose.
And I mean, I'm 36, but like, honestly, I'm a boomer.
And I think that like the rack, like the, the, actual like hardware keyboards, like Ijust, every time I sit down and play something, it's just good.
(30:06):
Like with VSTs, I don't get the same experience.
And I think
I don't know if it has to do with the fact that as a manufacturer, you're putting yourselfon the line by offering hardware.
You have to make the sounds inspiring.
You have to make the person inspired to play this.
(30:26):
And I'm also, maybe some people will hate me for this, but I love presets.
I just want to make the music.
I'm not as much of a tweaker, like tweaker, but...
I am OCD about what sounds I choose.
I will go through thousands of patches.
I will just, I won't stop.
I won't stop until I find the one.
(30:47):
And even if, even if a Yamaha keyboard has 3000 sounds, I'll be like, there's only five Iwant to use.
And that five will make the record.
It doesn't, it doesn't matter.
Yeah.
So all of those, all of my patch changes are automated through Ableton.
and the rest of our show is automated.
So I don't have to change any patches.
It will change it all for me and switch between keyboards that I need it to.
(31:11):
like keytar to 88 key to 49 key, like it'll all change around.
So it's a nifty little setup that works well for me.
Jump into the performance, but any questions on like the gear stuff?
I mean, I think it's great and all jokes about Roland sponsorship.
(31:31):
Those A series keyboards are just amazing.
I mean, I owned an A 70 years ago, loved it.
They're just amazingly robust and great, great boards.
So I can see why you're using them.
So now go for it, Frank, in the performance.
think it's still that I have the same one since like 2015 or 16.
So.
A few scratches, but it's like it's fine.
(31:53):
But yeah, and then like just approaching was a question about like how I'm approaching theperformance.
I'll start here.
I think when I was in high school, like, and this probably came from insecurity that like,you know, the keyboardist is just the dude in the back and no one cares about them.
As Ben calls me backing tracks that like.
(32:13):
You know, like, like keyboard just means backing tracks.
So like, we'll joke, like we have a mix and he'll be like, man, I wish they turned up thebacking tracks in the song here.
It'd be a little bit better, but, but there's some truth.
That's why it's funny because as a keyboardist, everyone has experienced this probably intheir lifetime, right?
(32:35):
Everyone's nodding their head.
So I don't know from a very young age, I just like had this fire in me like.
I'm such an extroverted person and it's weird to have the keyboard as my instrument.
Like I have the personality of a lead singer or a guitarist, like lead guitarist, but I'mstuck behind the keyboard.
And I see Jordan Rudess, you know, circling around like, eh, I don't know.
(32:58):
That's not like for me.
I need something more, more.
And I think I was like one of the first, like I wasn't the first person to do this, butlike as far as like,
people I knew in the general music scene around Connecticut and for my age, I found thisone company was making these wireless MIDI rigs.
(33:20):
so I bought a keytar and I kind of just had this idea.
It's like, I'm not gonna be the dude in the back.
I want people to feel my presence.
And I'm always someone who's also genuinely, when I hear music,
I have to express myself.
Like I was saying earlier, when I hear something, I'm nodding my head, I'm tapping, I'malways engaged.
(33:45):
And I'm also just highly emotional person.
When I'm going crazy, it's like kind of for the show, but it is me.
It is what I want to say.
And I want you to feel what I feel.
And so the way my performance I've done is I'm just firing all the time on all cylinders.
(34:07):
I bring the key tar out, I jump off the stage, I act like, you know, a lead guitarist and,and I want, I want people to see it's like, I'm here, I'm playing something.
I'm not the dude in the background.
and so I always like had that kind of chip on my shoulder for a long time.
(34:28):
And I've honed it, I guess, to the point where like now, you know, people will, will.
you know, say it's like, yeah, you're, saw your show and you're like the front man of theband.
And it's like, who calls a keyboardist the front man of the band, you know, that's kind ofa mission of mine since I was young.
And I feel like I kind of found my way with it.
And, and, and I think, I think, I think keyboardists, like, there's a lot of opportunityto express yourself.
(34:55):
You just have to like, really be willing to put yourself out there and not like, feel likeyou're just like the dude.
sitting in the corner.
you know, yeah, I'm always jumping around.
I'm always trying to find creative ways to be expressive.
And so yeah, it's a very like high energy thing.
I go to the gym a lot.
I train boxing.
(35:16):
So I'm, I'm ready to, you know, to jump around for 90 minutes of cardio.
Bye.
Well, in the interest of self-disclosure, Frank, I'm also an extroverted keyboardist.
so on behalf of all extroverted keyboardists, I thank you for showing the world that wecan also be seen as well as be heard.
(35:37):
David is not an extroverted keyboardist.
No, I love love it.
corner.
I do love a corner, but I do love the boxing stuff because I've been thinking doing thatbecause if you've got boxing chops, you can punch guitarists more easily.
It's good.
So I like that.
Now that's
(35:58):
haven't given Jamie my right hook yet, but you know.
Make sure you capture it on video if you do.
Frank, that's an amazing perspective on both parts of the performance and really, reallyappreciate that.
And obviously when you're performing at such a high level, sometimes things will go wrong.
So have you got an anecdote of where you've had a massive train wreck on stage that youcan-
(36:18):
God.
Last year at Radar Festival in the UK, man, this was like our biggest show to date.
And on festivals, you don't get a sound check.
So, you know, and I'm responsible for the tech in the rig of the band.
you know, I put the thing on stage, set everything up, you know, we're gearing up and likeliterally like none of the tracks are going to the PA.
(36:45):
Everything is totally like screwed up.
And, and I was just so heartbroken, man.
I won't try to make this a long story, but basically, you know, we had to start the set.
we just started it anyway.
Luckily we saw a click track, you know, the first minute we opened with we who lament andI'm just like, you know, the, you know, people expect me to be, you know, my hair flying
(37:10):
around and I'm just sitting at the keyboard like this.
Like I'm just so dejected.
And I just like, I know in my heart, like.
I'm here for a bigger purpose.
know, like I have to...
People paid money.
People want to see the bands that they like, like engage in their music.
(37:34):
And just because like this is a one-off bad day, like they don't deserve for me to be inthis state of mind.
It's just not, I don't know, like just like a lot of that voice...
you know, as that first minute is going by, it's like, just, I'm just feeling like, it'slike, I don't want to play.
Like I don't want to play.
(37:55):
But then I'm like, but like, I have some friends in the audience and like people are hereto see us.
And, and like, maybe something we play or do could inspire someone.
And then maybe they do something really cool because of that.
Not saying that like I'm anything special, but like anyone can be inspired by anything.
Right.
(38:15):
And especially if it's like a band you like and you paid to see and it's like, man, likethey did something cool this way.
And then you find a new way to do something cool with that.
You know what I mean?
And it's just like, you're sitting there thinking like, all right, I have to, I have to bethe bigger person and like, get back to how I do things, bring the energy back and be a
(38:39):
professional and get through the show.
But man, I, I sometimes things like that, just.
It breaks my heart, man, like when things go wrong, like I want the audience to hear whatwe have to play.
But you know, and then we, you know, I, some people like actually really enjoyed the showin spite of like certain technical things that weren't working.
(39:01):
And, you know, like, like we were talking about earlier, if you put your emotions outthere and things are still going wrong, people will appreciate you.
It's just like a person who like, like,
Maybe they're not like the most successful person in the world outwardly, but like, if yousee that they're trying hard and like, they put themselves into something, like you're
(39:23):
always like, that dude's cool.
Like he may not have like $10 million, but like that dude is where it's at.
Like he, he or she, whoever they, doesn't matter.
Like whatever they do, it's like they're cool because like they're actually.
Like they're trying, they're bringing something to the table.
But that was a hard one for me.
(39:43):
That was really hard.
And that's brilliant honesty and I reckon you've probably inspired to a man inspiringother people you probably inspired a bunch of people just with that explanation of that
train wreck.
So how did the Frank did that?
Do you have to play the whole show without the other stuff working?
Yeah, the radar show.
So like, you know how we have the guest vocal, like none of the vocal tracks were playing.
(40:08):
So there was no, you know, it was like we who lament instrumental at the true speakinstrumental, like, but, you know, and, and without some of the other key like elements to
it, some of maybe some of the orchestral things.
But yeah, like I said, it's, it's, I think, I think in the future I'm going to be
more able to handle this and thinking about it, like I just said, you know, like peoplewill appreciate you.
(40:35):
If you put your heart into something, they see that you're, you're, you're trying and thatyou're really like there to be there, you know.
And I assume you still had a good response in spite of all that by the sound of that,Frank, and that's a testament to the skills of all of you.
Yeah, think the core of our, you know, we write this music in our rehearsals and it's justthe for us, right?
(40:56):
You don't have all these layers.
So the fundamentals of the song are always like still there.
The melodies, the thematic elements, like, you know, cause these songs, like these arewritten before all the other post-production stuff, know, ends up on it.
So.
(41:17):
You know, we always hope that like the core of the song still tells the story even if it'sstripped down.
I think you've taught us all a great lesson too for all of us listening.
mean your audience deserves all of you every single time no matter what you might be goingthrough at that particular point.
credit to you and your team and as David said it sounds like you had a great outcome.
(41:38):
One of the questions we ask all our guests, Frank, is we ask you to tag another keyboardplayer and what that means is is there another keyboard player that you would love to...
know more about that you may be admired or are inspired by that you think would be a greatguest for this podcast.
people have come to mind.
One of them, I'm guessing will be impossible to reach out to them.
(42:01):
But I wouldn't necessarily call him a keyboardist, but in the range of keyboard-y things,I'm fascinated by how Skrillex does his production, how he does his synths.
It's so interesting to me.
Everything's it's loud and like...
(42:22):
the production just hits like when I went to stuff like a long time ago, like it was justcrazy.
I would love to know like how they're doing certain things and like producing the stufflike behind the scenes.
Cause like I'm just fascinated by that.
I think like an underrated, the textures keyboardist, the stuff isn't always up in thefront, like it's like there's just.
(42:50):
a nice backdrop in every song that just like, it just pulls everything together.
You know, like, I would say that was really cool.
And honestly, I don't know.
Have you guys, have you guys talked with, Vikram Shankar?
He, he performs with various bands.
(43:13):
he's like played some shows with pain of salvation.
But what, what I've, what the thing that
he does that.
I like is, he's like, does reimaginings of, of like songs and like a band, band I'veworked with.
He did like piano versions, like re-imagined versions of certain things.
(43:34):
And I think like, he has like a really cool sense of music in that way and likeexpressing, his emotions through that really, really nice guy.
I've talked with him a bit and I think he would have some cool things to say on thepodcast.
(43:54):
No, thank you.
They're great, great picks all around.
And Skrillex is one I never thought of.
I love that idea.
I'll see what we can do.
So no, that's great.
And then the other super easy question for you, Frank, is the Desert Island Discs.
So five albums you would find it hard to live without.
Okay.
Well, this is a great question because the first album, I have to say, because this is adream of mine to do this, which is to go to a remote island in the Pacific and listen to
(44:24):
Carnival's asymmetry at night on a full moon on the beach from front to back.
That's what's to happen in my lifetime.
Super underrated record, but there's just something about it that just like...
It's so real.
know, my interpret, I actually got to talk with Drew Goddard, the guitarist at Radar aboutthis.
(44:47):
And I wasn't, I don't think I was correct in the, in what I imagined the record to be.
But my, what I told him was that I always felt like the album was like such a, a backlashagainst the like very digital sounding progressive metal that was coming out.
during the early 2010s and everything, Superior Drummer, VST, everything, and it justsounded very artificial.
(45:17):
And that album was like, we're gonna go so raw and like, back, not backwards in a bad way,but kind of just like have this raw record that just flies in the face of everything
that's happening in...
the rock and metal scene.
So that's going to be on my albums.
(45:40):
Probably that.
Man, this is so hard.
It's either going to be Fear of a Blank Planet or In Absentia, one of those.
Man, I know.
The Gladiator soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
That was one of the most influential albums for me.
I have something different.
You know, I listen to a lot of rap music.
(46:00):
Not a lot of people know that, but like...
It's like in my blood to bob my head and just to just to do this.
That's my thing.
I can't think of one, but probably probably some three, six mafia record because I own allof their CDs.
It's just so random.
I'm like into the vibe.
And then what else would I throw in there?
(46:21):
I'm going to stop there because otherwise you guys will be sitting here like, yeah, forthe entire day.
Yeah, the day.
So so I will spare you.
But
Great, no, they've four great picks and no, that's excellent.
Thank you.
And then our last question is actually a 10 part one, Frank.
So in, call it a quick fire 10, 10 short and sharp questions.
(46:44):
album you recall hearing.
Man, that was like one of my first...
Dude, this is a hard one.
This is really hard.
I can't s-
It's okay to admit it was Barney the Dinosaur, Frank.
No, but like-
you mean like song or like album?
I feel like the first song like I really remember is like my mom used to like hot playthis like Rod Stewart album so like I'm gonna just go with like No, you know what?
(47:12):
It was you know what it was Fantasia the movie original Disney Fantasia Apparently I brokethe sorry.
I'm not rapid-firing because I have to explain everything because I'm too detail-oriented
So I broke the VC, the, what do call it?
The tape, the VCR tape, the video tape, because I played it so many times and that was thefirst music I really remember that I like internalized and like that I heard and yeah,
(47:45):
it's that, that's what it is.
My oldest son loved Fantasia too when he was a little fella.
He's a bit younger than you Frank, he's 25.
But still an incredible way to get into music.
so imaginative.
Yeah, the way it's presented is perfect, I think.
(48:05):
What's your most important pre-gig ritual?
have to eat.
If I am, I'm the most hungry, hangry person on earth.
And the most important thing is that I'm well fed and the band will attest to this.
Ask anyone.
Nothing goes right.
If I'm hungry.
Yeah.
So, and I like having clean socks too.
(48:27):
As long as I have some nice, clean socks that feel good on my feet and food.
I'm ready to go.
That's our earnable salary.
Yeah, great.
Now, Frank, if you hadn't been a musician, what do you think your career choice would havebeen?
That's interesting.
don't know.
(48:48):
I feel like it could have been different things.
I've always liked strategic things.
So maybe something with business or I kind of like finance stuff too.
I don't know.
I just like complicated stuff.
(49:09):
But yeah, maybe something like that.
Or I could see myself going the opposite way and doing some kind of hippie teachingEnglish around the world and just going to different cultures.
And I love travel, so I love learning something.
I love learning about myself.
(49:30):
And it's one of the things that maybe even supersedes music for me is the people that Iknow around the world, the community that I have, is maybe...
the most important thing I have in my, obviously my friends and family, but like thatincluded, yeah.
Yeah, cool, cool.
And on the subject of travel, what's the favourite tour you've ever done?
(49:51):
you know, cause we took such a long break, you so we, kind of just like got back into itby the end of 2022.
And then we had taken a break from like 2016 and, but I feel like I, I would probably gowith the Europe, the Europe tour with leprosy and Voyager.
(50:12):
But I also, I'm yeah, just because it was like our first year.
Not because I don't like any of the other bands or anything, because I've had a lot ofgood times with the other tours, but because it was also a tour bus tour where everyone
was together, it was a little bit more social.
Like on some of these newer ones, it's like everyone's a little bit more separated.
(50:36):
But I really enjoyed everyone being together.
was us, Leprous Voyager, we're all goofing around, playing the shows, seeing Europe.
I think as that being a first experience, it was super, super cool.
And it's been like back to the Sprinter van for the rest of the rest of the tours likebanished from the tour bus, you know, but you know, maybe we'll get we'll get back there.
(51:00):
We're getting back there.
Frank, what's your favourite gig that you've played, that's possible?
My favorite show was that show because we showed up to a place we'd never been before andpeople showed up for us, for Earthside, because we never played a headline show apart from
where our hometown is and everything.
(51:22):
And a bunch of people showed up.
The energy was just so high.
People were singing along and I was like, oh my God, this is so cool.
you know, in spite of all my self doubt and like, you know, all we only got 60 people.
Like there's something in me that's like seeing everyone just be there and like recognizelike, wow, earth side is like a band that like people appreciate.
(51:48):
like the energy was just so high.
Like everyone was so hyped in this like small little room.
And I think I like was very emotional after the performance.
was like kind of like in tears, like
It just was like, it was really cool to like get to experience that for the first time,like go somewhere and like, there are some people who care about what I'm doing and like
(52:12):
wanting to share that and just being there.
I think to this day that will always be like one of the most memorable, you know, gigsthat I've played.
It's a beautiful story.
What's the favorite city you've ever played, Frank?
Favorite city.
(52:33):
You know, this is just straight off the top of my head because maybe I have a differentanswer that I would have changed later.
Like in the US, like Boston, like really shows up.
Also Montreal, like a split decision.
Maybe, maybe Montreal, like just like the people are just like so engaged.
Like as far as like the US, Boston, Canada, Montreal, like it's like, it's just like kindof hits different.
(52:56):
Like it seems like there's like a real investment in like
the music and like you and even being a different kind of band like there's like this thispassion that's there.
Right.
where, and you can even see it in the ticket sales.
It's like they just come out.
Like, it's really, it's really cool.
(53:18):
Like I, yeah, I like playing those, those two cities a lot.
Great, and last but not least, your favourite non-musical activity or hobby, what keepsyou sane outside of music?
man.
Yeah, it has to be travel.
That's my thing.
(53:38):
Like I said, super extroverted.
I love to meet people.
I love to have a new experience and perspective.
yeah, just like I think part of touring and traveling, it's just like a sense ofadventure.
that's one of the biggest passions of mine.
(53:59):
Yeah, no, look, I think that sense of adventure is well and truly reflected in the amazingmusic you and you are producing through our side and Elsa.
And we can't thank you enough for taking the time.
And we'd love to meet you down under at some stage when hopefully you get down here on atour, but thank you enough to tonight for your time.
Frank is hugely appreciated.
Thank you guys.
(54:20):
You asked some good questions and I just tried to, you know, I fumble along, but sometimesI'll get on track and say a few interesting
to breathe.
So Paul, as I said before the show, I love Frank's honesty on a number of issues.
(54:43):
It was really great chatting with him.
Yeah, it's always nice when our guests are really generous with their emotions and theirvulnerability and we all have these vulnerabilities and the highs and lows of playing
music and putting yourself out there in your art and hoping people like it and willrespond to it, particularly when it's been your life's work and passion, I think.
(55:04):
That's right.
my last work and passion is to find a good corner at a gig.
But you know that's just...
that
It was great talking to Frank and yeah, hugely appreciate his time.
And if you are in the US, do check out the tour and obviously around the world, outEarthSide's albums.
They are quite incredible, particularly if you are a prog or orchestral rock or cinematicrock fan, this stuff you will lap up.
(55:28):
It's absolutely amazing.
So yeah, huge thank you to everyone out there for listening as always.
Quick shout out to our gold and silver supporters.
Katcher from Tammy's Musical Stew.
Thank you, Tammy, as always.
The wonderful Ed from Elk Electronic, if you need synth repairs done in the Australiancontext, then Ed is your guy.
Elk Electronic with a K on both the electronic and the elk.
(55:51):
You'll find them easily online.
And last but not least, Dave and the team from the musicplayer.com forums think thekeyboard corner is one of the best places to go on the internet to talk keyboard.
Exactly right.
What else would you want in life?
So no, thank you all out there for listening.
Thank you, sir, as always for joining me and we'll be back in a couple of weeks.
(56:13):
Until then, keep on playing.
It is tricky.
It's like, I'm thankful a lot.
I'm angry a lot.
I'm all of these things.
I want to just be honest.
I'm not going to like sugarcoat.
and welcome to the Keyboard Chronicles, a podcast for keyboard players.
I'm your host, David Holloway, and I'm absolutely enthused to be here with you.
(00:23):
And there's a guy that's never more enthusiastic in society than Paul Bindig.
How are you?
I'm always enthusiastic, you're right.
And look, we've just had a very refreshing, enthusiastic chat with our guest, I think.
Yeah, look, Frank Scaramone is an amazing player.
He's part of an incredible outfit called Earthside.
(00:46):
As you'll hear, Earthside take a really impressive approach to the way they both composeand perform.
I think it's to say, Paul, and I know I would kill to see them if they came out our way.
Yeah, they they just looking at videos of them.
They have a very high energy stage presence.
And as David said, they have a slightly unusual unconventional approach to performance,which I don't think I'll reveal here.
(01:12):
We'll let you listen to it on the podcast.
That would be very cool to see in the flesh.
No doubt.
And the other incentive to listen the whole way through is Frank actually provides somereally impressive and honest answers on issues that we all face as keyboard players.
And all of our guests have always been exceedingly forthright and honest, but it doesn'tget much more forthright and honest than some of the stuff Frank says.
(01:36):
So we're worth listening just for that alone.
So yeah, we'll let you go in and listen and we'll talk to you after the show.
It's great to see you and thanks for joining us this evening.
(01:56):
Yeah, really appreciate you taking the time.
How's things?
It's going all right.
I had a little bit of a tough start to the year.
I had to have some surgery on my nose because I haven't been able to breathe well my wholelife.
So I came into this year saying, I don't want to be on stage with my mouth gaping open,sucking for air.
(02:24):
Another time, we're ready to move on 2025.
ready to breathe clearly and be able to put in some even harder cardio than I already dowhen I'm performing.
and it's worked well, Frank.
You feel like a new man now that you can breathe?
I'm getting there, still have some inflammation, but I'm sleeping a little bit better andit's a little more comfortable.
(02:49):
So I think over the course of the year, we're on a good track.
As you know, things like that usually come down to genetics.
So let's talk about your upbringing and blame other people for things in your upbringing.
So let's talk about what got you into music in the first place, Frank.
What developed a passion for it for you?
Well, those are slightly two different questions, which are interesting.
(03:12):
the first question being is I don't even remember starting music because my parents handedme a violin when I was four years old and I didn't even have a conscious memory of even
when I started music.
So I started music very, very young.
And I think that's why I kind of like.
Have a bit of like a linguistic relationship with music.
(03:34):
Like it's, it's like you, you feel the language just as you.
your upbringing, you learn your language, you know, was like from that young of a time,you know, I feel connected to it, even though I wasn't conscious of, you know, when I
started.
And then like the, guess the passion, you know, that stuff probably started more when Iwas like around like, I want to say like 11 or 12 years old, you know, I would just
(04:03):
practice music because
I think I had like some level of aptitude.
You know, I wasn't like a prodigy, but I, you know, I had some skills and I, I always hadlike a pretty good ear.
And, when I was super young, I'd always be like, even in the, even in the baby seat in thecar, you know, I'm always like this to the music.
Like I can't stop moving when I hear music, any genre I am moving.
(04:27):
I think it's really when I realized that like a person could create their own music isreally when.
things like I feel like clicked for me.
You know, I didn't love practicing, just practicing classical music.
I mean, there's plenty of beautiful pieces, like don't get me wrong.
I played some really interesting repertoire, you know, growing up playing classical.
(04:48):
But it was like really when you could like be like, oh, I can create this now.
So Jamie, the guitarist, we've actually been friends since I was like seven years old.
And we actually like started writing songs as early as like...
between 10 and 12 years old.
And we just hit the tape recorder in the living room and he would come over and we jamand, and you know, that that's kind of like where it started.
(05:15):
also got like this old Yamaha, like a hundred dollar keyboard where you could like playalong to like the presets.
And if you like play a chord, it, it does an accompaniment for that chord.
And once I like discovered you could like do that and then write a melody over it.
And I was like, I was like, whoa, this is what's cool about music.
(05:38):
that kind of changed my like interest from like, just like playing music to that, likebeing a writer, a producer, like making your own music, all of that stuff.
so, so yeah, that's where the more the passion stuff started to come in for me.
that's great.
And so it sounds like you had two things going in parallel there.
(06:00):
You're doing, you just mentioned playing classical.
So just tell us a little bit about what lessons or other education you were having andthen how you developed your creative side as well, say up until, you know, leaving school.
Yeah, definitely.
So as far as like my like, more like academic background in music.
(06:21):
Yeah.
I started in classical classical violin from up from when I was like four until like 14about let's say 10 years.
And then I picked up piano when I was like six or seven.
So I was actually studying violin and piano class play at the same time.
And it was a lot.
Violin's an extremely difficult instrument.
(06:42):
It was just like, kind of just at some point was like, I don't really love thisinstrument, but I'm going to stick with piano.
And honestly, I know I'm going to skip around a lot.
That's just how I am.
But learning the violin really like gave me a lot of dimension and like thought processinto like composing and like understanding like strings and, the emotive side of those
(07:08):
kinds of instruments and kind of playing in orchestras and stuff.
kind of fed my brain like these denser arrangements and bigger things that would then kindof lead to where we are now with like Earthside.
So, yeah, I played in orchestras.
I studied solo violin.
And then, yeah, I kept going with classical throughout high school.
(07:32):
studied, you know, I did AP music theory in high school, all of that.
I did a little bit of composition lessons, but a lot of stuff was self-taught.
I would say like Jamie and I like kind of just like pushed each other and we both likekind of like found our way.
mean, our parents didn't know like you couldn't get like recording lessons or productionlessons.
(07:54):
mean, we were recording like DI into like these digital disc mixers that like it wasjanky.
Like our old demos, you'd never think like these guys are going to produce something likeEpic in the future.
It's just like these ridiculous like
metal zone direct into like a digital mix, you know, it was horrible.
(08:15):
like we, we always like tried and pursued the creativity.
I think, I think that was one that is an advantage of growing up at a time where you justdidn't have all these YouTube tutorials and stuff.
Like you really had to push yourself to create something, not to put any like blame on thenew artists and young artists.
It's just, it was a different thing.
And you can definitely learn a lot from not having a lot.
(08:38):
and having to find your way.
And so I studied, basically kept doing like piano study until, you know, my first and lastyear of Berkeley College of Music.
So I went there for my first year of college and I just like, I did not want to like studypiano in any formal way and have that and not have that be studied like at all.
(09:01):
I just didn't have the drive and the interest.
And so I kind of finished.
Like my final level of repertoire was like, think, yeah, my, my Berkeley audition piecewas Allegro Barbaro by Bella Bar Talk.
Pretty like crazy song, which is pretty aggressive and cool.
Definitely suited like my style and my flair, but that was kind of like where, where Ireached, you know, my, height of my level in classical piano.
(09:30):
No, that's brilliant.
I suppose it leads to my next question of how did you go from doing that at Berkeley to,it sounds like, said, Jamie was a friend from an early age to the formation of EarthSight.
Yeah, so Jamie, Ben and I actually started what was Earthside.
(09:50):
And there was a bassist from the school, Jamie, and I went to, I'd met Ben in my freshmanyear of high school and we went to school together, freshman and sophomore year.
Then I transferred back to my old school, which I'd gone to with Jamie.
And then we all just kind of like Captain Planet, like combined forces.
And yeah, so that was kind of like the early formation and we were called Bushwhack.
(10:14):
It was like an instrumental, more, had more like experimental, weird, like dreamtheater-esque kind of vibe to it.
It wasn't necessarily like ended up being the music we really were like a hundred percentpassionate about, but it ended up in a way being an incredible exercise in just learning
(10:36):
about music because
Every song was so random, we, we wanted to try everything.
Like nothing was off the table and it was just about like pushing ourselves to see whatelements we could combine in the craziest ways and not holding back and not feeling like,
you can't do this.
You can't do that.
I have to stick to this specific genre trope and I have to do this.
(10:59):
so as time went on, we kind of abandoned the Bushwhack project for various reasons and we.
basically wrote the song, The Closest I've Come, somewhere around 2010.
And we were like, okay, I think we've found our place.
I think we found what we were looking for as artists.
(11:21):
And that's when we kind of like made the transition to Earthside.
Ryan the bassist was a friend of a friend.
Yeah, kind of a friend of a friend situation, one of our friends.
was dating this girl and her brother is Ryan.
So he was like, oh, my brother, goes to Hart School of Music, is a well-establishedconservatory in Connecticut.
(11:48):
He's a conservatory.
We gave him a shot and we were like, yeah, we need this guy.
So yeah, that's how Earthside kind of began.
Yeah, which is an amazing story, As you said, the friendships you formed in school,they're still your friends now and indeed your work colleagues.
And I was just sort of thinking about, I think most of us who do music, we probably at ayoung age were in various bands and you have big dreams and big ideas.
(12:19):
And we probably all think that one of the first bands we're in, we might make it.
I don't know if ever really, anyone ever really makes it, but at some point you went from,we are with these young guys, we think we've got a cool concept, we've got some music we
love, and now you're doing the thing.
You're actually doing the thing.
And an earth side for our viewers and listeners are about to kick off, I believe, aheadline US tour.
(12:42):
So, you know, and so you've had some, some good success and probably plenty more ahead ofyou.
So my question, Frank is when.
When did you know?
Did it just happen organically or did you always believe you would be doing the thing?
Or at some point did you go, hang on, no, this is happening, this is real for us.
Tell us about that development and that evolving.
(13:02):
That's a great question.
Honestly, the answer I want to say is like, it's like, I'm like, am I doing it?
know, that's, I, you know, I, I definitely feel like we, we can do this, like we, can getit out there.
(13:23):
And honestly, I thought, you know,
maybe naively kind of thought that like the industry would kind of go this way.
We make this like undeniable record that is like everything we can pour in our lives intothis, a dream in static.
We taught work tirelessly for like, you know, five years to put it out.
(13:46):
And then we will become like the next porcupine tree.
And it didn't happen.
It's not how the world works.
So as far as the music goes, I mean, I think there is a lot of self belief withinEarthside.
think we feel that we have achieved the best of what we could offer, you know, as people,as musicians, as philosophizers, you know, whatever.
(14:12):
And, and I think the hard part is like the industry part and reflecting on, you know, haveI, I really, have I really made it?
Have I really
made an impact by doing something, you know, that's gonna like, I can focus on as a careerand all this stuff.
And in a weird way, I guess at 36 years old, you know, and this is our first headline run,maybe we're just starting, you know, you could make an argument like, this is kind of the
(14:42):
beginning for EarthSide, even though, you for example, Jamie and I, it's already been 22years of our life.
making music.
I think, I think for me, I always feel conflicted because I feel, I feel like we've donesomething really cool with the music, but yet the outside acclaim isn't, you know, it's
(15:04):
not like, you know, we're selling out things in a second or whatever it's, it's, or, orthat like every post that goes up, it's like, porcupine tree is the best band of, you
know,
The year 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.
(15:26):
And it's like, yeah, it is tricky.
It's like, I'm thankful a lot.
I'm angry a lot.
I'm, I'm, I'm all of these things.
I want to just be honest.
I'm not going to like sugar coat, like, you know, and just be like, yeah, it'severything's like, you know, I got to put up a face for everyone who's listening out
there.
It's like, it's, it's a, and we all know, and I'm sure all the listeners know like,
(15:49):
being a musician is such a life and we have such complex emotions and that's what makes ittough but beautiful.
It's it's all of those things.
I don't know if that really answered your question, but that's...
You answered it beautifully, Frank.
The highs are so high, but the lows can be so low as well.
(16:10):
I feel like, your honesty is really appreciated and you're vulnerable, but I feel likeyou're selling yourself a bit short because you have achieved a lot.
And I agree with you.
think there's probably a lot to come ahead for your band.
But what I would love to do is bring our listeners and viewers a little bit closer to yourband who may not have heard you before.
(16:31):
You described yourself just now as a prog band.
Putting labels on bands is something I don't like doing because, you know, I can put theminto a box but it is helpful to attract new people to the sort of music you do.
So can you describe the music of Earthside to someone who may not have heard it before?
Yeah, mean, honestly, we, I just use the word progressive rock, but like, would call, youknow, we've branded ourselves when we came out.
(16:56):
think the most apt branding is cinematic rock.
I mean, that's who we are at a core is telling a story.
It's less about like, there is a lot of technicality, but the technicality is in thedetails and it's not the technicality of the guitar playing or the keyboard playing.
It's in.
every detail of the production, every transition between each part of music, it's acarefully constructed thing.
(17:25):
you know, we are a rock band.
We have heavy riffs.
You know, there is metal in there.
But at our core, we're also cinematic.
The influences in our lives, the strings, the...
Arranging in that way, the kind of study of orchestration, like Jamie's experience is morein the orchestration and theory.
(17:50):
And for me, it's the production.
And I focus a lot on like how to put emotion into sound waves.
And like, I'm very focused on specific timbres of things.
how that makes a listener feel and know, like, and Ben is very conscious about like theflow and the rhythm and not making anything feel.
(18:14):
I feel like Ben is like, Ben's like the anti-corny, got like, kind of, doesn't like tryto, I don't know, he almost is like, he's like the technical guy of the band and just kind
of like allows there to have the technicalities shine through while.
Jamie and I are more about the atmosphere and the chord progressions and the densitywithin that.
(18:37):
So like everyone's kind of playing together and Ryan is exceptionally like rhythmicoriented and has such a good way of locking with Ben and just kind of like being loud and
growly when he needs to and you know, laid back and delayed.
So like it really is like a cinematic experience in terms of.
(18:58):
Like I said, the earth side's goal is to tell a story, to tell our story, to tell ouremotions.
and, and I do think there's a lot of different like bands who follow kind of somethinglike that in progressive music.
mean, I do think our music is progressive as the word progressive, but I would never callour band like a prog rock band in the traditional sense of a prog rock band.
(19:25):
So.
Yeah, I can try more adjectives, but that's what I got.
I do want to ask you, mean, across the two albums you've released, I mean, they'reincredible pieces of work.
And you mentioned yourself that you spent five years essentially working on a dream instatic.
Just tell us about how you've developed as a band writing this stuff.
(19:46):
What are you coming to the party already written?
How are you working it up in the studio?
And I also know you have lots of guest singers and other people join too.
So just tell us how you approach that.
Yeah, well, I think there's been a lot we've learned, even though it's two albums.
I mean, essentially, for example, Let the Truth Speak, it's essentially eight or nineindependent album productions.
(20:12):
Each song is essentially an album.
It took eight years.
it's like the needs and production needs and writing needs of Let the Truth Speak versusAll We Knew and Never Loved versus
Denial Zarya versus Tyranny, like it's all like they're almost like independent album.
(20:34):
I don't know the word I'm looking, you know how like some albums have like a thematicproduction in them and they like use a certain type of sound and instrument.
Well, but we're like doing that, but like for each song.
So, so I mean, it's.
I mean, we do, we do label ourselves as ambitious.
think that is an accurate term.
(20:54):
Certainly no one can take that away from us, whether you like it or not, like the music ornot.
You know, I would say that, would say that like we haven't necessarily written new musicyet, but there's, there's definitely ideas in the pipeline.
So, you know, the way if I think to think about it is I think we understand prioritiesbetter.
(21:15):
I used, I'm using this example just as one where like,
you know, everything has to be at the maximum level.
Microphone used, instrumentalist, everything.
has to be, you know, here or it doesn't count.
And in reality, when you're making a 300-track session, you don't need a $10,000microphone on like violin 25.
(21:49):
You know, overdub like it's not going to be the front and center of the mix.
don't need to, or you don't need to prioritize every single element because the mixengineer may not even care and just like do some other random thing with it.
And, the same goes with like certain revisions.
(22:11):
If we nudge this one snare hit over three milliseconds, it's going to make the song.
So.
Let's make 10 different versions of mob mentality and then listen to each one that hasthis one snare to it.
then like weeks can, and then you have three people who have to make a democratic decisionthat that was the best move for the music.
(22:33):
And I mean, everyone we've met thinks we're insane.
mean, we're just insane human beings.
And, but we're also, I would say on top of that though,
We're the most functional, well, maybe you could argue that, but I think like we're alsovery aware.
We're not like unaware that this is happening and we're, think, I think it's just like, wewant a lot out of ourselves.
(22:57):
We have big hearts and maybe we're too like, we're, we're get too wrapped up in certainthings.
And especially if you have a bunch of people with OCD issues, like, yeah, it just createslike this situation where it can be a never ending cycle.
And I think we're learning about, we've learned a lot about this cycle and what we reallycan prioritize and how we can write the quality of music we need to, but do it in a way
(23:26):
that is more functional.
I mean, this, this new single we just dropped, I think is a good example of, you know,
our ability to do something of a high quality in a short turnaround time.
Now granted the song was already written a while ago.
So, you know, it was a bit easier to organize, but even in the shorter turnaround, becausewe've learned these lessons from before, for example, like with the drum tracking, went
(23:55):
like really smooth and we captured incredible sounds because of having already built theexperience and also not.
getting too in the weeds of things that weren't ultimately gonna give the listener anyextra emotion or not when listening to the song.
Yeah, I think it's such a great point you make and we're passionate about what we create,but then it can reach a point of diminishing returns where you're putting so much effort
(24:22):
in to get so little back because you've got 99 % of the job done already.
yeah, and a great lesson for all of us, think, who are working on important projects thatwe're passionate about.
I'm really interested, Frank, in you've got this tour coming up.
And as you've told us, your music is very dense, it's very bombastic and listeners andviewers, if you haven't picked it up, this band Earthside don't really have a lead singer,
(24:48):
they have various guest vocalists who come in and sing on various tracks.
So I'm really interested in how do you translate all of that to live performance?
That was always going to be like one of the hardest things for us.
think just, you know, we've grown up in this kind of suburban area of Connecticut where,you know, there's not this Mecca of musicians.
(25:10):
And I think having exposure to, you know, top tier vocalists wasn't quite like, you know,I don't think we had just from the people we knew and where we were.
didn't, I feel like we never had access to the person we were like looking for.
So, you know, as a band, we were like, we don't want to just like stop because like wedon't have a singer.
(25:31):
Like we have to, we have to move forward.
We have to do something.
So we kind of decided it's like, well, if a DJ can have guests, singers and play theirtracks at music festivals and do stuff like there's also, you know, why can't we or, or
world music musicians.
I used to grow up, I listened to a lot of Yanni and you know, like I saw him live.
(25:54):
I believe in Massachusetts and when I was in high school and it was awesome to see allthese different guest performers from around the world, you know, playing, playing along.
And it was like, you know, why can't we do this?
And I think so, so, so once we kind of like went, with it, you know, yeah, the questionwas always going to be like, okay, how are we going to do this live?
(26:20):
I do think the rise of electronic music has.
allowed for there to be a forgiveness of backing tracks and like singers, like I said,tons of electronic music festivals where the DJs are playing their songs they've written
with vocalists and they're doing it in their DJ performance.
(26:43):
And people are used to listening to hearing the backing track of that.
So I think one way we're in a time where it's become more acceptable.
I won't say that it's a hundred percent acceptable amongst all like rock listeners androck, metal, progressive, whatever.
We think that if we can still convey the emotion of the music live, people will still feelsomething.
(27:08):
And, you know, when we go on stage, it's, yeah, maybe we have the singer backing track,but we're incorporating it with visuals, multimedia, and us like just.
giving it 110%, laying it all on the line, whether it's 20 people in the audience or athousand or at a music festival in the UK, it doesn't matter.
(27:32):
We just go for it.
And I think that's what people come away with.
Yes, there will be some people who are just like, I can't get over this.
We're not gonna win everyone over.
We just have to deal with it.
And so...
But I do think the performance we give allows people to believe that we're not justphoning this in, that we are very invested in the music that we've made.
(27:57):
Well, you mentioned yourself, you'll be doing a high level of cardio on stage when westarted talking.
I think that's given you all...
need clips.
Yeah
It's a high energy performance as befits the music.
As I said, it's very bombastic.
It really hits you hard in the senses and I'm sure you'll be able to deliver that.
You know, it's funny, I was reflecting on what you said.
You're right, a lot of old school rock fans get very funny about tracks, but the irony isevery single legacy rock band out there that's still performing all use tracks.
(28:28):
it's actually, what's important is the performance and the passion and the emotion that'scoming across.
And you're playing live, you're not miming, you're actually playing live.
And just on the live front, Frank, so let's talk in two little forks here, as far as yourkeyboard rig that you use on stage and then also, yeah, just the physicality and what
you're actually delivering on stage.
(28:49):
What I'm using right now as far as gear are two MIDI controllers, one to A88 and A49.
Shout out Roland sponsorship anywhere.
And I have my AX7 keytar as well through a wireless rig.
So yeah, those are the three, they're all Roland's, but I like how small and compact theyare.
(29:13):
I can fit.
both of them in one keyboard case because the A88 is so shallow.
I can just throw pedals, everything into that.
And then I use, I have three outboard modules.
have the classic motif rack, the motif XS and the Integra 7.
(29:34):
And actually I don't really play with like a lot of our music was like made with.
just the sounds from those modules.
There are like VSTs that I've used, but like the core of the sound like really comes fromthose.
And I mean, I'm 36, but like, honestly, I'm a boomer.
And I think that like the rack, like the, the, actual like hardware keyboards, like Ijust, every time I sit down and play something, it's just good.
(30:06):
Like with VSTs, I don't get the same experience.
And I think
I don't know if it has to do with the fact that as a manufacturer, you're putting yourselfon the line by offering hardware.
You have to make the sounds inspiring.
You have to make the person inspired to play this.
(30:26):
And I'm also, maybe some people will hate me for this, but I love presets.
I just want to make the music.
I'm not as much of a tweaker, like tweaker, but...
I am OCD about what sounds I choose.
I will go through thousands of patches.
I will just, I won't stop.
I won't stop until I find the one.
(30:47):
And even if, even if a Yamaha keyboard has 3000 sounds, I'll be like, there's only five Iwant to use.
And that five will make the record.
It doesn't, it doesn't matter.
Yeah.
So all of those, all of my patch changes are automated through Ableton.
and the rest of our show is automated.
So I don't have to change any patches.
It will change it all for me and switch between keyboards that I need it to.
(31:11):
like keytar to 88 key to 49 key, like it'll all change around.
So it's a nifty little setup that works well for me.
Jump into the performance, but any questions on like the gear stuff?
I mean, I think it's great and all jokes about Roland sponsorship.
(31:31):
Those A series keyboards are just amazing.
I mean, I owned an A 70 years ago, loved it.
They're just amazingly robust and great, great boards.
So I can see why you're using them.
So now go for it, Frank, in the performance.
think it's still that I have the same one since like 2015 or 16.
So.
A few scratches, but it's like it's fine.
(31:53):
But yeah, and then like just approaching was a question about like how I'm approaching theperformance.
I'll start here.
I think when I was in high school, like, and this probably came from insecurity that like,you know, the keyboardist is just the dude in the back and no one cares about them.
As Ben calls me backing tracks that like.
(32:13):
You know, like, like keyboard just means backing tracks.
So like, we'll joke, like we have a mix and he'll be like, man, I wish they turned up thebacking tracks in the song here.
It'd be a little bit better, but, but there's some truth.
That's why it's funny because as a keyboardist, everyone has experienced this probably intheir lifetime, right?
(32:35):
Everyone's nodding their head.
So I don't know from a very young age, I just like had this fire in me like.
I'm such an extroverted person and it's weird to have the keyboard as my instrument.
Like I have the personality of a lead singer or a guitarist, like lead guitarist, but I'mstuck behind the keyboard.
And I see Jordan Rudess, you know, circling around like, eh, I don't know.
(32:58):
That's not like for me.
I need something more, more.
And I think I was like one of the first, like I wasn't the first person to do this, butlike as far as like,
people I knew in the general music scene around Connecticut and for my age, I found thisone company was making these wireless MIDI rigs.
(33:20):
so I bought a keytar and I kind of just had this idea.
It's like, I'm not gonna be the dude in the back.
I want people to feel my presence.
And I'm always someone who's also genuinely, when I hear music,
I have to express myself.
Like I was saying earlier, when I hear something, I'm nodding my head, I'm tapping, I'malways engaged.
(33:45):
And I'm also just highly emotional person.
When I'm going crazy, it's like kind of for the show, but it is me.
It is what I want to say.
And I want you to feel what I feel.
And so the way my performance I've done is I'm just firing all the time on all cylinders.
(34:07):
I bring the key tar out, I jump off the stage, I act like, you know, a lead guitarist and,and I want, I want people to see it's like, I'm here, I'm playing something.
I'm not the dude in the background.
and so I always like had that kind of chip on my shoulder for a long time.
(34:28):
And I've honed it, I guess, to the point where like now, you know, people will, will.
you know, say it's like, yeah, you're, saw your show and you're like the front man of theband.
And it's like, who calls a keyboardist the front man of the band, you know, that's kind ofa mission of mine since I was young.
And I feel like I kind of found my way with it.
And, and, and I think, I think, I think keyboardists, like, there's a lot of opportunityto express yourself.
(34:55):
You just have to like, really be willing to put yourself out there and not like, feel likeyou're just like the dude.
sitting in the corner.
you know, yeah, I'm always jumping around.
I'm always trying to find creative ways to be expressive.
And so yeah, it's a very like high energy thing.
I go to the gym a lot.
I train boxing.
(35:16):
So I'm, I'm ready to, you know, to jump around for 90 minutes of cardio.
Bye.
Well, in the interest of self-disclosure, Frank, I'm also an extroverted keyboardist.
so on behalf of all extroverted keyboardists, I thank you for showing the world that wecan also be seen as well as be heard.
(35:37):
David is not an extroverted keyboardist.
No, I love love it.
corner.
I do love a corner, but I do love the boxing stuff because I've been thinking doing thatbecause if you've got boxing chops, you can punch guitarists more easily.
It's good.
So I like that.
Now that's
(35:58):
haven't given Jamie my right hook yet, but you know.
Make sure you capture it on video if you do.
Frank, that's an amazing perspective on both parts of the performance and really, reallyappreciate that.
And obviously when you're performing at such a high level, sometimes things will go wrong.
So have you got an anecdote of where you've had a massive train wreck on stage that youcan-
(36:18):
God.
Last year at Radar Festival in the UK, man, this was like our biggest show to date.
And on festivals, you don't get a sound check.
So, you know, and I'm responsible for the tech in the rig of the band.
you know, I put the thing on stage, set everything up, you know, we're gearing up and likeliterally like none of the tracks are going to the PA.
(36:45):
Everything is totally like screwed up.
And, and I was just so heartbroken, man.
I won't try to make this a long story, but basically, you know, we had to start the set.
we just started it anyway.
Luckily we saw a click track, you know, the first minute we opened with we who lament andI'm just like, you know, the, you know, people expect me to be, you know, my hair flying
(37:10):
around and I'm just sitting at the keyboard like this.
Like I'm just so dejected.
And I just like, I know in my heart, like.
I'm here for a bigger purpose.
know, like I have to...
People paid money.
People want to see the bands that they like, like engage in their music.
(37:34):
And just because like this is a one-off bad day, like they don't deserve for me to be inthis state of mind.
It's just not, I don't know, like just like a lot of that voice...
you know, as that first minute is going by, it's like, just, I'm just feeling like, it'slike, I don't want to play.
Like I don't want to play.
(37:55):
But then I'm like, but like, I have some friends in the audience and like people are hereto see us.
And, and like, maybe something we play or do could inspire someone.
And then maybe they do something really cool because of that.
Not saying that like I'm anything special, but like anyone can be inspired by anything.
Right.
(38:15):
And especially if it's like a band you like and you paid to see and it's like, man, likethey did something cool this way.
And then you find a new way to do something cool with that.
You know what I mean?
And it's just like, you're sitting there thinking like, all right, I have to, I have to bethe bigger person and like, get back to how I do things, bring the energy back and be a
(38:39):
professional and get through the show.
But man, I, I sometimes things like that, just.
It breaks my heart, man, like when things go wrong, like I want the audience to hear whatwe have to play.
But you know, and then we, you know, I, some people like actually really enjoyed the showin spite of like certain technical things that weren't working.
(39:01):
And, you know, like, like we were talking about earlier, if you put your emotions outthere and things are still going wrong, people will appreciate you.
It's just like a person who like, like,
Maybe they're not like the most successful person in the world outwardly, but like, if yousee that they're trying hard and like, they put themselves into something, like you're
(39:23):
always like, that dude's cool.
Like he may not have like $10 million, but like that dude is where it's at.
Like he, he or she, whoever they, doesn't matter.
Like whatever they do, it's like they're cool because like they're actually.
Like they're trying, they're bringing something to the table.
But that was a hard one for me.
(39:43):
That was really hard.
And that's brilliant honesty and I reckon you've probably inspired to a man inspiringother people you probably inspired a bunch of people just with that explanation of that
train wreck.
So how did the Frank did that?
Do you have to play the whole show without the other stuff working?
Yeah, the radar show.
So like, you know how we have the guest vocal, like none of the vocal tracks were playing.
(40:08):
So there was no, you know, it was like we who lament instrumental at the true speakinstrumental, like, but, you know, and, and without some of the other key like elements to
it, some of maybe some of the orchestral things.
But yeah, like I said, it's, it's, I think, I think in the future I'm going to be
more able to handle this and thinking about it, like I just said, you know, like peoplewill appreciate you.
(40:35):
If you put your heart into something, they see that you're, you're, you're trying and thatyou're really like there to be there, you know.
And I assume you still had a good response in spite of all that by the sound of that,Frank, and that's a testament to the skills of all of you.
Yeah, think the core of our, you know, we write this music in our rehearsals and it's justthe for us, right?
(40:56):
You don't have all these layers.
So the fundamentals of the song are always like still there.
The melodies, the thematic elements, like, you know, cause these songs, like these arewritten before all the other post-production stuff, know, ends up on it.
So.
(41:17):
You know, we always hope that like the core of the song still tells the story even if it'sstripped down.
I think you've taught us all a great lesson too for all of us listening.
mean your audience deserves all of you every single time no matter what you might be goingthrough at that particular point.
credit to you and your team and as David said it sounds like you had a great outcome.
(41:38):
One of the questions we ask all our guests, Frank, is we ask you to tag another keyboardplayer and what that means is is there another keyboard player that you would love to...
know more about that you may be admired or are inspired by that you think would be a greatguest for this podcast.
people have come to mind.
One of them, I'm guessing will be impossible to reach out to them.
(42:01):
But I wouldn't necessarily call him a keyboardist, but in the range of keyboard-y things,I'm fascinated by how Skrillex does his production, how he does his synths.
It's so interesting to me.
Everything's it's loud and like...
(42:22):
the production just hits like when I went to stuff like a long time ago, like it was justcrazy.
I would love to know like how they're doing certain things and like producing the stufflike behind the scenes.
Cause like I'm just fascinated by that.
I think like an underrated, the textures keyboardist, the stuff isn't always up in thefront, like it's like there's just.
(42:50):
a nice backdrop in every song that just like, it just pulls everything together.
You know, like, I would say that was really cool.
And honestly, I don't know.
Have you guys, have you guys talked with, Vikram Shankar?
He, he performs with various bands.
(43:13):
he's like played some shows with pain of salvation.
But what, what I've, what the thing that
he does that.
I like is, he's like, does reimaginings of, of like songs and like a band, band I'veworked with.
He did like piano versions, like re-imagined versions of certain things.
(43:34):
And I think like, he has like a really cool sense of music in that way and likeexpressing, his emotions through that really, really nice guy.
I've talked with him a bit and I think he would have some cool things to say on thepodcast.
(43:54):
No, thank you.
They're great, great picks all around.
And Skrillex is one I never thought of.
I love that idea.
I'll see what we can do.
So no, that's great.
And then the other super easy question for you, Frank, is the Desert Island Discs.
So five albums you would find it hard to live without.
Okay.
Well, this is a great question because the first album, I have to say, because this is adream of mine to do this, which is to go to a remote island in the Pacific and listen to
(44:24):
Carnival's asymmetry at night on a full moon on the beach from front to back.
That's what's to happen in my lifetime.
Super underrated record, but there's just something about it that just like...
It's so real.
know, my interpret, I actually got to talk with Drew Goddard, the guitarist at Radar aboutthis.
(44:47):
And I wasn't, I don't think I was correct in the, in what I imagined the record to be.
But my, what I told him was that I always felt like the album was like such a, a backlashagainst the like very digital sounding progressive metal that was coming out.
during the early 2010s and everything, Superior Drummer, VST, everything, and it justsounded very artificial.
(45:17):
And that album was like, we're gonna go so raw and like, back, not backwards in a bad way,but kind of just like have this raw record that just flies in the face of everything
that's happening in...
the rock and metal scene.
So that's going to be on my albums.
(45:40):
Probably that.
Man, this is so hard.
It's either going to be Fear of a Blank Planet or In Absentia, one of those.
Man, I know.
The Gladiator soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
That was one of the most influential albums for me.
I have something different.
You know, I listen to a lot of rap music.
(46:00):
Not a lot of people know that, but like...
It's like in my blood to bob my head and just to just to do this.
That's my thing.
I can't think of one, but probably probably some three, six mafia record because I own allof their CDs.
It's just so random.
I'm like into the vibe.
And then what else would I throw in there?
(46:21):
I'm going to stop there because otherwise you guys will be sitting here like, yeah, forthe entire day.
Yeah, the day.
So so I will spare you.
But
Great, no, they've four great picks and no, that's excellent.
Thank you.
And then our last question is actually a 10 part one, Frank.
So in, call it a quick fire 10, 10 short and sharp questions.
(46:44):
album you recall hearing.
Man, that was like one of my first...
Dude, this is a hard one.
This is really hard.
I can't s-
It's okay to admit it was Barney the Dinosaur, Frank.
No, but like-
you mean like song or like album?
I feel like the first song like I really remember is like my mom used to like hot playthis like Rod Stewart album so like I'm gonna just go with like No, you know what?
(47:12):
It was you know what it was Fantasia the movie original Disney Fantasia Apparently I brokethe sorry.
I'm not rapid-firing because I have to explain everything because I'm too detail-oriented
So I broke the VC, the, what do call it?
The tape, the VCR tape, the video tape, because I played it so many times and that was thefirst music I really remember that I like internalized and like that I heard and yeah,
(47:45):
it's that, that's what it is.
My oldest son loved Fantasia too when he was a little fella.
He's a bit younger than you Frank, he's 25.
But still an incredible way to get into music.
so imaginative.
Yeah, the way it's presented is perfect, I think.
(48:05):
What's your most important pre-gig ritual?
have to eat.
If I am, I'm the most hungry, hangry person on earth.
And the most important thing is that I'm well fed and the band will attest to this.
Ask anyone.
Nothing goes right.
If I'm hungry.
Yeah.
So, and I like having clean socks too.
(48:27):
As long as I have some nice, clean socks that feel good on my feet and food.
I'm ready to go.
That's our earnable salary.
Yeah, great.
Now, Frank, if you hadn't been a musician, what do you think your career choice would havebeen?
That's interesting.
don't know.
(48:48):
I feel like it could have been different things.
I've always liked strategic things.
So maybe something with business or I kind of like finance stuff too.
I don't know.
I just like complicated stuff.
(49:09):
But yeah, maybe something like that.
Or I could see myself going the opposite way and doing some kind of hippie teachingEnglish around the world and just going to different cultures.
And I love travel, so I love learning something.
I love learning about myself.
(49:30):
And it's one of the things that maybe even supersedes music for me is the people that Iknow around the world, the community that I have, is maybe...
the most important thing I have in my, obviously my friends and family, but like thatincluded, yeah.
Yeah, cool, cool.
And on the subject of travel, what's the favourite tour you've ever done?
(49:51):
you know, cause we took such a long break, you so we, kind of just like got back into itby the end of 2022.
And then we had taken a break from like 2016 and, but I feel like I, I would probably gowith the Europe, the Europe tour with leprosy and Voyager.
(50:12):
But I also, I'm yeah, just because it was like our first year.
Not because I don't like any of the other bands or anything, because I've had a lot ofgood times with the other tours, but because it was also a tour bus tour where everyone
was together, it was a little bit more social.
Like on some of these newer ones, it's like everyone's a little bit more separated.
(50:36):
But I really enjoyed everyone being together.
was us, Leprous Voyager, we're all goofing around, playing the shows, seeing Europe.
I think as that being a first experience, it was super, super cool.
And it's been like back to the Sprinter van for the rest of the rest of the tours likebanished from the tour bus, you know, but you know, maybe we'll get we'll get back there.
(51:00):
We're getting back there.
Frank, what's your favourite gig that you've played, that's possible?
My favorite show was that show because we showed up to a place we'd never been before andpeople showed up for us, for Earthside, because we never played a headline show apart from
where our hometown is and everything.
(51:22):
And a bunch of people showed up.
The energy was just so high.
People were singing along and I was like, oh my God, this is so cool.
you know, in spite of all my self doubt and like, you know, all we only got 60 people.
Like there's something in me that's like seeing everyone just be there and like recognizelike, wow, earth side is like a band that like people appreciate.
(51:48):
like the energy was just so high.
Like everyone was so hyped in this like small little room.
And I think I like was very emotional after the performance.
was like kind of like in tears, like
It just was like, it was really cool to like get to experience that for the first time,like go somewhere and like, there are some people who care about what I'm doing and like
(52:12):
wanting to share that and just being there.
I think to this day that will always be like one of the most memorable, you know, gigsthat I've played.
It's a beautiful story.
What's the favorite city you've ever played, Frank?
Favorite city.
(52:33):
You know, this is just straight off the top of my head because maybe I have a differentanswer that I would have changed later.
Like in the US, like Boston, like really shows up.
Also Montreal, like a split decision.
Maybe, maybe Montreal, like just like the people are just like so engaged.
Like as far as like the US, Boston, Canada, Montreal, like it's like, it's just like kindof hits different.
(52:56):
Like it seems like there's like a real investment in like
the music and like you and even being a different kind of band like there's like this thispassion that's there.
Right.
where, and you can even see it in the ticket sales.
It's like they just come out.
Like, it's really, it's really cool.
(53:18):
Like I, yeah, I like playing those, those two cities a lot.
Great, and last but not least, your favourite non-musical activity or hobby, what keepsyou sane outside of music?
man.
Yeah, it has to be travel.
That's my thing.
(53:38):
Like I said, super extroverted.
I love to meet people.
I love to have a new experience and perspective.
yeah, just like I think part of touring and traveling, it's just like a sense ofadventure.
that's one of the biggest passions of mine.
(53:59):
Yeah, no, look, I think that sense of adventure is well and truly reflected in the amazingmusic you and you are producing through our side and Elsa.
And we can't thank you enough for taking the time.
And we'd love to meet you down under at some stage when hopefully you get down here on atour, but thank you enough to tonight for your time.
Frank is hugely appreciated.
Thank you guys.
(54:20):
You asked some good questions and I just tried to, you know, I fumble along, but sometimesI'll get on track and say a few interesting
to breathe.
So Paul, as I said before the show, I love Frank's honesty on a number of issues.
(54:43):
It was really great chatting with him.
Yeah, it's always nice when our guests are really generous with their emotions and theirvulnerability and we all have these vulnerabilities and the highs and lows of playing
music and putting yourself out there in your art and hoping people like it and willrespond to it, particularly when it's been your life's work and passion, I think.
(55:04):
That's right.
my last work and passion is to find a good corner at a gig.
But you know that's just...
that
It was great talking to Frank and yeah, hugely appreciate his time.
And if you are in the US, do check out the tour and obviously around the world, outEarthSide's albums.
They are quite incredible, particularly if you are a prog or orchestral rock or cinematicrock fan, this stuff you will lap up.
(55:28):
It's absolutely amazing.
So yeah, huge thank you to everyone out there for listening as always.
Quick shout out to our gold and silver supporters.
Katcher from Tammy's Musical Stew.
Thank you, Tammy, as always.
The wonderful Ed from Elk Electronic, if you need synth repairs done in the Australiancontext, then Ed is your guy.
Elk Electronic with a K on both the electronic and the elk.
(55:51):
You'll find them easily online.
And last but not least, Dave and the team from the musicplayer.com forums think thekeyboard corner is one of the best places to go on the internet to talk keyboard.
Exactly right.
What else would you want in life?
So no, thank you all out there for listening.
Thank you, sir, as always for joining me and we'll be back in a couple of weeks.
(56:13):
Until then, keep on playing.
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