F E A T U R E: In case you haven’t already heard, Frankie and the Studs is a rock band burning up and out of Los Angeles with the force of a flaming meteor. The crushing new single and video for “Bimini” comes out July 11th to celebrate both a Pacific Northwest tour with Bad Cop, Bad Cop and an upcoming debut LP release this fall that is rumored to have some very special guests attached. Fronted by the young and spunky Frankie Clarke, the live band currently consists of Frank Salazar on guitar, Lizi Gionangeli on bass, and Nick Rossi on drums. Frankie is a huge fan of drag performance, so the single “Bimini” was a tribute, written and titled after legendary drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash.
“Bimini Bon Boulash was a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and I became obsessed with their style and attitude,” Frankie explains. “I couldn’t stop walking around saying ‘Bimini Bon Boulash’ so everyone had to hear about them. I’m also really into makeup and drag in general. I love shape-shifting and using makeup and fashion to express a part of me that I wouldn’t normally. Even onstage I’ve always had a sort of persona. So the song is kind of about that, feeling free to express yourself in any way regardless of gender conformities and not to impress anyone but yourself.”
Members + roles in the group:
Frankie Clarke - lead vocals and rhythm guitar
Frank Salazar - lead guitar
Lizi Gionangeli - bass
Nick Rossi - drums
For the music/lyric video, Frankie celebrates self-expression through full rock ’n’ roll fashion while doing mundane things like sitting at a diner, eating a donut, and walking around various favorite spots in the valley. The song itself was co-written with Frankie’s longtime friend and collaborator Stewart Cararas. In addition to being a co-producer/songwriter and all around unicorn in Frankie’s eyes, “Stewart also taught me to always ask ourselves, What would Bowie do?”
Q & A:
Band name – Frankie and the Studs - Where does it come from & what does it mean to you?
At the time the band was myself backed by 3 dudes, so “the studs” was a reference to them but I liked that it could also reference the studs on a leather jacket.
Background – Where are you from? Any previous musical projects worth mentioning?
I was born and raised in the valley (LA). Most notable would be my first band when I was 11 years old called Sweet Gone Sour, just kidding but we popped off in the elementary school playground.
How was this project formed?
The Studs started when I was in college. I put out a video covering “Hot Child in the City” by Nick Gilder for fun and I started getting asked to play shows, but I didn’t have a band. I asked around some musicians I knew in LA and I would go back and forth between school and LA and practice and work on writing songs with them. Since then, the band is ever evolving. I’ve been fortunate to play with lots of amazing musicians along the way.
How does FATS operate?
I’ve always operated under ‘whoever is available to play the gig.’ I joke that I keep a rolodex of Studs, haha. I like to write with lots of different people too, so a lot of our songs I’ve written with musicians who have also played in the Studs. This current lineup has been playing together solidly for the past 2 years.
Collaborators featured in making of the single – please list any and include history + how you work together:
My good friend Stewart Cararas and I wrote this song together. Stewart is a songwriter/producer/unicorn. We have been writing together since the very beginning of the Studs. We even have a full-on musical we’ve written together and will hopefully get to put out someday soon. Stewart had sent me a demo of the track and I loved it. He sent me an idea with the music, a scratch vocal and some improvised lyric ideas and then I sent him lyrics, we got together and worked it all out. That’s how we collaborate though, one of us will start with an idea and we come together to bring it to life. Stewart also taught me to always ask ourselves “What would Bowie do?”
Song name – “BIMINI” - what is the significance?
Please talk a little about the process/story behind it - writing it, recording it, lyrics, and visuals?
At the time, I was watching a lot of RuPaul’s Drag Race so we titled the demo track “Ode to Bimini Bon Boulash” and it kind of stuck and inspired the theme of the song. Bimini Bon Boulash was a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and I became obsessed with their style and attitude. Admittedly, I couldn’t stop walking around saying “Bimini Bon Boulash” so everyone had to hear about them. I’m also really into makeup and drag in general. I love shape-shifting and using makeup and fashion to express a part of me that I normally wouldn’t, even on stage I’ve always had a sort of persona. So the song is kind of about that; feeling free to express yourself in any way regardless of gender conformities and not to impress anyone but yourself.
Stewart and I first recorded the track together at his home studio and then when it was time to finalize we recorded it at my dad’s studio with the band to give it the Studs live-feel experience.
And the music video - any stories behind the imagery?
My boyfriend and I walked around Burbank and filmed at various locations we like to go to. The idea behind it was to celebrate self-expression even in the mundane. So I’m wearing a silver metallic dress, union jack boots (a nod to Bimini) and getting a donut, a soda and walking around. Kinda the idea of getting dressed up with nowhere to go. During lockdown that always made me feel more sane even though I wasn’t getting dressed up for anyone to see.
Tour plans around the release - how did they come about?
We’re going out on tour with Bad Cop/Bad Cop this July. Stacey Dee and I met a couple years back when we were both asked to sing in a cover band. We hit it off right away and have stayed in touch ever since. We always talked about our bands playing together and when this tour came up, the stars aligned! I’m a huge fan of Bad Cop/Bad Cop so not only am I stoked we get to play with them, but I can’t wait to see them every night.
Frankie + The Studs release of their crushing new anthem and music video - "Bimini" - July 11th. Named after the famous drag queen, this single is the first off the band's upcoming debut LP due out this fall.
Catch Frankie and the Studs June 21 @harvardandstone
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