Rock and Pop: Interview - Frankie Francis
Published: 10 March, 2011
by ROISIN GADELRAB
FRANKIE and the Heartstrings have just arrived in Sheffield and need to unload their equipment for the next free Topman Ctrl gig.
You’d think a band that has just reached number 32 in the singles charts with Hunger would have roadies, but Sunderland’s Heartstrings – whose sound has been compared to Dexy’s Midnight Runners – have their own ideas. “We do it ourselves because we don’t want to be ‘that band’ and let the local crew load it,” says lead singer Frankie Francis.
“It’s our gear, we’re playing the gig, it’s our responsibility to get the gear upstairs. We’re guests in the city.”
He is acutely aware of the five-piece’s good fortune.
“Being number 32 is a feat for an indie band on an independent label,” says Frankie. “[It’s] an amazing achievement. Our label, Wichita, deserve a lot of glory.”
He attributes the band’s music to their working class environment, adding: “[It’s] still very deprived in comparison to the rest of the country in terms of the arts and jobs generally. We’re constantly around that so we’re influenced by it. Growing up in Sunderland, we’ve all got our own success stories – we’ve done things off our own backs.”
The Heartstrings play this year’s Camden Crawl (April 30-May 1), alongside Villagers, Lethal Bizzle, British Sea Power and Simian Mobile Disco.
Frankie, who says he has never been to the Crawl before, revealed the band will play the HMV Forum alongside a mystery headliner. But fans shouldn’t leave early.
Frankie says: “It’s become a tradition – before the last song we’ll tell everyone, if we know the area, which pub we’ll be in after the gig.”
Much has been made of his new tattoo – a line drawing by singer Edwyn Collins. Frankie says: “We recorded our album with Edwyn, he’s a massive influence. He had a big health scare, a brain haemorrhage and stroke about five years ago and overcame that. He drew an image during his recovery of a man.
“No one knew what it was and he kept on drawing it because he couldn’t express himself. He didn’t know what he looked like and was bed-bound so he’d draw this image. When he was able to talk he was able to say it was himself.”
Taking his cue from James Dean, Frankie has become a style icon, after being named GQ’s 39th best-dressed man last year. He says: “I guess it’s a nostalgic look. I don’t think you can go wrong with smart shirt and trousers and a good pair of shoes.”
Frankie’s bouffant has become a focal point, described as “impeccable” by Hurts’ Theo Hutchraft. But his style doesn’t always go down well in Sunderland. He adds: “You bring it on yourself if you have a quiff I guess.”
• Frankie and the Heartstrings’ album Hunger is out now.