First off, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. I am hopeful that the news I saw regarding the fires around Los Angeles being better contained are true, and the long recovery can begin for everyone affected by them.

    Thank you! Yeah it’s been a pretty crazy fucked up start to the year here. Thankfully the fires are out now! It’s going to be a long road to recovery, but the community has really come together like I’ve never seen before to help each other and it’s awesome to see.

    I had not realized how long I have been listening to you until I realized the ‘High on Yourself’ single came out almost 10 years ago now. Frankie and The Studs have just released your first full length album through Deadbeat Records which contains a mix of new songs and some former singles. Ironically, one of the more recent singles ‘Drain Me’ is not on the album. How did you go about determining what songs made the album?

      Almost 10 years already?? Damn!! So you’re probably also wondering what took us so long haha. Yeah, we decided not to put ‘Drain Me’ on the record because that song came from a time of experimentation during lockdown and we wanted to go back to our roots and put out something more raw. We actually had a lot of songs that were in the same universe as ‘Drain Me’ and we re-recorded them as a live band. Whenever we play ‘Drain Me’ live, we play it totally differently to fit our 4 piece live band setup. So we wanted the whole album to just reflect what it feels like to go see us live. I’ve always thought of us as a live band, and to go back to the 10 years thing. I spent a lot of time just playing and getting all that experience under my belt. Right now felt like the right time… I know who I am as an artist, and the band feels solid. My bandmates are my best friends. We’re all in it together. The band went through some different iterations over the years and I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible musicians, but there were times the band felt more like a solo project, but now we feel like a band… so it was time to put out an album!

      One of the new songs has to be relatable to anyone who has worked a few jobs in their life is ‘Fuck this Shit.’ My daughter has grown to love the song and is very careful to just sort of mouth the words to the chorus. From live clips I have seen online, the song understandably gets the crowd singing right away. I catch myself playing it at least twice in a row each time I play it. Did the song come quickly when you were writing it?

        Hahah that’s awesome, I always tell children to cover their ears if we’re playing an all ages show. Yeah our guitarist Frank Salazar actually wrote that song and when he showed it to me I came up with the lyrics to a second verse pretty quickly, because like you said, I think we can all relate to that feeling!

        ‘Flash’ is an older song that I called out in my recent review as one of my all-time favorite songs in general. I have a custom playlist where it slots beautifully between a song by D Generation and the New York Loose. How did that song come about?

          Aw thank you, that’s a high honor!! We wrote that song fresh off a tour with the Longshot in 2018. We all got in a room and started jamming some ideas for new songs and that one turned into a song about how you get everything you want and it goes by in a flash. Kind of a reminder to myself to be present and appreciate what you got. I grew up idolizing Billie Joe, and to be able to meet him let alone tour with him, was beyond a dream come true. I kept pinching myself… I still do!

          ‘Not This Time’ is a beautiful soft rocker that channels, to my ears, Bowie in the Ziggy Stardust era. What would we find in your own record collection? What are some of your favorites and maybe what artists would surprise us?

            That was definitely the main source of inspiration behind that one! I wrote that one with my friend and collaborator Stewart Cararas. His saying during our sessions is always “WWBD – What Would Bowie Do” The obvious ones would be the Ramones, the Runaways, The Clash, T. Rex.. Some of the more surprising ones would probably be Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynne, Tammy Wynette.

            I grew up when Bananarama had a hit single with ‘Venus.’ Your cover adds a nice crunch to it and works perfectly with the hard rock approach. Part of me would love to see your cover take off and help the band get some exposure, but I wouldn’t want that to be ‘what you are known for’ if that makes sense. (Readers- Let’s make ‘Fuck this Shit’ the song for 2025). When did y’a’ll discover that was a perfect song to cover?

              Let’s do it and I hear ya! Billie Joe actually sent me the Shocking Blue version one day and suggested we cover it. I remember growing up hearing the song in Venus razor ads lol. We first tried it live and it had such a vibe we decided to record it and put it on the record.

              How did you choose which two songs would be the bonus tracks for the CD version? ‘She’s Insane’ is one of your oldest songs, ‘Some Kinda Love’ provides a great groove. 

                She’s Insane has always been a part of our set, so it felt right to add a new and improved version as a bonus track. Funny enough, when we opened the session file to re-mix it we found a long lost synth track that we were debating on putting on the original recording. It ended up getting vetoed because we wanted to be able to play the songs true to the record live, but we added it back in for the bonus track. I also did a new vocal take since I’ve grown up a lot since the first recording. ‘Some Kinda Love’ was a track I recorded with Macy Gray and it was her idea to cover the Velvet Underground song and make it our own. I always loved this version and had just been sitting on it, so this was the perfect opportunity to put it out.

                How did the current band members come together? In the video for ‘Fuck This Shit,’ there is a cohesiveness where things seem to be clicking from an outsider’s perspective. The ‘cool’ factor is definitely present, and it seems to work across generations as my daughter stops what she is doing to watch it.

                  I love that your daughter is a fan of that song/video! Nick Rossi has been in the band the longest, he joined the band in 2018. We first met in 2017 when I was looking for drummers for our tour with the Biters and he came recommended by my friend Jorma Vik who responded to a Facebook post I put out looking for drummers. Lizi, is an italian singer/songwriter and has her own band LIZI. We first met at one of my shows in 2018 I think?? and she handed me one of her band’s CDs. Flash forward a few years later she was in my dad’s studio recording her album. She asked me to sing on one of her songs “Dying Inside” and we became instant friends. We’ve toured in Italy with both our bands together and when I needed a bass player for a gig she filled in and now she’s a Stud! Frank Salazar, is my boyfriend we met on Tinder 6 years ago haha! At first I didn’t want to intertwine the two but he’s an amazing songwriter, guitarist, singer and we just naturally started to make music together so it made sense!

                  Established bands are currently struggling to tour and break even. I have resigned myself to watching live shows from your band on YouTube, including some shows from Italy at the end of 2024. When it comes to live shows, can we expect to see any shows outside of California in 2025?

                    That’s the goal! My main goal for 2025 though is to play outside of LA more.

                    My assumption would be you grew up in a very musical home. I first started listening to your Dad (joining Alice Cooper’s band for his current tour) back in the late 80’s when he was in Kill for Thrills. He has obviously seen the music industry go through a lot of changes from the time he was in Candy until now. What words of wisdom has he given you over the years you have been performing?

                      The best advice he’s given to me is “if someone can do it, why can’t you!”

                      Away from the music, you had a clothing arrangement with Forever 21. I wasn’t sure if that was still ongoing. 

                        Yeah we did a Frankie and the Studs x Forever 21 collection for festival season in 2023. That was a really wild experience! The collection sold out pretty fast.

                        What final words do you have for our readers?

                          We’re getting ready to put out another single and put the album out digitally. We decided to first put out the record on vinyl/CD only because we think that’s the best way to hear music. But we also realize it’s not easy to get vinyl across the world, so it will be out everywhere very soon!

                          Thank you Frankie for taking the time to answer questions for us. Please watch for live dates in the future and pick up the awesome ‘Life’s a Glitch’ album.

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                          Questions: Gerald Stansbury

                          Answers: Frankie Clarke

                          NEW ALBUM, BEER BABY’
                          OUT MARCH 7

                          PRE-ORDER HERE:

                          UK/EURO TOUR STARTS MARCH 29TH

                          Taken from their new album ‘Beer Baby’, to be released March 7th via LEGLESS, Gaga Music and Bachelor Records (UK).

                          They’re back after a four-year hiatus, with their fourth studio album and a UK tour confirmed for March and April. Drunk Mums formed in 2011 and were a huge influence on The Chats and Amyl and the Sniffers etc, so it’s a timely return and time to reclaim their crown as Australia’s rowdiest, dumb-fun party garage band.

                          Filmed and edited by WILD ROSE PICTURES in the streets of Melbourne, this video is a hot mess. A wild ride featuring E Scooters, a pit stop at the bottle shop, cheeky park session, New Guernica and a ride in a stretch limo that screams, “We made it… sort of.”

                          So, if you’re ready to witness the chaotic masterpiece that is “LIVIN AT NIGHT,” buckle up and join Drunk Mums on a journey through the absurdity of their latest party anthem. Let’s face it, we all need a bit of Drunk Mums-induced mayhem in our lives. Cheers to chaos!

                          Catch Drunk Mums live at the following dates in the UK:

                          March 29 Bristol, The Lanes

                          March 30 London, The Trinity

                          March 31 Bantham, Outside

                          April 1 Manchester, Big Hands April 2 Brighton, TBA

                          INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | UNEARTHED

                          From The Home of Razzle this four-piece play bullshit-free punk rock n roll and infuse into that remit the soul of The Cramps and a bunch of Psychobilly mixed with the grunt of a lifetime devoted to loud guitars and punk rock.  It’s not rocket science and they’re not reinventing the wheel here but they do understand that it’s important to have a good time being creative and I do enjoy some Dr. Feelgood harmonica honking as well and Mad Daddy throw in a fair bit of that here. ‘Just You Wait And See’ is a lovely slice of boogie-woogie pub rock just like Wilcos old muckas used to throw down.

                           

                          Ten tracks are what’s on offer and there’s plenty of energy to boot ‘Ride With Me’ has got guts and a heap of wheel spins going on.  The guitars are honkin’ like a hog on heat and the harp is quality.  In a tight club with writhing sweaty bodies, these tunes would be an absolute blast.  Take the twelve-bar romp of ‘Pretty Lady’ and the nice tone of ‘I’m Bored’.

                           

                          The bass gets in on some grunt work as ‘Hey Elvis’ descents into a brawl of volume between the rhythm section and that lead guitar. Elvis!, Elvis! I think I’ve got tinnitus and these cats ain’t slowing down as ‘Real Bad Day’ is on the march whilst ‘Let’s Get Messed Up’ is something of a Wildhearts meets The Ramones vs the Cramps and Feelgood dust-up and that’s an impressive fight to the death.

                           

                          With no time for a slowie or token ballad, the nearest you are going to get is the mid-paced Garage thump of ‘Outta The Way’.  As far as new bands go this is a very decent introduction. There are some great ideas and songs going on here tied in with some great harmonica playing that compliments some crunching guitar work.  Mad Daddies have given this debut album some right proper wellie and its good to hear.  Check em out!

                          Buy Mad Daddy Here

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                          Author: Dom Daley

                          Imagine if Zeke had a female at the front? Acid Blood from Sweden are that band.  Ferocious slabs of hardcore punk rock that’s uncompromising and right up in your grill with a stiff middle finger in your face.  ‘Dagger Eyes’ be fucked This band means business.’ Bleeding Out’, ‘Louder Than Death’ ‘Acid Blood’ I’m sure you get where they’re coming from.  It’s like they’ve taken The Cavemen and turned the dial-up or rather ripped it out and pissed on it. Acid Blood is the band and the album title and it would seem the opening track so don’t forget folks ‘Acid Blood’!  Beer, Nudity, Blood, Loud Guitars, frantic drums, vocals that have been mangled by gargling broken glass and barbed wire and dreamt that one day they can make a racket that marries Venom with Motorhead with Zeke With a pint of paint stripper and you’re almost there just toss in The Plasmatics on supercharge and you are on your way.

                          Acid Blood isn’t for the faint hearted its fast and furious punk rock as ‘Bullseye’ rips into a brutal ‘Bleeding Out’ and fuck you too. Gotta love their attitude and the fact they don’t sound like they are about to release an acoustic album or cover up for the censors. It might not be original in any shape or form but I love it. ‘Don’t You Die’ is good advice. Imagine seeing these go out on tour with The Good The Bad The Zugly and Clowns now that would be a devastating triple threat with guest appearances from the Dwarves for good measure.

                          They also get their rock on for ‘Wasted’ the album ebbs and flows from thrashing furiously (‘Harvest Day’) to… oh hang on its more a tsunami than an ebb and flow as the wall of guitars washes over you. Jojo Anderbygd is barking the orders from the microphone and I love it when they slow things down (just a smidgeon) like the Dead Kennedys like ‘Kill Screen’ – of course it doesn’t last before breaking out its what Acid Blood does. The closing marathon (ok so four minutes is long for these cats) of ‘Wartime’ has the feel and attitude of prime time Iggy and The Stooges absolutely stinking with attitude and the best song on offer here.

                          Fourteen songs – a shade under forty minutes – loose – reckless but very very tasty.  Get some Acid Blood in your life its a fuckin’ Blast!

                           

                          Buy Acid Blood Here

                          Author: Dom Daley

                          Based on the notion that there is not enough true rock ‘n’ roll in the sprawling capital of Berlin (if anyone wants to prove them wrong, then contact us), Bella Wreck are a garage sensation doing their best to correct that unforgivable wrong. With this reissue of their 2014 self-titled debut album, they are giving us another chance to indulge in this raucous sensation, and with a few new tracks to boot.

                          Bella Wreck aren’t afraid to pin their colours to the mast and leave no doubt as to what inspirations are driving this party. The album builds on the classic garage rock ‘n’ roll sounds, mixing a bit of Radio Birdman with a bit of Nomads and finding time for New York Dolls along the way – listen to ‘Untold Fury’ and ‘Trash’ and you could be right back there with Thunders et al. They give it their own shine though and it’s fair to say that this album is fantastically enigmatic.

                          The high level of song writing is on display from the first moment with opener ‘Can’t You See’, and happily it doesn’t stop there. The album is littered with fantastic hooks and catchy choruses, and energy abounds, whether it’s the intensity of ‘Vienna’ or the cool of ‘Fear Me’. Songs such as ‘1000 Years’ and ‘Fun’ have a confident swagger, whereas ‘Run’ and ‘Fight’ change up the mood a bit with pop hooks and superb melodies.

                          This self-titled record is worthy of a reissue and, hopefully, a much bigger audience. Simply put, if you like garage rock and punk, you will love this.

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                          Author: Craggy Collyde