 Can You Hear The Musik: Frankmusik backstage at Terminal 5. (Photo: Jeff Benjamin/Billboard) |
Frankmusik is preparing for the September 27th release of his album “Do It In The AM” with a supporting slot on Erasure‘s “Erasure: Tomorrow’s World Tour.” Backstage at his Sept. 14th show at Terminal 5 in New York, Frankmusik, real name Vincent Frank, keeps his inner circle tight with bandmembers, his fiancé, and manager Cassandra Gracey. Gracey manages hot British acts like Ellie Goulding, Sugababes, and V.V. Brown at Crown Music.
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On the roof of Terminal 5, Frank, 25, goes relatively unnoticed among the wildly dressed Erasure fans — most older than him. “I think it’s harder for a dude doing pop music,” he says of his efforts to break into the mainstream. “It’s getting trickier, especially if you want to do just fun, pop music. There’s connotations attached to it from sexuality to masculinity. It’s actually kind of a weird that…we have more music than ever but the outlets are more and more pinched.”
He cited Enrique Igleasias as the only male pop star that could really compete with the strong females in the industry, as most males are rockers or rappers.
 (Photo: Jeff Benjamin/Billboard) |
Frank spoke excitedly about Martin Kierszenbaum, the chairman of Cherrytree Records, president of A&R of pop and rock at Interscope, and president of international relations at Interscope Geffen A&M. “He thinks about the long term. I don’t think enough A&R men think about the long term,” he says of the man he calls his mentor. The best thing about Martin, he knows how to produce. There’s so many A&R men who want to change stuff, but they don’t know what to change it in to. He knows how to change stuff in Logic and Protools and all the software programs. He can be hands on with his thoughts.”
He’s enthralled with his position on Kierszenbaum’s Cherrytree Records alongside LMFAO, Robyn, La Roux, Tokio Hotel, and labelmates he sees as the next wave of pop, “we’re probably the new generation: Natalia Kills, me, and Collette Carr. And I hope we do just as well.”
Frank’s producer profile got some double takes when he was announced to be working on Joe Jonas‘ debut record. While he found out his work won’t make the cut there are no hard feelings with one of the many “cool artists” he’s worked with lately. “I don’t know what happened there,” he says of the Jonas collaboration. “I hope he’s doing OK. I haven’t heard much about it.” Frank also produced on Erasure’s upcoming October release “Tomorrow’s World,” the band’s first album in four years. This follows released remixes he’s done of Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys, and labelmate Ellie Goulding.
Frankmusik’s set included music from his 2009 “Complete Me” album as well as new material mashed up with hits from various eras and genres with Gloria Estefan, The Trammps, Kings Of Leon, and Eric Prydz all sonically present.
 Frankmusik’s set integrated into Erasure’s gothic themed stage. (Photo: Jeff Benjamin/Billboard) |