Frente celebrates Marvin’s 30th
Frente! photo credit Sarah Walker
30 years after Frente burst onto the Australian music scene, the Melbourne indie-pop icons are hitting the road to celebrate the anniversary of their iconic debut record, Marvin The Album. The Marvin The Album Anniversary Tour will run through May & June of this year, with shows planned for Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide & Brisbane. We caught up with Simon & Angie from Frente to ask them about the special milestone, that famous street and to get thoughts on how the scene has changed in the last tree decades.
Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of your album ‘Marvin the Album’, is it a surreal feeling to be celebrating this milestone?
Simon : Yes it’s quite surreal - I know all this time has passed but it seems like we’ve just picked up where we left off. I do feel older and (not much) wiser. And maybe more level headed, although I’ve been losing my head (happily) during the shows. Such fun.
Angie : Absolutely! I don’t think it’s really hit home in the sense of the number, but there has definitely been a process in order to re-enter the headspace of the songs and the dynamic/history that Simon and I share. That does tell me that some time has passed. It’s been a beautiful experience.
“We’re magpies and have used things we thought were musically shiny”
For those youngins that may be reading this that haven’t heard of FRENTE before, how do you describe your music? What genre would you categorize your as?
Simon : Well now Youngins…. back in the Gen-X times them genres didn’t matter so much.
The official genre is Indie Pop. Sometimes we’ve been labelled Indie Folk, or Alt Pop, or Folk Pop, or Alt Folk or Jangle Pop (aaargh typing that last one I nearly hoiked the laptop into the compost). We’re magpies and have used things we thought were musically shiny (what?), except perhaps from things that we’re obviously NOT, like Symphonic Metal. I lean towards pop rock/new pop rather than mass market pop (although I quite like How You Like That and…Baby One More Time.) Trust that answers the question.
Angie : What Simon says - although my MMP (mass market pop) favourites may differ from his, slightly.
In your opinion what made ‘Marvin the Album’ more commercially appealing that your previous EP releases ‘Whirled’ & ‘Clunk’?
Simon : It’s always down to the songs I think. Kelly St was a genuine hit single. The “lead” songs on Whirled (Labour of Love) and Clunk (Ordinary Angels) were hits on a smaller scale and paved the way.
Angie : I agree with Simon, but I also think that ‘paving the way’ is essentially entering the scene and letting people know that you are here by touring and releasing something tangible, so that people can begin to understand your sound. By the time the album came out, we’d let people know what our intentions were and we had an audience for just such a release.
‘Accidently Kelly St’ is probably the song you are most well-known for, when you wrote the track did it stand out to you or was there indication that this would be the door-opening track it turned out to be?
Simon : Not when Tim brought it to the band. But when we recorded it, it stood out - it sounded different.
Angie : We knew it was a different chapter in Tim’s life and that in itself was a wonderful thing. We had no idea that it was going to be the song.
Tell us about ‘Accidently Kelly St’ what was the inspiration for the writing of the track?
Simon : Tim’s pretty reserved in some ways, so when the song came into being you could tell that he’d accessed a special personal place. It’s a celebration of being alive.
Angie : Well said. And, of course, he moved into a new home that promised good things - on ‘Kelly Street’, which was actually Kenny Street.
Was there ever a time you wish people requested another song? Have you or do you ever get sick of playing ‘Accidently Kelly St’?
Simon : People request different songs - especially in other countries, where other songs are more well known. I never ever get sick of playing Kelly Street or our other songs that are special to people.
Angie : I’d be sad if people stopped requesting songs. It’s part of the give and take that we have with the audience and it lets you know that they’ve come because they have a connection to you and your music. Sure, I’ve grown weary of a few of our more celebrated songs, but life is long and I’ve found my way back into love with them. I’m feeling very lucky, to be honest.
You have both been able to forge successful solo careers since you called it a day as Frente, was it hard to go it alone? What challenges did you face going it alone?
Simon : I haven’t had a solo musical career! I pretty much gave the performing thing away until now. But life and work in corporate land have been very good.
Angie : Simon, in the in-betweens of our Frente lulls, you have written and co-written, tour managed and worked in sound design. I wouldn’t call that giving it away! I am in awe of your multi-talents.
As for my own time, I’ve been the member of a few side-bands (Splendid, Four Hours Sleep and Holidays On Ice) and had the honour of guesting on many of my favourite musicians’ projects. It’s all been a lot of fun. I’m just finishing up my latest solo album which feels pretty amazing. It’s been liberating to have a voice outside of what Frente is known for. I feel like I have something fresh to bring back to us whenever we reconvene.
“When you hit that kind of chemistry in a songwriting partnership it is a once in a lifetime thing”
You achieved a Platinum certification, you have toured with the like of Counting Crows and Alanis Morrisette and even appeared on the Conan O’Brien show, so what has been the highlight in your musical careers so far personally? And why?
Simon : In 1992, at the Clunk record launch, I was taken aside and showed the official Aria Chart - and the record was in the top 10 in its first week after release. That moment added a very special official stamp on what had been a lot of very hard work and intense creation.
Angie : I think that, the day we wrote Ordinary Angels, is a highlight for me to this day. We knew right there on the spot that we had written something special and it was a very emotional moment. When you hit that kind of chemistry in a songwriting partnership it is a once in a lifetime thing - that’s a chemistry that we forged years ago and it is still there when we sit down together to write today.
It’s safe to say the music industry has changed over your years of being involved, what are the positive and negative changes you have seen over the last 30 plus years?
Simon : Pretty much all been positive. Making music is much more democratic and much less expensive, so many more people have access. The appetite of people for music has grown and grown, and there seems to be an audience for many more musical genres. It’s a lot easier to record and tour.
Angie : Yes, but in contrast, I think that the value of music has become less supported. The structures that allowed musicians to take time to write and record, to tour extensively and to grow their craft has evaporated. With accessibility has come a need for protections to artists’ work, so that they can at least make enough money to continue to write, record and tour the music that we all enjoy in our day to day lives.
Frente is embarking on a national tour to celebrate your special anniversary, are you excited to be hitting the road together again?
Simon : Yes! I love to play and connect with people. It’s a real privilege.
Angie : We’ve done a few shows in the lead up to this tour and it has been magic! I didn’t know what it would be like to play together again and it has been even better than I’d hoped for. The audiences have been so warm and sometimes wild (love it!) and we somehow sound like a band that has been touring for much longer than the few shows that we have done so far. I’m happy as a clam.
Once the tour has finished is there any chance of Frente releasing new music or possibly a ‘Marvin the Album’ Volume 2?
Simon : We’re writing songs right now - stay tuned.
Angie : What he said.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but has never gotten one? And what is they do or have done that keeps your world turning?
Simon : Many many people deserve a massive shout out - we are very grateful to all the Friends of Frente (“Fans” doesn’t do them justice) our management, labels, publishers, crew, folks in the media, venues and shows, our musical collaborators….on and on.
The biggest shout goes to my partner who has kept both of us sane while listening to me write hundreds of songs and pieces of music for nearly 30 years, often at 4 in the morning, often while something actually important has been left undone, and a lesser shout to our children, who pretty much dislike the band when they can be bothered to notice it but no worries.
And a special shout to my ally and co-conspirator Ang for this fabulous maelstrom. Holla.
Angie : To you, Simon. The genius and the heart of all of this. Also, all of the members of Frente, from the start to now. They have been a big part of shaping the twists and turns that we have taken musically along the way. We haven’t always been great at conveying our appreciation to everyone involved, but we’ve learned along the way. So, to those that are bringing the energy to the band now and to those who taught us to be better band-mates. Thank you.
Does Frente have a message it would like to pass on? Is there anything you would like to say to your fans or readers of this interview?
Simon : Love and thanks to our friends. Cool nods to our enemies.
Angie : Ha! Thanks for making it this far and we hope to see you out there.
FRENTE! MARVIN THE ALBUM 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
FRIDAY MARCH 24 | CASTLEMAINE STATE FESTIVAL, CASTLEMAINE, VICTickets from www.castlemainefestival.com.au
SATURDAY MAY 6 | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THURSDAY MAY 25 | OXFORD ARTS FACTORY, SYDNEY, NSW | 18+Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRIDAY MAY 26 | THE ZOO, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRIDAY JUNE 9 | THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SATURDAY JUNE 10 | BADLANDS, PERTH, WA | 18+ *TRIOTickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
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Interview by Michelle Symes
March 2023