The Frames
From The Frames
This wiki is a fan-maintained resource for The Frames; an Irish rock band with 6 studio albums to their name.
The band are made up of Glen Hansard (vocals, guitar), Joe Doyle (bass, vocals), Colm MacConIomaire (violin, keyboard, and vocals) and Rob Bochnik (lead guitar) and Johnny Boyle (drums). The band are managed by Claire Leadbitter (the band's manager).
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Contents |
History
1980s - 1992
The Frames were formed in Dublin in the late 1980s by Glen Hansard after he secured a record deal with Island records. The band’s name came from Glen’s childhood hobby of fixing bikes for his friends. Because his garden always had bicycle frames lying around his neighbours started to call it the "house with the frames" [1]
The original band line-up was guitarist Dave Odlum, vocalist Noreen O'Donnell, bassist John Carney, violinist Colm MacConIomaire, and drummer Paul Brennan. Many of these original members had been developing their musical and performance skills for years, busking on the streets of Dublin. The band released a first album “Another Love Song” in 1992 with Pixies producer Gil Norton, but the relationship with Island didn’t last long. Changes in the band’s members, Hansard’s acting role in Alan Parker's hit film The Commitments, a cancelled US tour, staff changes in Island and “artistic differences” are all factors that reportedly led to the band being dropped. In a later interview Glen said of the first album “Another Love Song”, was from a very young man, who took the first record deal that came his way.” [2] "I was listening to too much Pixies at the time and made a record that wasn't really me.” [3]
1993 - 1996
Lessons were learned about record label relationships and Glen spent some time alone in New York seeking inspiration to write songs that were more true to himself. He wrote the legendary songs "Revelate" and "Say It Now" on that trip and eventually returned to Ireland and his band to try a different tactic. This time they borrowed money to make their own record and asked ex-Boomtown Rat Pete Briquette to produce what is still one of their best ever albums "Fitzcarraldo" in 1995.
Now the brilliance began to emerge. Most of the band had known and busked with each other for years and their friendships and time playing on the streets of Dublin had created musical and live performance skills which made Dublin concert goers and industry figures take notice. The Frames were building a reputation as a great live act and local club Whelans became their second home as they dedicated their energies to playing frequent gigs and developing a following.
They struck gold when lack of funds forced them to find an alternative means of recording a video for the song “Revelate”, in the days before digital cameras and YouTube. A friend’s mother worked in the Post Office and while she was on a break they snuck their own tape into the security camera and recorded their video. Another friend then got the tape on a local video show and it quickly became a big hit on the Dublin indie music scene. The video was nominated for an MTV Europe award leading to more mainstream interest in the band’s live shows and album. The increasing buzz eventually caught the attention of Trevor Horn and his company ZTT, who signed the band, which in turn led to the band signing with legendary A&R executive Seymour Stein and Elektra. "We re-recorded some tracks with Trevor," said Dave Odlum. "But it all stays true to the spirit of the original album we did ourselves." “Fitzcarraldo” was re-released with these tracks in 1996.[4]
1997 - 2002
The band continued to play frequent live shows and got further exposure through appearances on Irish TV and radio shows including The Late Late Show and occasional instore performances. In 1999 they released the album “Dance the Devil” still on the ZTT label but produced mainly by the band's then guitarist Dave Odlum. Some special guests on the album include Therapy? drummer Graham Hopkins, some vocals by Nina Hynes and guitarist Craig Ward from dEUS. In 2005 "Dance The Devil" was voted No.8 in Hot Press People’s Choice Top 100 Irish albums of all-time.Earlier in 1999 they had released an independent EP, “I Am The Magic Hand”, on their own Plateau label which contained alternative versions of songs which were to appear on the “Dance the Devil” album. Artistic differences at this point led to them leaving the ZTT label. Their reluctance to produce the type of album the record company wanted may be explained by Glens comments “I've met so many people, craftsmen, potters etc who make one thing brilliantly, like a pot, and they hit on a formula and they spend the rest of their lives making, reproducing the same thing. They spend their whole life repeating that moment of inspiration, where they hit on one thing that's commercial, in the true sense of the word, that brings them money. They then spend the rest of their lives marketing it, and I've real problems with that, with endorsing that." [5]
The Frames next album “For the Birds” (Plateau Records 2001) was self financed and recorded in Kerry and Chicago with many tracks produced by legendary producer Steve Albini. The sleeve notes for the album explain the band’s approach to the project; “Our aims were simple, to take a crop of songs that we had, and to fashion them, with the help of some friends, into a collection of honest and basic recordings, For a long time now we have wanted to make a record like this, just a bunch of musicians doing what we do. It wasn’t till last year that we were in a position to make a record that didn’t have to in some way or other cater to people outside of the band.” Featuring beautifully indulgent and lyrically and musically rich songs like "Santa Maria", the album entered at No.6 in the Irish album charts and went Gold in Ireland after seven weeks.
In November 2001 guitarist Dave Odlum left the band to concentrate full time on production/recording.
The Frames topped the Hot Press 2002 Readers Poll winning Best Irish Band and Best Live Act.
2003 - 2005
A live album, "Set List" was released on Plateau in May 2003 (USA February 2004) and was the first of their albums to début in the Irish Album Charts at No 1. The album attempted to capture the atmosphere of the live performances which had by now built up a loyal cult following for The Frames in Europe and the US. The album also featured some of the storytelling and audience singalongs that Glen Hansard has become renowned for during live performances, communicating a taste of the charismatic front man and the band doing what they do best.
In late 2003 the band toured the US with Calexico with Dan Sylvester from Chicago on drums. They also appeared on the soundtrack for independent Irish film 'Goldfish Memory' along with other artists like Nina Hynes, The Walls, Little Drummer Boy, Messiah J and the Expert and Sinéad Lohan
The Frames signed an international record deal with the Anti record label in 2004, part of hardcore label Epitaph which is also home to Tricky and Tom Waits. They kept release rights for their own label at home and in Australia. “Setlist” was quickly followed up with “Burn the Maps” released on Plateau in September 2004 and Anti in 2005. By now the band lineup had changed considerably from its earliest incarnation and Hansard and Colm Mac Con lomaire were now the only two original members. Bassist Joe Doyle had joined, along with Rob Bochnik on guitar. With the change in lineup came a change in the functionality of the band. "I kind of took a step back” admits Hansard.[6] Now Glen’s songs were open to more interpretation by other band members, often leading the songs in a direction unpredicted by the original author. The 2003 single, Fake” is one such song, which Glen had originally intended to leave off the album but after band members played around with it for a while it emerged as one of the bands biggest selling singles ever and attracted a different type of audience than usually bought their records. "Burn The Maps" finished at No 5 in the New York Times 2005 end of year Top 10 releases. [7]
2004 and 2005 were busy touring years for the Frames and they were finally playing to larger audiences while also continuing to play select smaller gigs. 2004 saw them play as the opening act for Damien Rice on his tour of the US and Canada, at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards in March 2004 (where they won the Best Irish Band Award), in Beijing, China as part of a Chinese / Irish cultural exchange programme, Dublin’s Hard Working Class Heroes concert, the Halloween Ball at the Mansion House, Dublin, four consecutive shows in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin and their biggest headline gig yet, outdoors in Marlay Park with special guests Supergrass, Idlewild, BellX1 and Halite.
In 2005 they toured the US with Josh Ritter headlining, played the Irish Oxegen festival and finished up the year with a sold out gig in Dublin’s Point Theatre, their biggest headline gig yet.
2006 - 2007
Highlights of 2006 were performances at Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago, the Electric Picnic festival Ireland and a unique event on Inishbofin Island, Co. Galway, Ireland.
During this time a number of radio and television appearances increased their profile in Ireland and the US including performing a cover of Britney Spears' "Everytime" (which was included on Today FMs "Even better than the real thing" charity album) and an acoustic session on Ireland’s Today FM and five songs for RTE1's radio programme Rattlebag. They made their US TV debut performing 'Finally' on Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC March 2005. The Frames were given Esquire’s coveted “Best Import”award in March 2006 (the previous year it was won by Coldplay).
The Frames latest album “The Cost” was released in Ireland in September 2006 and the US in 2007. They have just completed a European tour and will begin a North American tour in April 2007.
Albums
The Frames have released 6 studio albums under various labels. Their last 3 albums have been released on their own label Plateau Records.
Tour
The full list of dates can be found here: http://www.theframes.ie/v4/news/dates.php
UNITED STATES
03 september 2007 :: bumbershoot festival, seattle, wa
stage: backyard stage
info: http://www.bumbershoot.org/
05 september 2007 :: great american music hall, san francisco, ca
support: eleni mandell
tickets: $16 + $2 fee [Buy Online]
info: http://www.musichallsf.com/
06 september 2007 :: henry fonda theatre, los angeles, ca
support: eleni mandell
doors: 8PM
tickets: $16 [Buy Online]
info: http://www.henryfondatheater.com/
08 september 2007 :: hideout, chicago
support: Andrew Bird
tickets: $35 (on sale: 03 july 2007) [Buy Online]
info: http://www.hideoutchicago.com/
10 september 2007 :: webster hall, new york, ny
support: Brendan O'Shea & Michael Brunnock
tickets: $20 [Buy Online]
info:http://www.websterhall.com/
NORTHERN IRELAND
29 october 2007 :: grand opera house, belfast
doors: 20:00
tickets: £20 / £22.50 [Buy Online]
info: http://www.goh.co.uk/
