Introducing Katie Franks
Hey Katie, how the heck are you?
I’m doing well! Thanks for asking.
So set the scene... where are you right now, and what are you up to today?
Right now I am sitting on my little couch in my music room. I did a Zoom interview this morning with Belles and Gals in the UK. Today I’m just relaxing and taking some time to play piano and get back in the writing mindset.
Introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Katie Frank, a singer-songwriter. I grew up in a small town in Lancaster County, PA but spent ten plus years living in Philadelphia. I moved to Nashville two years ago and I just released my album Small Town Minds.
I feel like we know each other now, tell me something about you that I don’t know.
Hmmm, well aside from music, I love cats and am a big animal lover. I love going thrifting, staying active, and I can make a pretty decent cocktail. Also, my drummer, Jon McNally, is also my husband. We met during my first ever day in the studio back in 2012.
You just released your new album Small Town Minds, what can you tell me about it in two sentences?
It’s been a long time coming. Each song is pretty different and able to stand on its own, yet they still hold a common thread.
How did the seven songs come together; did you write them in the same time period or have you collected them over time?
I wrote several of the songs on this album about two and a half years ago, while I was still living in Philadelphia but had been making trips down to Nashville to test the waters. The second half were written after I’d moved to Nashville, and were a result of quarantine and the intense political climate in the US.
What was the experience of recording the album like?
These songs were recorded during the pandemic, so it was most definitely a different experience. This was also my first time ever recording music in Nashville. I was just amazed at the level of talent and professionalism in the room with several studio musicians. It’s like they heard my songs and instantly and instinctively knew what to do. This album was mostly tracked live in just two studio days, with some parts being overdubbed later.
‘Dark Cloud’ has got a wonderful guitar sound, what’s that song about?
I wrote ‘Dark Cloud’ about a toxic, co-dependent relationship that I witnessed as an observer, which happens to be one of my favorite ways to write songs. This was a couple that was together on and off since high school. They'd break up, get back together, and break each other down to a point where they both were stuck in this pattern of emotional immaturity. Toxic patterns are tough to break, but it's impossible to grow if we keep allowing this kind of dynamic to go on in our lives.
I really like ‘Hey Dale’ as well, what can you tell me about the video for that song? It looks like it was fun to make, but was it actually hard work?
The video was so much fun to create! It was hard work, mostly in planning and co-ordinating everything, but was absolutely worth it. I had a very specific vision for this music video and I wanted it to tell some of the story behind the song. We ended up renting the Shasta camper for the day off of Airbnb, and we shot everything in one hot summer day. “Dale” was played by my good friend Dennis who was willing to throw on a blonde wig and become an actor for the day. It was so fulfilling to see my vision for this music video come together!
What’s the song on the album that you’ve talked about the least?
Probably ‘Know You Now’, since it is a bit more personal. I wrote it about a good friend of mine from childhood who struggled with addiction. He went to rehab, and after that our friendship completely dissipated. It left me wondering if I had done something wrong, or if I was a trigger of some kind in his addiction. I’m at peace with things now, as I realize there are some things we may never know the answer to, and that is a hard truth to come to terms with.
What’s the biggest difference between Philadelphia (where I think you’re from originally?) and Nashville?
Philly and Nashville are completely different. Philly is a much larger city, it’s also much dirtier and more diverse. Philly has this true grit about it that I absolutely love, and it’s people are one of a kind. Nashville has a smaller “downtown” part, and the rest of the city is more spread out but it’s much easier to get around by car in Nashville. I’d say people are friendlier in Nashville, which took me some time to adjust to, funny as that sounds.
Social media; love it or hate it?
Both! Probably equal parts of both.
What’s the most embarrassing song/album on your favourite playlist?
Hmmm, I have no shame that I still like work out to 90s techno/electronic jams, but I suppose that could be considered embarrassing.
If you could recommend one artist to hear this week, who would it be?
Take a listen to Kiely Connell and her insanely good voice.
What’s the question we should have asked you today but haven’t?
You should have asked me about my cat, his name is Hank.
Finally, how do you take your coffee?
Lately, with oat milk and a bit of sugar.
If you want to know more about Katie then you can visit her website, or you can check out what she’s up to on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Her album Small Town Minds is out now and available from all the places below.
