interview: dallas frasca

After much hype, and with a unique voice and a successful first album in Not for Love or Money, Melbourne songster, Dallas Frasca, has just released a new song from her upcoming album, Sound Painter.

It’s been two years since her band’s last album, and it was a matter of settling down after the release of their debut, says Frasca.

‘The band’s moved around a fair bit. We toured the first album for almost a year, and then we sort of, started to take time and without any deadlines and said, “Okay, let’s sit down and actually write this album that we’ve always wanted to make,”‘ Frasca says. ‘It was just a matter of all the stars aligning as well, having all the right musicians to write the songs with, having the material to write about, and the entire album is pretty much a break up album.

‘It’s also about healing and overcoming things. You know, being empowered I suppose, by whatever comes across your way, whatever obstacles come in front of you.

‘It took a long time, because we wrote over a hundred songs. And we refined those hundred down to eleven… There’s definitely a sense of energy, when we do the songs sort of finally became right and were ready to come on the album,’ she says. ‘Everything has been set up in place for almost seven months, so we’ve been, keeping our little baby, our precious songs close to our heart and it’s so exciting to finally share with everyone.’

The new record set for release later this year, almost never made it this far. After a weekend of shows late last year, a large sum of money was stolen from the band, the proceeds which were meant to fund the release. However, in a matter of weeks, Frasca’s solid fan base helped raise money for the new record.

‘I couldn’t believe it!’ she exclaims. ‘Everybody rallied together and we raised four and a half grand in a couple of weeks. And we’re an independent act, so that was the cash that we were going to pay to mix the album and get it released.

‘Honestly, if that hadn’t have happened, we wouldn’t be releasing this week. It was such a beautiful and supportive act, to have happen to us at that time. We’ve offered fans a thank you in the liner note of the album, and t-shirts, people get stuff for their money for their absolute generosity, support and help.

‘I think everybody wins. We were really blown out, and so grateful we have such supportive fans.’

Sound Painter was recorded in New York, an experience that Frasca and her band embraced wholeheartedly.

‘The entire recording in New York was the most beautiful, loving, amazing experiences that I’ve been a part of,’ she says. ‘I suppose we worked quite hard leading up, like I said, practising every night for four months until we ended up getting to NY. The whole recording process was just fun and beautiful. Recording in a foreign country, is the stuff dreams are made of.

‘There’s all these great little rock bars, these gospel churches in the Bronx. It’s just crazy. I really would have loved to have seen a lot more, and we didn’t have the time, we were working most of it. Every spare minute we had, every opportunity, we were out seeing something,’ Frasca says.

‘You’re constantly inspired everyday, and Andy Baldwin, the guy who produced the album was just a part of the band. It was just really beautiful and amazing. A really great experience I’ll always remember,’ she reflects.

The first single off Sound Painter is called ‘All my Love’, and Frasca has been delighted by the response from fans.

‘We released it a couple [of] days ago and it’s been amazing,’ she says. ‘Just in two days we’ve had almost three thousand hits on the film clip, people are really digging it which is amazing.’

The film clip, which involves her guitarist walking around in a paper mache heart on the streets of Melbourne, was in response to a series of unlucky events for the band.

‘We had a large sum of money stolen from the band after a weekend of shows at the Melbourne airport, which was totally crazy. There were all these totally weird situations. We had our laptop stolen with the only copy of the album on it, we got that back without police involvement,’ she laughs.

‘I went away for a weekend to kind of chill after everything had happened and when I came back, my guitarist had made a gigantic love heart that he could squeeze his body into, to surround the whole band with love. And it was a present to make us all smile, and all that.

‘The intention was never to make a film clip, but it was so funny. He was like “well let’s go in the city and get some footage”. And so, I ended up filming the whole lot.’

With a heavy tour schedule ahead, including an appearance at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, it’s clear Frasca is eager to be back in the country touring.

‘Oh my god I cannot wait,’ she says excitedly. ‘This will be our third one [Byron Bay Bluesfest]. It’s a really special festival for us, because we’ll be releasing the album actually for the first time at Bluesfest this year.

‘It was also one of the first festivals that Jeff and I played together about six years ago. There’s always fun for sure and the lineup is just ridiculous.

‘I just love the fact that music can unite, the most organic thing that people have to offer on the planet. Lots and lots of people get it and we can just celebrate and let go of things for the weekend and we can get transcended to a different place by connecting with people and listening to music.

‘Any festival is great. People always have such a good attitude and they’ve got their party pants on for the weekend, and that’s the same for the shows as well.

‘I just love the visual stimulation of the countryside, and the wonderful people you meet, and the highs and the adrenalin rushes you get from playing on stage, and the interaction with people from all walks of life constantly. I just love it,’ she says.

A veteran of the music industry, Frasca says she’s still growing.

‘I’d like to think so, as song writers and performers,’ Frasca says. ‘You can never stop learning. The day I feel like I know enough, is probably the day I shouldn’t be playing any more. That’s why I think it’s so exciting, there’s always stuff to be creative with, and to learn more about and become better. We’re always evolving and I hope to continue to do that.’

Dallas Frasca and her band will be embarking on the tour for their second album on March 2. Check their Tours page for all the info!

Click here to check out Lip’s Dallas Frasca giveaway!!