Three years after releasing his debut album, 'Show Me How the Spectres Dance' to critical success, Liam Frost has returned with 'We Ain't Got No Money, Honey, But We Got Rain', an album dominated by love songs, released late 2009.
Where are you now?
Sat in my flat, having just taken down my Christmas tree and put it outside for the council to take away...made a mess of the hallway and everything. Poor etiquette on my part.
What has been your best memory of 2009?
I think playing back in Manchester once I'd got the album out was really memorable. After a year of not knowing if the album would come out, to see a big local crowd singing along to all the new songs was really great.
Your first album was beautifully honest, is this album the same?
Of course, the entire thing has been written from experience. Not sure that I could sing the songs and mean it otherwise.
Do you find song writing therapeutic?
Yes I do, for the most part. Especially with those songs from the first album.
In 2007 you went to Greenland with Cape Farewell, how did you find that experience?
That voyage was probably one of the most trying, but ultimately fulfilling experiences that I've had to go through. There were periods (and you'll see this on the videos from the site) that I felt genuinely in danger, and to some extent feared for my life and those of the people around me. Once we got to Greenland all of that eased a little. It was really beautiful, the effect of climate change was very apparent up there, and quite shocking. I found it very inspiring.
You have been performing from a young age, if you could go back and give your young self some advice what would it be?
Focus! I still have to tell myself that numerous times, daily. I'm not the most prolific of songwriters, never have been. Although in some ways I'm quite glad that I'm not one of those people that claim to write 40 songs a week. You can guarantee 90% of those songs will be awful.
You have worked with some great producers (Danton Supple & Victor Van Vugt). Who would you like to work with in the future and why?
I also got to work with some of The Earlies in their studios for some of the second record. They're excellent people to be around, and would gladly record the next album with them. Danton or Victor would be fun as well actually. I really admire people like Ethan Johns, Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock and Mike Mogis for the various brilliant albums they've worked on. I could go on for a while with this!
Has the digital revolution in music affected you in any way?
I imagine it has, but I haven't really been aware of it...you just have to try and move along with these things and make it work for you. I've never been averse to filesharing or anything like that, but my fanbase is relatively small and I think that they're largely the kind of people that morally want to pay for things. I really appreciate that.
Your single with Martha Wainwright has had some great reviews, is there anyone else you would like to duet with and why?
I wrote the Martha duet with Ed Harcourt, and he sang some of the lines on the original demo. It'd be fun to do something with him. I love Emmy The Great a lot as well, I'd like to do something musical with her one day.
If you weren't a musician what would you be doing?
God knows, I've never wanted to do anything else. If I don't make a career of this I'm buggered!
Who has been your artist of the century?
Tough one, this century so far? Someone like Nick Cave or PJ Harvey I guess, people who've constantly put out brilliant albums without compromising on what they want to do.
What do you do when you're not playing music?
Listen to other peoples' music. I read a lot. Cook. Is this a dating profile? :)
What has been your best gig so far?
Probably the show I mentioned in the second question, or another local show from the first album at the Academy. That was fun.
Do you think there is any tension in the music industry between being commercially successful and keeping your artistic integrity?
It all depends on what you're looking to achieve. If someone is just looking to get famous as quick as possible, then I guess integrity isn't all that important to those kinds of people. I balance on this fine line, trying to retain my integrity whilst writing accessible pop music. It's a constant struggle! Ha!
What do you hope 2010 brings you?
I just hope that I can continue to do this for a living. I'm not looking to make millions and get famous. That'd be fun, but the important thing is just being able to keep doing this. Like I said, I wouldn't know what else I'd do!
Sat in my flat, having just taken down my Christmas tree and put it outside for the council to take away...made a mess of the hallway and everything. Poor etiquette on my part.
What has been your best memory of 2009?
I think playing back in Manchester once I'd got the album out was really memorable. After a year of not knowing if the album would come out, to see a big local crowd singing along to all the new songs was really great.
Your first album was beautifully honest, is this album the same?
Of course, the entire thing has been written from experience. Not sure that I could sing the songs and mean it otherwise.
Do you find song writing therapeutic?
Yes I do, for the most part. Especially with those songs from the first album.
In 2007 you went to Greenland with Cape Farewell, how did you find that experience?
That voyage was probably one of the most trying, but ultimately fulfilling experiences that I've had to go through. There were periods (and you'll see this on the videos from the site) that I felt genuinely in danger, and to some extent feared for my life and those of the people around me. Once we got to Greenland all of that eased a little. It was really beautiful, the effect of climate change was very apparent up there, and quite shocking. I found it very inspiring.
You have been performing from a young age, if you could go back and give your young self some advice what would it be?
Focus! I still have to tell myself that numerous times, daily. I'm not the most prolific of songwriters, never have been. Although in some ways I'm quite glad that I'm not one of those people that claim to write 40 songs a week. You can guarantee 90% of those songs will be awful.
You have worked with some great producers (Danton Supple & Victor Van Vugt). Who would you like to work with in the future and why?
I also got to work with some of The Earlies in their studios for some of the second record. They're excellent people to be around, and would gladly record the next album with them. Danton or Victor would be fun as well actually. I really admire people like Ethan Johns, Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock and Mike Mogis for the various brilliant albums they've worked on. I could go on for a while with this!
Has the digital revolution in music affected you in any way?
I imagine it has, but I haven't really been aware of it...you just have to try and move along with these things and make it work for you. I've never been averse to filesharing or anything like that, but my fanbase is relatively small and I think that they're largely the kind of people that morally want to pay for things. I really appreciate that.
Your single with Martha Wainwright has had some great reviews, is there anyone else you would like to duet with and why?
I wrote the Martha duet with Ed Harcourt, and he sang some of the lines on the original demo. It'd be fun to do something with him. I love Emmy The Great a lot as well, I'd like to do something musical with her one day.
If you weren't a musician what would you be doing?
God knows, I've never wanted to do anything else. If I don't make a career of this I'm buggered!
Who has been your artist of the century?
Tough one, this century so far? Someone like Nick Cave or PJ Harvey I guess, people who've constantly put out brilliant albums without compromising on what they want to do.
What do you do when you're not playing music?
Listen to other peoples' music. I read a lot. Cook. Is this a dating profile? :)
What has been your best gig so far?
Probably the show I mentioned in the second question, or another local show from the first album at the Academy. That was fun.
Do you think there is any tension in the music industry between being commercially successful and keeping your artistic integrity?
It all depends on what you're looking to achieve. If someone is just looking to get famous as quick as possible, then I guess integrity isn't all that important to those kinds of people. I balance on this fine line, trying to retain my integrity whilst writing accessible pop music. It's a constant struggle! Ha!
What do you hope 2010 brings you?
I just hope that I can continue to do this for a living. I'm not looking to make millions and get famous. That'd be fun, but the important thing is just being able to keep doing this. Like I said, I wouldn't know what else I'd do!
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