Track of the Day: Fanatic Frank – You
Heading all the way back to 2017, four Swedish gents got together to form the alt-rock band Fanatic Frank. Technically, this quartet was founded in 2016 when childhood friends Carl Hast (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Hampus Kersmo (lead guitar) began jamming together in a small room in the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. To recruit more bandmates, Hast and Kersmo recorded a four-song EP to send to potential members. While the EP remains unreleased, it served its purpose and resulted in Kéziah Ferreira (drums) and Rudolph Kraft Remin (bass) joining Fanatic Frank.
During 2018/2019, Fanatic Frank began working on new music while building a following by performing at small venues throughout Stockholm. As time progressed, the group wrote enough material for an album and recorded Smudge in mid-2019. Unfortunately, lead guitarist Hampus Kersmo chose to leave the band after Smudge was released resulting in a search for someone to fill that spot. Fast-forward to 2020 and guitarist Jonathan Botvalde is in the lineup.
‘You’ is the sixth track off the ten-track album Smudge. Inspired by bands from the 1990s and 2000s, ‘You’ is a melding of Foo Fighters, The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. Touching on personal experiences for content, ‘You’ explores the relationships and the positive consequences of being in a relationship.
While the track is a mixture of pounding drums, dynamic guitars and, basically, a world of grungy noise, it maintains the delicate sentimentality of a love song…without actually being a love song. Hast’s bold vocals effortlessly enhance the sincerity of ‘You’ making it endearing, compelling and somewhat entrancing.
“The song ‘You’ is about the lead singer’s life partner and how she makes him want to be a better person.” – Fanatic Frank on ‘You’
For more from Fanatic Frank check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
