BISHOPSTOWN, CO. CORK

1989 -

OVERVIEW Once upon a not-so-very-long-ago 3 friends from Cork decided to form a musical band. Their collective love of melody and god-given gift for a hook saw riches and acclaim bestowed on them from far and wide and they lived happily ever after safe in the knowledge that hard work, wonderful songs and honest talent would always win the day ………… well, it's a nice thought isn't it!! 'Glass' is the fourth album from The Frank and Walters and manages to be their best offering to date - and that's no mean feat considering the quality of their previous outings. The glorious melodies and pure pop sensibilities are still intact but add to that some dancier leanings, a little smattering of world-weariness and still more hooks to die for and you'll get the drift that this is quite a special album indeed. From the wide-eyed optimism and drive of forthcoming single 'Underground' to the understated majesty of 'New York' there's a depth and vision to 'Glass' that shows a group at the height of their creative powers. Production duties are handled by Rob Kirwan and Flood whose experience working with luminaries such as U2 and Depeche Mode is put to good use and adds an edgier analogue sense of groove to the proceedings. For those not already in the know (shame on you - no really, shame on you!) The Frank and Walters got together in 1990 and for the past decade have written some of the best pop songs you're likely to hear … that's pop in the proper sense not the devalued bubblegum churned out in the name of pop these days. In 1991 their first 3 releases EP1, EP2 and EP3 on fledgling label Setanta were all made Single of The Week in either NME or Melody Maker. Things didn't stop there either, debut album 'Trains Boats and Planes' went top 10 and on the consequent tours the Franks were supported by both Radiohead and Suede. One other interesting little fact for the trivia buffs is that their guitar roadie on said tour was a certain Mr Noel Gallagher (who in an recent Irish Mirror article revealed that, were it not for The Frank and Walters he would still been working on a building site and would therefore not have formed Oasis!). The Frank and Walters would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise! It's been a long, strange, beautiful journey for The Franks, frequently flirting with the charts on this continent and others. Comment on their last album 'Beauty Becomes More Than Life' ranged from the MM calling it "magnificent" to NME declaring it "a lost classic of the 21st Century". Along the way there have been contributions from Kevin Shields (the My Bloody Valentine man remixing 'Simple Times') and the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan (who remixes tracks for the new single). There've been sojourns in New York, London and Berlin (the band spent March of this year sampling the many dark delights Berlin has to offer and incorporating the teutonic vibe into the demos they made there) - hell, there's even an all-girl Japanese Franks tribute band! Some unscrupulous people even suggest that the guys change their name to evade the lazy preconceptions of those who still have them down as some kind of novelty band (people can be SO lame!!). To which, I'm happy to say, the band said 'change your own name'!! Ladies and gentlemen - kindly give it up for The Frank and Walters. Biography taken from The Frank And Walters.com PARTIAL BIOGRAPHY The band returned in April 2016 with another new record - their seventh studio album. 'Songs For The Walking Wounded' contained 10 slices of Frank & Walters indie-pop perfection. Standout moments from the record included the lead single 'We Are The Young Men', 'Stages', 'Somewhere In The City' and 'Goddess Of Athena'. The band released the album to a pack Opera House in their home town of Cork. Support on the night was provided by fellow Corkonians, Rubyhorse. 1989 - Band formed - The Frank & Walters play their first gig in De Barra's in Clonakilty [14 October] 1991 - Release of 'E.P. 1' [July] - Release of 'E.P. 2' [October] - Release of 'We Are The Frank And Walters' single as a flexi disc 1992 - Release of 'Happy Busman' single [March] - Release of 'This Is Not A Song' [September] - Release of 'Trains, Boats And Planes' album [October] - Release of 'After All' single [December] 1993 - Release of 'Fashion Crisis Hits New York' single [April] - The Frank & Walters represent Ireland at the Eurosonic Festival held in Helsinki, Finland [15 - 18 September] 1996 - Release of 'Indian Ocean' single [June] - Release of 'Colours' single [August] 1997 - Release of 'Grand Parade' single [June] - Release of 'Indian Ocean' E.P. 1999 - Release of 'Beauty Becomes More Than Life' album - Release of 'Plenty Times' single [October] 2000 - Release of 'Something Happened To Me' [February] - Release of 'Glass' album [October] 2001 - Release of 'Underground' single [January] 2002 - Release of 'The Best Of The Frank And Walters' album [August] 2004 - Niall Linehan leaves the band and is replaced on guitar by Kevin Pedreschi 2005 - Release of 'Souvenirs' album [07 October] 2006 - Re-release of 'The Best Of The Frank And Walters' album as a special edition with a bonus DVD of videos [June] - Release of 'Miles And Miles' single [29 September] - Release of 'A Renewed Interest In Happiness' album [27 October] 2007 - Release of 'Fight' single [27 April] - Release of 'City Lights' single [26 October] - Release of 'Live At The Spiegeltent' DVD [November] 2010 - Release of 'The Parson' single [23 April] - Release of 'Let It Out' single [20 August] - Release of 'The Clock' single [22 October] - Release of 'Song For A Future Love' single [10 December] 2011 - The Frank And Walters are recognised by the Lord Mayor of Cork to celebrate 20 years in the music business. [February] 2012 - Release of 'Indie Love Song' single [14 February] - Release of 'Greenwich Mean Time' album [09 March] - Release of 'Loneliness And Sweet Romance' single [08 June] - Release of 'That's Life' single - Release of 'Live From Paris' album 2015 - Release of 'Look At Us Now' single [14 April] 2016 - Release of 'We Are The Young Boys' single [25 March] - Release of 'Songs For The Walking Wounded' album [15 April] - Release of 'Stages' single [08 July] - Release of 'Goddess Of Athena' single [25 November]