Behind The Scene Press Interview with Frankie Cosmos and Live Show Gallery
by Yasmin Hannah
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Singer-songwriter Greta Kline, better known as Frankie Cosmos, is now currently on tour promoting their recently announced new record called “Close It Quietly” which came out September 6th on Sub Pop. Her fantastically quirky and dreamy songs create the best vibes! So modest, yet so talented. Cosmos graced Vancouver with her eloquent vocals Saturday evening. With a stop in town, we thought we’d check in and pick her brains with an interview.
Behind The Scene Press:
Welcome back to Canada! Have you had a Tim Horton’s yet? - or a “Tims” (...would highly recommend!)
Frankie Cosmos:
Yes! We didn't have enough time in Canada this trip but I usually get a donut at Tim's!
BTS:
Is this your first time in Vancouver? What were your first impressions?
Frankie Cosmos:
I think this was our 4th show in Vancouver. We haven't spent a lot of time there outside of playing a show, so not that much to say but we love the band Adrian Teacher & The Subs!!
BTS:
Do you have anything you usually bring on tour with you as a “good luck charm” or a sentiment that helps you along the way? - or anything you collect whilst on tour?
Frankie Cosmos:
I don't have any good luck charms. My bandmates always bring their frog Douglas, that's the closest charm I can think of!
BTS:
I’ve heard the name “Frankie Cosmos” was influenced by Frank O’Hara. How did you get into his work?
Frankie Cosmos:
It's kind of a magical long story but ultimately this girl I kinda knew from an art class sent me his work because it made her think of me, and then she ended up becoming my good friend!
BTS:
What is your favourite poem by O’Hara and why?
Frankie Cosmos:
I don't have a favorite! But the first one I ever heard was "Adieu to Norman, Bonjour to Joan and Jean Paul" I didn't know who Frank O'Hara was yet and I heard a recording of him reading it, and it was out of context so I still didn't know who or what it was, but I became obsessed with the recording and listened to it over and over and tried to transcribe it so I could read the poem. It was 2008 and it didn't occur to me to google the words and find the poem online.
I only figured it out years later when Emma sent me his work, and I recognized the tone and made the connection to the mysterious poem I had transcribed.
BTS:
So, it looks like you started out very independently. Can you tell us more about Ingrid Superstar?
(For people that don’t know, this was Kline’s first inkling into the music scene - would recommend to head over to Bandcamp for a listen!)
Frankie Cosmos:
It was just me messing around at home, toying with writing songs, figuring out recording and playing, and hiding in my room whispering into the computer microphone because I didn't want anyone to hear me.
BTS:
What was the very first song you wrote about? How old were you?
Frankie Cosmos:
The first song I remember writing was when I was like 11 or 12. It was called Hell In A Handbasket and I stole the format of the Jeffrey Lewis song Back When I Was 4, but made it about all the bad things I'd done in my life and how I was going to hell.
BTS:
Going from Bandcamp to Double Double Whammy, to Sub Pop. How was the change to Sub Pop? Any major differences in the way you do things?
Frankie Cosmos:
For me the biggest difference in the way I do things is the amount of time between writing a song and releasing it and touring with it. We’ve taken baby steps when it has come to working with labels, so the growth of the band has always matched up with how helpful it is to have a team working with us. We still don't have a manager and run things as much as we can by ourselves.
BTS:
The music videos are just fab! So quirky. Who came up with the idea for Wannago?
(For context, check out the music video for Wannago!)
Frankie Cosmos:
I think Luke and Lauren came up with it! We had been talking about doing a video like that for years and it finally made sense.
BTS:
How did the food actually turn out?
Frankie Cosmos:
The stuff they were making was mostly garbage. Luke’s was maybe kinda edible. The dog-friendly cakes at the end were delicious, made by our friend Montana!
BTS:
How would you say this album differs from the others, what do you want it to say?
Frankie Cosmos:
I think the songwriting, the style of recording, and the playing is pretty different from past albums. We layered more sounds than ever before, spent more time arranging and recording, used nicer equipment. I want it to say what it says!
BTS:
What one piece of advice would you give to your past self, 10 years ago?
Frankie Cosmos:
Practice empathy.
BTS:
How about your future self?
Frankie Cosmos:
Be more mysterious.
BTS:
What’s on the agenda next for you and the band?
Frankie Cosmos:
Touring touring and more touring!
