frames is an indie-rock band from Central Illinois, who describe their sound as “power pop”.
Consisting of Singer, Darcy Johnson, Lead Guitarist, Max Hutti, Bassist, Nathan Logsdon, and Drummer, Ellie Long; since 2019, they have been writing and releasing music together. Their newest tune, “peach pit”, has three awards in tow, for songwriting, engineering, and production. frames are most recognizable by their use of blunt and relatable lyrics that confess their real-life experiences.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
DARCY: There are so many that if I listed them all out, this interview would take hours to read. However, some of my favorites are Lizzy McAlpine, John Mayer, Rex Orange County, and Noah Kahan. They’re all such amazing composers and lyricists. I would give anything to write with one of them, and if you don’t listen to them, definitely check them out.
NATE: I have to admire most musicians in a way because they are all very talented people. Specifically Alec Benjamin for his amazing lyrics on top of his musical talent.
ELLIE: There are a lot of good drummers that I admire. I like listening to Taylor Hawkins, Cozy Powell, Tommy Lee, and more. They are all really great to listen to and be inspired by
MAX: I have always loved Metallica more than anyone. They’re by far my favorite band and will always be. I also like Ozzy, Pantera, Ghost, and Black Label Society.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
DARCY: It’s so cliche, but the phrase “pain is temporary, quitting is forever” has taken me so far. Especially when you work in the music industry, it’s so easy to want to throw in the towel and give up, but you have to remember that even when things are difficult, the only thing worse than struggling is quitting.
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NATE: I feel like the best advice I’ve ever been given was just to never give up. When it comes to your dreams or some mundane task that needs doing. Never give up, you’re so much more capable than you tell yourself.
ELLIE: The best advice I’ve been given would be that success takes time. It’s really easy to get down on yourself, but you’ve got to keep going. You have to put the time and effort in and it will pay off in the long run.
MAX: Well, when it comes to music-related advice… “If you’re learning something difficult, practice the song in segments at a time with a metronome, starting slow then getting faster and faster”.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
DARCY: I would make it more consistent. There are some people who are able to gain recognition because they have money. Other times, people are able to gain recognition because they’re talented. I wish we could make the industry completely based on talent. I feel like it would really bloom.
NATE: Maybe the aspect of luck that goes along with it, just because you make an amazing song doesn’t mean you’ll blow up, that takes a certain amount of luck.
ELLIE: There are so many artists in the music industry that get overlooked. Artists that have so much potential, but just can’t seem to get the following. I would say that it would be cool if people gave more artists a chance. Be more open-minded I guess.
MAX: In my opinion, it doesn’t get better than Prince at the Super Bowl. Hendrix in Maui, Metallica in Moscow, John Mayer lives in LA… I could go on and on.
What’s next for you?
DARCY: Soon, I leave to start my second year of college. There, I plan to continue writing and recording with our producer, Wyatt Boyer. I’m looking forward to playing more shows in the months of September, October, and November!
NATE: More music! More shows! We’ll be playing plenty of shows throughout the year and there’s definitely new music in the works!
ELLIE: I plan to keep practicing to get better. I want to get better so we can get closer to succeeding as a band. I am always looking to improve and I want to be the best I can be.
MAX: I’m looking forward to continuing with the band. I can’t wait to see where we end up.
How would you describe your music?
DARCY: We like to use the term “power pop”. But, especially with our new song “peach pit”, I think it’s starting to lean more toward the “indie pop” genre. I’m not sure where we’ll continue to go, but hopefully, we’ll figure it out soon enough.
NATE: Indie pop/Rock that aims to convey relatable experiences through music!
ELLIE: I would describe it as straightforward. The songs that we create are pretty blunt and get the point across but in a mostly nice way. I feel like our songs are catchy. I’ve definitely had a few stuck in my head for a while.
MAX: It’s got a nice mix of Rock, Indie, and Pop. We like to Genre-bend if you couldn’t tell already.
If you were captain of a ship, what would you call it?
DARCY: Probably something really stupid like “S.S. Frames”. keep it simple.NATE: Probably something like “The Alacran”, a nod to my favorite book, The House of the Scorpion.
ELLIE: If I were the captain of a ship, it would be the Mon Trésor. It would be a special boat and I would just sail around living life.
MAX: I’d change the name daily.
What would you bring along to an idyllic picnic?
DARCY: My grandma makes this Taffy Apple Salad, and oh my god, it is the best food I’ve ever had in my life. That’s what I would bring. It would be the appetizer, the entree, and the dessert.
NATE: I would definitely bring some sandwiches, some Cool Ranch Doritos, along with some lemonade, and maybe some cookies.
ELLIE: I would bring raspberry basil tea. I’m all about my teas and it’s not a good picnic without a good tea.
MAX: I’d bring chicken nuggets or something like that. I like casual food. I think it would be funny to bring something stupid like that to a fancy picnic.
What’s your favorite children’s story?
DARCY: Probably the story of the Little Red Hen. I love the moral of that story. Things are always more rewarding when you work hard for them
NATE: Maybe Goldilocks, it’s a classic story and we use it to refer to stuff all the time, for example, “a Goldilocks planet” in the space community!
ELLIE: My favorite story would probably be the Gunnywolf. It always scared me as a kid and made me scared to go into the woods, but I always liked reading it.
MAX: I like the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Teaches people to take their time and not to push themselves too hard or too fast.
What movie ending really frustrated you? And how would you change it?
DARCY: Probably the end of the new Dr. Strange Movie. Marvel did a really good job of leaving it as a cliffhanger, but now I don’t want to wait another year for the next one to come out. I like it when movies are wrapped up in a little bow and perfectly laid out for the next one
NATE: I think I have to go with the Dune movie, I just wish they could’ve gone farther into the story- it feels like it left off in an annoying place.
ELLIE: The ending to La La Land really frustrated me. It was so perfect yet I was mad that Mia and Sebastian didn’t end up together. It is still my all time favorite movie though.
MAX: Probably Dazed and Confused. I wanted someone to get busted.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
DARCY: Dude, chill, you’re literally fine. He’s a jerk anyway.
NATE: Just be yourself, focusing on how other people think about you majorly stunts your ability to grow into being your own person.
ELLIE: Take breaks or it’ll feel like a chore. I usually dedicate my evenings to music. I practiced for two hours every day for quite a while. I had to take a break for a week or so because it was starting to feel like a chore. Taking breaks is key.
MAX: Don’t stop what you love doing just because other people don’t think it’s cool.
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