Exclusive Interview With :: Andy Frasco

Date: June, 2008

We introduced you to Andy Frasco in our Frasco Fiasco feature, how’s that for a lot of F’s?  Well now it’s time for you to get to know Andy even better.  Feeling the Vibe is happy to present to you our newest interview addition, Andy Frasco.  You will love his rhythms, melodies, pure raw passion for the music, and addicting personality.  With his new CD, Growth and Progress making it’s way to your ipods, it’s music you’ll definitely want to hear.  Andy’s story is one that will surprise you to see how quickly he has reached the level in the industry he is at and after seeing his real passion for music, you will know why the only way is up for this piano man.  Find out about many sides of Andy from his favorite movies and sports to his music background, what he thinks of fans approaching him plus what type of music he grew up listening to.  You can find it all now in the Andy Frasco Spotlight on Feeling the Vibe.

Sport to play – basketball, likes the Lakers

Movie – Love Actually, Almost Famous

Time of the Year – Fall because I love the leaves changing colors

Concert you attended – “Damien Rice”

Dessert – cookies, loves cookies

This or That

Tech gadgets or no gadgets – no gadgets

Myspace or Facebook – Facebook

IM or Texting – texting

East coast or west coast – east coast

Reality or Sitcom – sitcom

Questions

FTV: We’ve heard samples of your music and definitely notice the different sound you have right away, great rhythm sections and nostalgiac musical identity.  It’s pretty different from your mainstream music.  How would you classify it?

Andy: It would be classified as alternative blues, alternative pop, and soulful piano.  

FTV:  Have you always been interested in this type of music?  What did you listen to growing up?

Andy:  When I was 15 I worked for a record label then became a booking agent for my own company, Drive – thru records.  I worked on a Hello Goodbye tour as well.  

All of this began from one moment, I went to a Damien Rice concert.  He’s a singer/songwriter and guitarist.  Something just clicked in my mind, I called my parents, packed my bags and told them I was going to become a musician.  I was only 18 and decided to start learning the piano.  Over the next two years I just practiced and learned as much as I could. 

I always listened to doo wop music like Al Greene, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison.  I liked old town soul, popular Beatles music. 

FTV: We see you’ve been on a nationwide tour, how has it been so far?  Any highlights that you’d like to share?

Andy: It’s been awesome.  We’ve been traveling all across the United States playing in different cities.  Everyone has been so welcoming.  We were in Danbury, Connecticut not too long ago and on the bus tour ride the guys and I wrote a song just about Danbury and the scenery there.  We sang it a lot with a ukelele.  It was a fun time.

The highlights have really been seeing all new different people everyday.  Just meeting new people and touching lives, I can’t complain.  I love "live" shows and completely get a burst of energy off of the audience. 

FTV: How do you feel about fans approaching you while you’re out and about outside of a show?  Do you like it?

Andy: I love meeting people.  I’m actually so inspired by everyone who comes out to the shows and feel I can learn from them.  It’s great to find out what they think of the music.

FTV: Who have you met so far in the industry, are you star struck by anyone?

Andy:  I've met a lot of people.  One person I met was Rob Thomas.  Everything was just starting to flow at that point, building a buzz on the music.  I was so inspired by Rob's song though, just loved it. 

FTV: How would your friends describe you?

Andy: At this point he decided to ask one of his bandmates how they would describe him.  Enter Matt, the bassist for the Andy Frasco band.  “I would describe him as a worrier, a driven young man who has a lot on his mind.  He is a very smart kid.”

Andy takes the phone back…

Many people tell me I have an old soul, that I’m an old soulful man.

FTV: You just got on the Internet, where do you go first?

Andy: Let’s see, first is gmail, then google, facebook, Myspace, and World news on BBC.

I also like the NY Times online. 

FTV: What projects are you working on currently?  Anything you’d like to let everyone know about?

Andy: Some labels are interested.  Thinking of filming, creating a score for a movie.  I may be going to Dubai for a month for the movie film project.  I also want to create an elementary school tour for 2008 as a charity type of tour. My album, "Growth and Progress" is also another big project of mine.

FTV: What do you like to do in your free time, aside from music?

Andy: I like watching movies, chilling, hanging out with five or six friends of mine just having a good time.  

FTV: Is there a message or anything you’d like to say to the readers out there?

Andy: “Do what your heart tells you, sell apples, whatever you want to do.  Why not?  Just do it.  Live your life through your heart and everything will come your way. “

*For more on Andy please go back to visit the Andy Frasco Spotlight or check out Andy Frasco's myspace.