Profile: Franky Lee
Name: Franky Lee
From: All over Sweden
Sounds like: Catchy, punky rock'n'roll
Listen: Solitary
Discography:
2007 - tba (Burning Heart)
Links:
www.frankylee.com
www.myspace.com/frankyleeband
It's only natural that someone who's been in the same band for many years will begin to feel like branching out. Such is definitely the case for Millencolin guitarist Mathias Färm, so it should come as no surprise that he's decided to branch out and front a band of his very own - Franky Lee. So far there's only one song been made public (see link above), but considering the involvement of ex-Peepshows guitarist Magnus Hägerås and Randy drummer Fredrik Granberg, one can surely expect greatness. Burning Heart thinks so - the band's already been signed with the debut album due out early next year. Mathias was kind enough to answer a few questions:
Why start a new band? What made you decide you wanted to do your own thing and why did you choose those two particular dudes to play with?
Well, I have a lot of songs just laying around so why not do something useful with them! I always wanted to try to sing in a band and now when I had the opurtunity to do it with Magnus and Fredrik, I thought I'll give it a go. Magnus is a great guitar player and also my guitar tech with Millencolin and Fredrik, he's just one hell of a drummer...
I imagine you guys are all pushing 30 or thereabouts now - do you still consider yourself a punk-rocker? how has your opinion of punk changed over the years?
I've never really considered myself punk (well, maybe as a teenager I tried to be one). For me punkrock has always been a way to to what you wanna do with no rules. That's why I respect all kinds of music even if it's Madonna or Sex Pistols.
It seems to me (at least here in the US) that a lot of people get into pop-punk when they are teenagers and then grow out of it. Is it the same in Sweden? Or do you think that your audience has aged with you?
Hmmm, our crowd is younger than us, especially here in Sweden. Outside of Sweden it's more accepted to be into pop-punk (or what you wanna call it). Since Sweden is such a small country everything is very trend-oriented here. If hip-hop is the new cool, all the kids are into hip-hop or if the new thing is punk everyone is into that. I've never grown out of the music I love, hope I'm not the only one.
You've got a lot of tattoos right? What's your most embarassing one? Who's got the worst tattoo in the band?
I got my first tattoo back in 93', It's a tattoo that I named "my grunge compas." It looks terrible, but now it's hidden inside my other stuff...puhhh!
What's the best thing about being in a band?
Well for me it's always been when you're up on stage and are having a good gig, also that I get a lot of time off!!!
If you weren't playing music, what do you think you'd be doing?
No idea, maybe working in my studio recording and producing bands!
Tell me about the last book you read.
Last book I read was "Stalingrad" by Anthony Beevor, life wasn't easy back in
those days. I'm really interested in WW2, terrible stuff that happened in a terrible time... not that long ago!
What's the future look like for Franky Lee?
Great.. We're gonna start with a couple of secret gigs around Sweden. The album will be released early next year followed by massive touring around the world!!!!