You’ve likely heard of New York-based duo Frenchy and the Punk, who’ve been favorites at alternative and mythic events in the US and Europe for over 15 years.
The globe-trotting pair have been sharing their critically acclaimed music to the delight of audiences within the enchanted realm, like Faerieworlds, Spoutwood Faerie Festival, 3 Wishes Faerie Festival, New York Faerie Festival, DragonCon and heaps more, for as many years. With seven full length albums to date, their most recent, Zen Ghost, was released in October of 2022. This year they’ve been hitting the road hard in support of the record and on November 28th they release their 4th music video off of the album for the track “Gear Geist.”
The duo is French-born singer and percussionist Samantha Stephenson and American guitarist and live looping master Scott Helland, who started his music career as a bass player in the American punk scene, hence the moniker. Ever since their serendipitous meeting in New York City many moons ago, their collaboration has led to an overflowing well of creativity, a melding of forces both in art and music.
How gorgeous are they?
Their musical output has been eclectic ranging from rock and dark cabaret style storytelling songs to atmospheric and haunting soundscapes. Post-punk and gothic overtones with a tinge of dark pop pervade the “mind phantoms”-themed Zen Ghost album. “Gear Geist,” the 4th track, is largely instrumental peppered with expansive atmospheric and ethereal vocals adding texture and emotion. The name of the track, which essentially translates to Gear Ghost, conjures the “ghost in the machine” idea which reflects the overall theme.
“Whenever I sing those parts in the song it feels like a lament, an acknowledgement of the bittersweet nature of love, beauty, connection and loneliness in life,” says Stephenson. The melding of Helland’s guitar and organically produced sounds from the guitar as well as keyboard and electronic embellishments and percussion perfectly mesh to create an otherworldly soundscape.
The video was shot in Whitby, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Thetford Forest during the duo’s UK summer tour this year. “It was cloudy and raining in both locations which was perfect for the mood of the track. The atmospheric and haunting vibe of ‘Gear Geist’ demanded a kind of setting that could reflect that mood,” says Stephenson, who was able to tap into her many years of dance training and performance to bring a strong dance element to the visuals of the video. Aerialist Nicole Pisaniello from Host of Sparrows Aerial Circus of Richmond, Virginia, adds a gravity defying element to that dance theme sewing up the thread of a gothic embrace to the song.
Watch the new video on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/X401L5EZ0GQ
Both the album and individual tracks are available for purchase through their Bandcamp page (http://www.frenchyandthepunk.bandcamp.com) as well as most streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Band merchandise is available on their Batfrogs Shop (http://www.batfrogs.com). Visit the Frenchy and the Punk website for tour dates (http://www.frenchyandthepunk.com)
You can also find the duo on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/frenchyandthepunk
and Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/frenchyandthepunk
