Nexus Meets… Jack Frohlich
Hailing from Birmingham, Jack Frohlich is a young adult with the heart of a mischievous child. Bringing together elements of jazz, soul and indie-rock, Jack lies somewhere between Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks and Jamie Cullum. We speak with this talented artist about his EP Silver Going Grey, musical inspiration, future plans and more!
What drew you to music?
It’s hard to say really. I started drums when I was around 11, pretty much because I didn’t have any other extracurricular activities that I was good at. Then I got myself playing in a jazz band which really kicked off my passion for music. Being forced to listen to the classics like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to learn their music really got me hooked and took me down the rabbit hole of contemporary jazz, including artists like Kamasi Washington and Jacob Collier. When I started playing guitar at 18 I knew straight away I was never going to stop playing because the world of songwriting had finally opened up to me. I used it as an emotional release during school which was a big factor that drew me to continue doing it.
What can you tell us about your EP Silver Going Grey?
It’s about all of the struggles I have faced going from an adolescent to a fully grown adult. Everything from learning I’m not as invincible as I once thought I was in ‘Superhero’ to the smaller things in life like unrequited love in ‘Goldilocks’. It was a project that I didn’t really know was going to happen until I had written over half of it, but I’m so happy it’s out in the world now and that a lot of listeners seem to be relating to it too.
Do you have a favourite track?
I would say my favourite track is ‘You Have Yourself’, purely because of the lyrics. For the first time I’m telling a full story with the lyrics, which is something I had wanted to try for a while but never really had the courage to do. It takes you from the door closing at pre-drinks to the end of an exciting night out with friends which had really become an emotional mess and very isolating. This is also reflected through the music as the dynamics reflect the lyrical content taking you on this journey. All of this definitely makes it a piece of work I’m proud of.
What about a least favourite track?
My least favourite is probably ‘Goldilocks’, but that’s only because we spent the most time on it post-recording which is probably my least favourite part of the process. This meant that by the time of release I had heard the song one too many times, but I still enjoy playing the song and I can’t wait to play it to a live audience for the first time.
What is your creative process?
I always find this question difficult to answer because I’m never really sure. A lot of the time I’ll be going about my daily business and something will come into my head because if I have nothing to focus on I’ll just think of melodies. Other times though, I’ll be messing around on my guitar and a riff or chord progression I really like will come up and I’ll jot it down.
Who or what inspires you to make music?
My personal life experience is my main inspiration for making music. My first EP, The Illustrations, I was never going to record and release as it was at the time of writing – a kind of memoir of how I was feeling at that moment in time. Now, there is also the element of asking myself what will people enjoy, but I really try not to think about that. I’m a strong believer in the ideology that if I like a song enough to release it, I should, even if I don’t always stick to that.
What do you hope people take from the EP?
I hope people take away that growing up is never easy and it’s okay to talk about the smaller, frustrating things in life. I’m definitely still not fully grown up as a 20-year-old, but I think a lot of people who are my age struggle with different aspects of life and just sweep it aside. It is okay to talk about those small things because sometimes they can add up and, hopefully, someone can see a bit of themselves in the EP and realise that.
Do you have future plans?
I’m currently working on some new material for later on in the year, but at the moment my main focus is nailing the first live shows back in June. There’s also some extra EP material coming out soon which you should keep an eye out for.