“Kosher Cowboy” Andy Frasco Discusses Growth as a Performer and Songwriter Ahead of St. Petersburg Show
The Ries Brothers open December 6th at Jannus Live
Long time festival favorite, Andy Frasco, first hit the road at nineteen with all gas and no brakes. It wasn’t until the past year or so that the frizzy haired frontman took a much-needed step back to reevaluate his priorities. With a clearer focus on the road ahead, the now 37-year-old has managed to kick it into second gear, shifting between musical styles without sacrificing his own.
Before Andy Frasco & The U.N. return to Jannus Live, the LA-born songwriter took some time to discuss his new album, Growing Pains, and his recent mindset shift from party trick to poet.
JC: So, you’ve been touring nonstop for years, with only a couple of 2-or-3-week breaks each year. When you have nearly a month off like this, what becomes your priority? How do you spend your downtime?
Andy: Water. Sleep. I don’t know, my brain’s kind of weird where I learned how to take care of my time through being on the road. Learning how to figure out small times of the day to like, calm my brain down, my heart down. It’s like, if I’m living for those one-month-offs, I’m gonna eventually die. So, I’ve been learning how to take care of myself while on the road. I think that’s the most important thing people forget. You go so hard, and if you want to sustain that 15 years later, doing 200 plus shows a year, you just gotta find pockets inside the tour so that you don’t go crazy because, you know, it’s a hard thing coming down.
JC: The last couple of gigs you played were on the road with Gov’t Mule, which looked like a ton of fun, but might not seem like the most obvious pairing. How did those crowds respond to you guys opening the show?
Andy: Oh, it was great. We got standing ovations, you know? It’s an older crowd, but I’m just getting better at knowing my crowd and knowing what they like instead of just force feeding them, like, drug talk or force feeding them fuckin’ heavy songs. I’m just kind of getting better as a front man to say “well, it’s more old people tonight so I might as well play all my soft songs”. I don’t need to like, do the Hora and the schtick, you know? Because I got 11 albums of songs, so it’s kind of nice to test myself with saying “this isn’t really my fan base”. Because maybe it is. You’ve got to approach it with a glass half-full instead of feeling like you have to force them to like you. I mean, we could all morph into anything we want, you know? That’s why we’re musicians.
JC: I’m sure having all that material to pull from helps in those situations. Being able to pick and choose.
Andy: Right, yeah. Sometimes we get in a routine where we want to play the new songs, and sometimes we just forget that the songs are what’s most important. I did 40 festivals last year and sometimes it was hard to get out of autopilot doing all this entertaining shit and just play the songs, when the songs hold themselves too, you know?
Image courtesy of Emily Butler Photography
JC: Absolutely. Did you learn anything from working with Warren Haynes that closely? What was your biggest takeaway from that experience?
Andy: I’ve known Warren for like 5-7 years now so, you know, we call him Uncle Warren. He’s always there for us. He’s the GOAT, and what I learned from his soloing was like, it’s the notes that weren’t there that make him so powerful. I mean, he taught Derek Trucks how to be Derek Trucks. I listen to Derek and I’m like “oh my god, there’s so much Warren taught in Derek”. And I hear that in Marcus King’s playing too, how impactful Warren is to our generation of musicians. All the guitar players are just students of Warren, and he doesn’t get enough credit.
JC: I couldn’t agree more. I do want to talk about Growing Pains, which I think is safe to call your best work yet. Really great stuff.
Andy: Oh thanks, bro.
JC: A lot of your songs have this kind of central message of positivity and freedom from opinions and expectations. But the songwriting on this album also seems to take the exploration of anxiety and depression a bit deeper. I think the best example is about halfway through with the turn from “Life is Easy” to “Tears in My Cocaine”. What was the difference in the songwriting process on this latest album, especially with those more personal, emotional songs?
Andy: I think I stopped trying to write songs for other people to live through depression and started writing songs for how I am approaching depression. Like, anyone gives advice to anyone, but do they actually take the advice they’re giving, you know? Because it starts with you. I think for the first time in my life I’m actually taking the advice I’m giving. I think this is the first year I’m starting to be hands-on with how I’m dealing with depression versus just being that beacon of light for people. I want to be that beacon of light for myself.
JC: Right on. So, I’ve heard you refer to yourself as a Jewish guy from L.A. writing country songs.
Andy: Kosher Cowboy.
JC: [laughing] Kosher Cowboy, I like it. Did you set out to have a more country sound with Growing Pains or did that just come out as you began writing?
Andy: I’ve been writing songs with all these country guys lately, and I’ve been working in Nashville. I had an epiphany where, like, I didn’t really go to school for music as a songwriter. I just kind of jumped on the road when I was 19. So, five years ago I just pushed myself—I wanted to learn the art of songwriting, you know? Like, 20-minute solos never really fascinated me. I really wanted to get down to the nitty gritty of how to write a great song. I felt like I’ve been writing with all these songwriters and, because it’s Nashville, it’s gonna have a little of that Nashville twang to it. But I just respect the craft, and I’m starting to respect country music a lot more than I ever did, because I grew up in LA. And you know, jews in country music aren’t really wanted. I think about 1942 and stuff. So, I’m starting to learn. I feel like I’m getting better at it. And I just love Americana, and I always grew up listening to Bob Dylan. I never listened to, like, Phish or anything. So, now I’m understanding this country-americana thing. I dabble my toes in it, but I’m still true to myself. I’ll always be that.
JC: That focus on songwriting definitely comes through on the album. Was any part of you motivated by wanting to show another side to the “showman” or the “party guy”?
Andy: Yeah, I’m 37. I’ve done enough nitrous to kill a horse. And cocaine. I don’t know, I think everyone just kind of grows out of it. Everyone always thinks about the person they were in the past, no one thinks about the person they’ve grown into. And everyone eventually gets older and matures, so this is the new almost-forty Andy. I’ll still have a good time, but I’m not gonna be fuckin’ ripping, you know? I’m just not into that anymore, it’s not my shit.
JC: Fair enough. So, I saw both you and The Ries Brothers for the first time at Sunshine Get Down last April, just before Growing Pains was released.
Andy: That was fuckin’ a blast, dude!
JC: That was a lot of fun. How did you link up with our local Tampa boys?
Andy: The Ries Brothers? I met them on Jam Cruise. And I’ve always been a fan of them through Artikal Sound System and Little Stranger. They’ve been kind of getting me involved in the reggae scene a bit. So, I wanted to get some Florida love for our shows in Florida, and we’ve always tried to tour with each other, and I’m gonna be on one of their new tracks, so it just made sense for us.
JC: Oh, nice.
Andy: Yeah, it’s fun. I like those guys. They write really good songs, and they’re not super reggae. Sometimes that white boy reggae gets a little cringe for me, but they ride a fine line of it, and I like that about them.
JC: I can see that. So, between a busted knee and a new baby, I know the band’s guitarist, Shawn [Eckels], and Saxophonist, Ernie [Chang], haven’t been touring with you on this most recent run. What does the band look like now? And what effect has that had on the shows?
Andy: Honestly, it’s been a breath of fresh air. Sometimes when you’re in a band for 15 years, you kind of go into autopilot. With these guys taking breaks, I have to lead the ship, and from that, it’s built me confidence. I lost my mojo for five years because I was just kind of getting fed up and bored. The partying was getting too much, and I was just kind of getting sad. I didn’t feel like I had control of my band, and now, I just got my vavoom back, and I’m running on all cylinders. I might have needed these guys to separate. We all needed to separate a little bit, so then when we do come back, it hopefully is stronger than ever.
JC: You’ve also released a couple singles recently, “California Got a Way About Her”, in late August, and “Tumbleweed”, featuring J.J. Grey, coming out this month [Nov.14]. Is there a new album in the works or are these going to stand on their own?
Andy: Yeah, I already got 20 songs done for the new album, so I’m taking my time. I’m not in a rush. I’ve just been so inspired. Like I said, this is the first year I’ve just kind of opened up. I’ve taken control of myself again. With all the drugs and partying and stuff I wasn’t in control anymore, and when I finally took the power back, it felt like the antennae, you know? Because these songs aren’t mine, it’s someone else’s songs, it’s the universe’s songs. And when I finally got the power back, I felt like my antennae got bigger and I could actually listen to the ethos and write a fucking song. So, I’m like 20 songs in, and I still need some upbeat bangers. I’ve got time for that, though.
JC: So, how do you decide which songs go where? When you’re working on an album, and then you release some singles to stand on their own, how do you decide which is which?
Andy: Um, I don’t know. You gotta like, put a stamp on things. I make a record every year, and you get in your head about, “you could write a better song there, you could write a better song there”, or you could just fuckin’ release it, and just call it a day. Everyone has such an ADD attention span, so why not release something every month and then find out? People forget about the song in a month. People forget about records now in two months. I gotta make a fuckin’ deluxe record now so people will be interested in my album again. So, it's just what it is. People forget shit, and we just gotta keep our stuff in their ears and hopefully they won’t forget us for the next record. I think the philosophy has changed. I think we’re back to the ‘70s where people were just doing singles instead of making records.
JC: What else can fans expect in the coming year? Any projects or events you’re excited for?
Andy: Man, I got a consideration for a Grammy, which is cool.
JC: Hell yeah.
Andy: And, you know, I’m booked on 25 festivals next year already, that aren’t announced yet. I’m going on tour with this big band that I can’t announce. Yeah, this is the biggest year of my life. I can’t really announce anything until they tell me to because I get in trouble that way. I always just announce shit and then I have to deal with it. But yeah, this is going to be the biggest year. I’m working with Universal, with studios, they’re giving me the free studio time and stuff, and I think they just believe in it. So, I’m here to keep fuckin’ shit up, you know?
JC: Right on. And you have the podcast. I’ve been listening lately, and obviously you’re a silly guy, and you seem to be close with a lot of comedians as well as people in the music industry. Do you think there’s any truth to the statement that all comedians want to be rock stars and all rock stars want to be comedians?
Andy: [laughing] 100%. What’s your take on that, Nick?
Nick Gerlach [co-host of Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast]: That’s 100% correct. Musicians want to be athletes too.
Andy: Yeah, I want to be an athlete. We don’t have the present moment, right? So, we could have great careers but we’re always gonna want a little more, and that’s just human nature, I guess. We’ve got to stop thinking like that and be thankful for what we have now. That’s kind of been my MO lately.
JC: Right on, man. Well, I appreciate you taking the time and I’m excited for the show.
Andy: Yeah dude, come on out. St. Petersburg, let’s ride, baby! And also, thanks for helping us push the show.
By J.C. Roddy
