Hello! Firstly, let's address the elephant in the room please, Where did the name of the band come from?

Ray blames Liz and Tom.Tom and Liz are skeptical. Ben blames the guy in the bar in Arizona who has a Frog tattoo on his belly. That would be a Frogbelly. It was coincidental.

Your debut album has both a cryptic title and cover art. Any clues as to the meaning and/or concept you are aiming for?

The cover image was provided by Philipp Schewe. The painting’s original title is “Heavenliest Buddies” which is a surrealist art piece in its own right. It matched the content and density of the lyrical and musical information so we made it our cover.

The title of the album “Blue Bright Ow Sleep” isn’t too cryptic to us. It symbolizes the order of things. If you listen closely, it is in one of our songs. We often have a phonetic approach in our writing that turns words into music and/or music into words.

How did you guys meet?

Liz and Ray met in a musical project called “Ithaca” back in 2009. Tom and Liz met backstage, playing for two different bands unrelated to any of the others (now they are married). Tom and Liz met Ben at a folk session in Sheffield in 2011. Tom met Ally in a warehouse in Rotherham loading up trucks, surrounded by Christmas trees.

The album is wonderfully bonkers! How does the creative process work with so many influences and genres?

The answer is held within your question. Every individual in this band comes from a very different cultural and musical background. Maybe “wonderfully bonkers” is just a happy result of that situation. We appreciate when our audience receives us in that light.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at Sheffield. How is this sound and atmosphere recreated on stage ?

Every show is different. We try and perform the songs with a fresh approach and in a slightly different context every time we play them. There isn’t a lot of “production” in the shows. We plug our instruments in put a comfortable piece of clothing on, and just rely on the straight forward conjuring of the songs via our respective instruments.

Are you guys interested in the current music scene and who do you admire or are listening to?

We are a little part and contribution to the current music scene ourselves, I suppose. The most wonderful pieces of influence and inspiration come from the stages that we share with the many bands we encounter on the road. Such as Laura Moody, Beaming Porn Through Nuns, Megan Wyler and the Nyco Project, to mention the last few.

What does success look like for FB&S?

Frequent Flyer Miles, a good shit and a cosy tour van.

What are you up to following the end of your UK tour?

Some recording of new material, a NYC residency and another US tour this summer.


Collaborative answers given by Liz, Tom, Ben, Ray and Ally of Frogbelly & Symphony

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