Frankie Bird is back with another new song and it’s all about welcoming change.
“Float” — the folk-pop tune which is out on music streaming platforms today (September 19) — is a song that “represents her finding her voice again after feeling like she had lost mine for so long,” according to the budding musician.
“This was the last song I wrote in my twenties and felt like the final lesson I needed to learn before leaving that decade behind,” Frankie tells Celeb Secrets in an exclusive interview. “When you keep swimming against the current thinking it will get you to your destination quicker, you can start to drown. Instead if you decide to stop resisting and go where the water wants to take you, you’ll end up in places you never thought possible. That’s exactly what happened to me and this new music and a lesson I’ll take with me forever.”
Honing in more on her folk-y/Americana side, Frankie says that she learned so much about herself during the song’s creative process that if she could go back in time and tell her younger self anything, it would be to trust more and worry less.
“There is so much of life and the music business that you have zero control over and all you have control of is how you handle yourself. If you let go and trust the process and focus on what you can control you’ll be so much happier.”
View this post on Instagram
“Float” is the follow up to Frankie’s previously released “When We Were Young,” which explores the consequences that come in the wake of mixing music, love and business. It’s a song that yearns for simpler times, arriving alongside a video that invokes nostalgia for the summer days that live in your mind long after you’ve experienced them.
“The video is so nostalgic to me,” Bird tells Celeb Secrets. “‘When We Were Young’ is about the fallout of a relationship and friendship I had after mixing music, love and business. It’s about longing for simpler times before life’s complications got in the way and wondering if you will ever get that back. It was the first song I wrote from this new music and it very much set the theme of me reflecting over my twenties and all that happened.”
After taking time to evolve into the artist she truly was, Frankie re-entered the music space with her comeback single “Twenty Nothing,” which represents the coming-of-age journey she’s detailing in her new material while drawing inspiration from strong and introspective female singer/songwriters of the 70s and 90s. Previously in her career, Bird was signed to a major label, toured the country with Dua Lipa, Troye Sivan and Charlie Puth, and was even co-signed by Taylor Swift from her handpicked playlist.
Keep scrolling to read our full Q&A with Frankie and let us know what you think of both “Float” and “When We Were Young” by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
You can connect with Frankie Bird by giving her a follow on Instagram at @itsfrankiebird.
Celeb Secrets: Was there a personal experience that inspired you to change your name from FRANKIE to Frankie Bird?
Frankie Bird: “I really wanted a fresh start with this new music! During the pandemic, I wrote all these songs on my guitar in my living room, reflecting on my twenties, and went back to my singer songwriter roots after being in the pop space for so long. I wanted a different sound for these songs and found new musicians to work with and help bring them to life. It felt like a new chapter for me and an opportunity to align more with the singer songwriters I had admired for so long vs. stay in the pop world. On top of that it can be hard to go by one name and be easily discoverable; this is my favorite music I’ve ever made and I really wanted to be accessible to give these songs their best chance in the world. After a lifetime of my family calling me their songbird, Frankie Bird was born.”
CS: Was becoming a singer/song-writer something you always knew you wanted to be when you were younger or is it a newfound passion?
Frankie Bird: “I’ve always been a singer songwriter/musician! It was very clear early on in my life that music was the path for me. I was obsessed with musicals from the age of 3, started piano lessons in 1st grade, then picked up guitar when I was 9 and started writing my own songs. I literally wrote every day all throughout middle school and high school, it was my therapy. I wanted to be exactly like Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch – all the 90’s girls. I then went to college for music and got a degree in classical guitar, composition and theory. Its great having that knowledge but at the end of the day I’m still that little girl coming home from school picking up her guitar to write about what happened that day.”
CS: You drew inspiration from female singer-songwriters from the 70s and 90s for your hits. Can you name a few artists that stand out and influence you as an artist?
Frankie Bird: “Stevie Nicks was a huge inspiration growing up, my mom was obsessed with her, and she became the soundtrack of my youth. I’m so inspired by her songwriting and poetry but also her stage presence as a front woman and solo artist. I used to copy her every move watching “The Dance” growing up. I also dressed up as her for Halloween in the 4th grade and my teacher was the only person who knew who I was. Avril Lavigne was also a huge turning point in my life because she was the reason I decided to learn guitar. Seeing the “Complicated” music video at age 9 gave me the idea that I could play guitar and write songs too. With this new music Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, ABBA, were also big inspirations. I looked to the most honest songwriters and tried to channel that energy to help tell my story.”
CS: Your latest single “Float” is out now. Can you talk to us a little more about the track and how it differs from previous releases?
Frankie Bird: “Float is the first song from this new batch that really leans into my Folky/Americana side. I wanted the song to flow and feel like water as well as have a bed of harmonies, like Crosby Stills and Nash. All the vocals represent me finding my voice again after feeling like I had lost mine for so long. This was the last song I wrote in my twenties and felt like the final lesson I needed to learn before leaving that decade behind. When you keep swimming against the current thinking it will get you to your destination quicker, you can start to drown. Instead if you decide to stop resisting and go where the water wants to take you, you’ll end up in places you never thought possible. That’s exactly what happened to me and this new music and a lesson I’ll take with me forever.”
CS: We know that song is about entering your 30s and figuring out what you need to learn about yourself before closing the chapter of your 20s. What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give your younger self after writing this song/reflecting on your previous years?
Frankie Bird: “Thats such a great question, thank you for asking it! I think I would tell her to trust more and worry less. There is so much of life and the music business that you have zero control over and all you have control of is how you handle yourself. If you let go and trust the process and focus on what you can control you’ll be so much happier.”
CS: We know “When We Were Young” is a song that yearns for the simpler times of summer days with friends that eventually remain as just an everlasting memory in your head. I love how your music video totally encapsulates these relatable summer vibes. Was there a personal experience that led you to writing this song?
Frankie Bird: “The video is so nostalgic to me, I’m so happy it gave you all the summer feels! When We Were Young is about the fallout of a relationship and friendship I had after mixing music, love and business. It’s about longing for simpler times before life’s complications got in the way and wondering if you will ever get that back. It was the first song I wrote from this new music and it very much set the theme of me reflecting over my twenties and all that happened.”
CS: The elevator scene in your music video “Twenty Nothing” is SO visually pleasing. What was it like to film a majority of your video in such a tight space?
Frankie Bird: “Thank you! I love that video so much and all the metaphors that are in it. I wanted the elevator to represent the high highs and low lows of my twenties with every floor representing a different age and what happened during that time. It was really amazing to film and challenged myself creatively on how to represent the song and theme of it in a visual way.”
CS: Fans cannot wait for more music from you! What are the rest of your plans for 2023?
Frankie Bird: “More music is coming! I’m so excited for everyone to hear all I’ve been working on. I have so many releases down the pipeline so stay tuned!”
CS: What do you hope will be the takeaway fans receive from your music? What’s something you want fans to know about either yourself or your music that they do not know already?
Frankie Bird: “This new music is all about my twenties and reflecting on everything that happened during that decade. Your twenties are filled with high highs and low lows and in sharing my story I hope I can make people feel seen and less alone. I’ve never been more honest or vulnerable with my songwriting so I hope in doing so I can connect with listeners more and help them through their growing pains too.”
CS: Since we are Celeb Secrets, are there any secrets you can share about the recording process for “Float” that we wouldn’t know by listening to it?
Frankie Bird: “Every instrument is real and played live by me and my collaborators, Jake Jamieson, Thomas Lea and Austin Myles Grant. There are more unique instruments we chose, like a charango, to try and help capture what being under a waterfall might sound like, and wanted the instrumentation to float along like the song lyrically represents.”
LISTEN TO FRANKIE BIRD CATALOG:
