Few songwriters can declare as wealthy and diversified a profession as Frank Musker. From penning hits for legends corresponding to Queen, Sheena Easton, and Air Provide, to shaping the sound of total eras, his work has lengthy resonated on the world stage. However for Musker, the story didn’t finish with chart-topping singles. Alongside longtime collaborators Elizabeth Lamers, Marty Walsh, Tommy Vicari, and Jeff Hull, he helped type World Goes Spherical—a undertaking born within the inventive hotbed of Eighties Laurel Canyon. Initially recorded after which shelved, the group’s songs have discovered new life many years later, carrying themes of local weather change, homelessness, love, and human resilience that really feel extra pressing than ever. On this unique Music Crowns interview, Frank Musker displays on the band’s beginnings, the rediscovery of their long-lost album, and the way the timeless messages of World Goes Spherical join with a complete new era of listeners.
Frank, you’ve had a protracted and diversified profession writing for a lot of outstanding artists (from Sheena Easton to Air Provide to Queen). What impressed you to launch World Goes Spherical as a band / undertaking, and the way does this differ out of your earlier songwriting and composing work?
We got here collectively as a band fairly organically. All 4 of us had strong careers in LA at the moment and I had a studio at my home in legendary laurel Canyon the place all 4 of us labored in numerous pairings as writers, producers, session singers and studio musicians. The songwriting scene was very aggressive as you possibly can think about and we had been every doing properly individually getting songs reduce by varied prime artists however we yearned for the prospect to do one thing extra adventurous musically and thematically. Most of all we wished inventive autonomy – to be our personal A and R individuals and to keep away from the formulaic ‘by committee’ resolution making by the report firms which was the norm for ‘again room’ songwriters and musicians. We had been already nice buddies and followers of one another’s music so it appeared the pure factor to do, on condition that we had a vibey studio at our disposal.
The World Goes Spherical album was initially written again within the Eighties and has since been dug up, polished, and eventually shared with the world. When revisiting these songs, how did you method the songwriting, association, and manufacturing — particularly in comparison with writing for different artists on the time?
Thirty odd years after the tracks had been shelved and forgotten about Marty found an analog cassette tape of a few the songs and despatched it to me with a word saying ‘verify these out’. I used to be blown away by how recent and well timed they sounded – Tommy Vicari’s superb sound readability and depth got here shining by means of – and the songs which could have appeared misplaced in 1989 appeared abruptly to have acquired large relevance to what was occurring on the earth. After which lock down occurred and abruptly all of us had the one factor we all the time lacked – time on our fingers. There adopted a mad scramble to seek out the unique multi tracks (a few of which had been by no means discovered) and Viper Information, the unbiased NY hip hop label wished a complete album so we set about discovering different unfinished tracks from that point. The upside of covid for us was that we lastly bought to lovingly end our lengthy forgotten album and to see by means of the undertaking we had began so a few years in the past. Despite the thirty 12 months hiatus in recording the tip outcome was seemless and if something had benefitted from our life expertise and the issues we’d discovered within the intervening years. Tommy’s manufacturing and Jeff Hull’s good preparations had been spot on, Marty Walsh’s guitar enjoying was as sharp and distinctive as ever and we used all the unique vocals which Elizabeth and I recorded again within the day. A complete new era of listeners got here to the album as new music unconcerned that it had its genesis in a unique world and time. It was music for now?
May you inform us about the important thing themes or messages in your most up-to-date album with World Goes Spherical? What do you most hope listeners take away from it emotionally or intellectually?
We wished to make an album of songs which spoke of the world we had been dwelling in. Huge Home is in regards to the local weather disaster which few individuals wished to listen to about in 1989 – now it’s the primary situation confronting humanity. This era views it not as a tutorial chance however as an impending actuality relating to our very survival as a species. Please Please speaks of the issue of homelessness – once more not a massively fashionable topic again then however totally related now. Put It On The Line acquired a complete new which means in the course of the pandemic which none of us may have foreseen once we wrote it. Humorous how issues work out. Typically as a author it’s important to be humble sufficient to confess that you simply’re simply the channel by means of which the music flows. For all this I don’t need to give the impression that we’re a bunch of nihilistic doom mongers! All of us are very optimistic individuals (nonetheless!) who imagine that kindness, common love and unity are the important parts we should search if we’re to outlive. The songs really feel extra pressing now than they did once we wrote them because of a brand new era of listeners. That could be very gratifying.
Who’re the core collaborators in World Goes Spherical (musicians, producers, and many others.), and the way do you select who you’re employed with? Is there somebody on the album whose contribution you’re feeling particularly pleased with?
The important thing members of WGR are Elizabeth Lamers, our sensational co-lead singer, Marty Walsh, guitarist extraordinaire and rock god, Tommy Vicari, our producer and sound genius who makes every thing sound so good, Jeff Hull, our most versatile member who performs keyboards, drums and bass and me. I sing and play guitar. All of us contribute to the songwriting. These days we’re transferring away from being self contained in direction of the Steely Dan idea of utilizing again up from unimaginable studio musicians like Michael Ruff on piano and the legendary John Robinson on drums. I’m pleased with everybody’s contribution to our album – it’s the mixture of personalities which makes it distinctive – however we’d all agree that Jeff’s musical contribution is excellent.
You lately picked up an award (congratulations!). What was the award for, what does it imply to you personally, and the way does it have an effect on the way in which you see your present work with World Goes Spherical?
The award which I acquired in Rome, Italy could be very particular to me. It was from a basis referred to as AILA which was based by Italy’s prime orthopaedic surgeon, Prof Francesco Bove. It was in recognition of the work I’ve finished by means of music through the years to focus on the position of girls in our society. It was a tremendous occasion which passed off on the Colosseum and after the prize giving there was a improbable live performance with full band – strings, horns, choir and many others the place Elizabeth and I joined the Prof on stage to carry out. Actually memorable and a terrific honour. As for what it means for WGR it definitely raised our profile in Italy and gave our music new impetus there. The Italian viewers could be very musically discerning and constant so it was an enormous praise to be recognised there.
Trying again to landmark songs you wrote in previous many years (e.g. “Too A lot Love Will Kill You”, and many others.), how do you’re feeling these songs sit alongside the work you’re doing now with World Goes Spherical? Do they nonetheless affect you, or have you ever moved on in sudden instructions?
Nicely curiously we now have lastly recorded our personal model of TMLWKY and individuals are loving it so it may very well be our subsequent single. We figured that in any case this time it might be cool to let the world hear a WGR model of this music which has change into such a basic through the years by Freddie Mercury and Brian Could. It’s fairly reside sounding with stunning contributions from Michael Ruff on piano and JR on drums. Keep tuned for later within the 12 months.
The place do you see your core viewers for World Goes Spherical? Are you aiming to achieve your earlier followers, a brand new era, or each? How do you hope your album will resonate throughout completely different teams?
The album appears to have discovered a eager viewers among the many new era which is particularly satisfying because it exhibits the enduring attraction of our music. Good songs final ceaselessly and we’re so happy that ours have stood the take a look at of time.
After this album and the current recognition, what are your plans for the long run? Excursions, additional recordings, collaborations, exploring new genres? And are there any desires you continue to hope to fulfil that you simply haven’t but?
We’re engaged on new materials for the subsequent report which is able to present the evolution of our sound and we will’t wait to get it on the market. Our dream is to have the ability to play in entrance of audiences all around the world and to convey our optimistic message to everybody in each nation. After all of the title of the band says all of it. We all the time conceived of our music as common and slowly however certainly its turning into a actuality.
