Frank Sharman

’Writing music is the thing that keeps me alive. I can’t imagine my life without it. And there’s this constant flirting with electronic instruments and how to infuse them to my acoustic imagination. This is really a thrill for me. ’ After 18 years spent in classical music world Frank stepped onto the road of alternative music. Right after his graduation in University Of Music Budapest he started to write and produce his first album ’a strange foreigner’. The whole production took more than a year. ’It was harder than you’d believe. I was frustrated and overwhelmed in the same time and I’ve had to learn how to balance myself between the words my songs needed and sentences I didn’t want to publish. I’ve had to come to terms with many things in my life and that’s why the production took more than a year.’ The album published in early 2004 and it is full of self-references, personal explorations and the whole structure of sound is closer to chamber music rather than to the mainstream sound. From now on Frank started to use Roland instruments for his recordings. ‘The way Roland approaches the creation of a sound that’s very interesting and exciting, I just simply love it’.

Strange to say, his following record completed in six months from start to finish. ’Abandoned Times’ (2004) continues its predecessor’s way. This time he chose the upright piano as the Roland’s companion. He calls this album as his ’return to the piano, the only instrument I play since I was 3’. The haunting melodies and rhythms are crossed with a heavy load of synths and electronica. This experimental fusion of totally acoustic and synthetic sounds marks the step forward compared to the first album. The songs from these years are enabling a deep introspection in Frank’s way of thinking about music and its creation. ’I thought from day one that I want you to be involved in this music. A song carries my personal point of view about the subject matter – that’s a factor but I want you to think of your very own story behind the song. I believe that makes a song personal.’

Four years after the last major release of ’songs with words’ it was the time to return. ’Secret Room’ (2008) is definitively a landmark with its clear-out and ’grown up’ form. It’s discernible that everything was in right time right place for this album. The impact of mainstream sound technology is auspiciously applied with Frank’s highly personal and intimate music – resulted in a strong, vivid and diverse creature. It’s first single ’Angel’ aired on various alternative radio stations and the core material was premiered at the Budapest Fringe Festival.

’On the Waterfront’ (2009) is a worthy continuation of the high standards of ’Secret Room’, introducing new yet unspoken subjects, such as migration, politics and religion. ’I said I won’t deal with these subjects in my songs but I’ve got to change my mind. This crisis concerns us it’s out of question. It’s not like you shut the door and say this unknown man won’t ever cross my doorsill. It’s getting you and yes it’s do harm. The question is that how one can ensure him or herself to not to go nuts. This is really tricky and to find the way out is not that easy. All I can say is we have to try over and over again. No one’s got a right answer for me but if I got a right answer for myself then I can get through of it. Maybe that’s why we are here.’

Frank’s recorded a live session with the core material of OTW and it really proves his statement that ’a song is never finished to me’. Each song gets a different color of spotlight and so the song shows another possibility of interpretation. Plus he is a passionate live performer – he’s doing concerts regularly since 1994 – and this enthusiasm adds another reason to get closer to his music.