Hailing from Charlottesville, VA, The Anatomy of Frank is making its return to Ypsilanti this month. Their set will be a mix of acoustic and electric, and they’re promoting their upcoming album that’s been in the works and anticipated for quite some time now.
On April 17 at 7 p.m., Eastern Michigan University senior Seth Weddle’s Poke Tri Rx House will feature a show with The Anatomy of Frank, The Broslyn Bards, Clara Balmer, Vampyres, Damned Dogs, Walk Your Bike and possibly Frank Su. This will be their second time in Ypsilanti, their first being this past October.
Singer and guitarist Kyle Woolard was the only member able to attend the past show in Ypsilanti, but the whole band will be present this time. He is excited for a second round.
“The show at Poke Tri Rx last time is one I will never forget,” he said. “There was energy coming out of the woodwork. The floor was shaking. It was absolutely amazing. I love Seth and all the people who haunt that place, it’s really something special.”
Influenced by bands like Built to Spill and Sigur Rós, The Anatomy of Frank is a pop-rock band that, according to Woolard, the idea of was formed during a post-apocalyptic winter scene in 2009.
“The woods along the highways were full of overturned cars, everything was closed, people were eating each other, et
cetera,” said Woolard. “I was in another band at the time, and I was trying to drive this dilapidated old van, which actually used to belong to monster-rock group Gwar, out of town to make our tour dates down south. I had a frighteningly close encounter with flipping the van over at high speed, and had an instantaneous moment of clarity, in which I knew that I needed to form The Anatomy of Frank and go somewhere with it.”
Woolard found the rest of the members in a number of ways throughout the next year. Some he met through classes, others he met online. “Eventually, when I felt the lineup was consistent with the quality I was shooting for, we started practicing,” he said.
The men that passed Woolard’s tests of quality were, Eric Larssen on guitar, Jimmy Bullis on keys, George Faulkner on bass
and Chris Garay on drums.
It’s been over two years since The Anatomy of Frank began working on their debut album that has just recently been
completed. “This album has seriously been the most ornate and consuming thing I’ve ever thrown myself into,” said Woolard. “We kept pushing, and it is everything we hoped for.”
Early in their recording process, they teamed up with producer, Lance Brenner, who Woolard says has ears of gold. “One thing he’s really helped us push for is trying to have a totally new sonic palette. Most of the instruments were recorded in ways that we, including him, had not heard before, and what has resulted is an album that sounds totally fresh to our ears.”
While their sound can most simply be described as “pop-rock,” they don’t have your generic radio sound. Woolard describes it
as having an experimental or alternative undertone to it. Their debut album is anticipated to be released within the next six months, but their EP is available to listen to on their official website.
That only leaves one more question. Who’s this Frank guy anyway? “On the surface, he is a well-groomed, mustached man with well-pressed 1970s slacks and a fiendish grin. Underneath, he is a person who you can only get to know by listening to the music,” explained Woolard. “On the one hand, he’s everything you want to be, and on the other, he’s everything that makes you human.”
You can check The Anatomy of Frank out for yourself at www.theanatomyoffrank.com.
