Uncle Frank is laying his Soul On The Battleground in a new album which bends genres and recounts tales of tragedy and triumph.
Fronted by multi-instrumentalist Frank Benbini, the drummer from slickly eclectic New York trio Fun Lovin’ Criminals and singer, guitarist and reggae producer for Radio Riddler, the Leicester quartet have produced an opus of firebrand rock tinged with stratospheric electronica, dubbed-out funk and bittersweet soul.
Frank said: “This album is a heartfelt reminder of how important different cultures, and the music that comes from them is to people, life and the British music scene.
“There seems to be a political battle for our souls at the moment and it’s a tragedy.
“The album is not overtly political, in the way Rage Against The Machine or Manic Street Preachers could be, but the lyrics and music have been written and composed with a deep longing for unity and respect between friends, strangers, lovers and cultures through music, whether on our island, the continent or another planet.”
The musician has spent 20 years on the drum stool behind charismatic and masterful frontman and guitarist Huey Morgan and the prodigal Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser.
But Uncle Frank’s third album is a quantum leap of imagination and innovation with his own band. ‘Soul On The Battleground’ dissolves genre boundaries and Frank believes it is the band’s finest accomplishment to date.
The album was released in March this year and follows three singles. ‘Looking For A Home’ was released in October and immediately caught the attention of Rival Sons singer Jay Buchanan, who called Frank before his funk and soul show on BBC Radio Leicester.
Frank said: “Jay loved the track and to be complimented by a musician in one of the best rock bands in the world blew me away.”
’Hey!’, a fierce percussion led song with cutting licks from longtime friend, vocalist and guitarist Naim Cortazzi, whose virtuosic playing cannot be overstated, followed in November.
The third release, ’She’s In My Dreams’, a sweeping ballad fusing electronica and angelic acoustic guitar beneath Benbini’s aching vocals, was released in December.
The new single ‘Let It Burn’ is a fiery rock song that will be released in January ahead of a UK tour, with Uncle Frank performing in Bristol, Glasgow, Leicester, London and Newcastle.
The album’s concept and sound was developed from a love for sci-fi movies like Blade Runner and Tron, 80s computer games and passion - tainted by rage - for electro, rock, soul and funk from the era.
The singer said: “They were simpler times, full of innocence and new discoveries. It was a watershed moment in my young life for discovering new music and pop culture that has influenced Uncle Frank’s music over the years. Soul On The Battleground is more nuanced than our previous albums and we have created a futuristic but nostalgic sound for this album.”
The mysterious figure on the album cover is a “soul samurai ready for battle”. Armour-plated and weaponised the character may be, but the songwriter and lead singer is unafraid to reveal his personal struggles and let his guard down. In the track ‘Lay It All At His Feet’, his favourite on the album, he has penned an open letter about his struggle through anxiety and mental health problems with a healing operatic score welling with emotion.
“My mum is religious and she always tells me to lay all my worries out at God’s feet. That’s what the song is about,” Frank said.
Behind the eponymous frontman is Frank’s music partner, co-songwriter and guitarist axe-master Naim, brother Darryl ‘Junior Benbini’ Reid on drums and Luke Bryan on bass.
The quartet recorded the album inside an old hosiery factory in Leicester and with charming ease Frank brings his often troubled but triumphant tales of life in his hometown to the fore of the band’s music, particularly on the funk jam ‘You Do Tho’ - think what The Brothers Johnson would sound like if they were from the Midlands.
Uncle Frank’s third album follows Love Lion, released in 2017, which spawned the singles ‘Maximum Respect’ and ‘Fountains’ which were on the a-list at regional radio stations around the UK.
Frank featured on Bristol B-Boys and BBC 6 Music favourite’s The Allergies new album ‘Steal The Show’ and his band toured with the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For interviews, features, reviews and radio or TV appearances please email Chris Bradley at: unclefrankpress@gmail.com or call 07375 055 305.