Frankie Lee (Americana musician)

Beginnings

At the age of twelve, Frankie Lee inherited his fathers record collection and an acoustic guitar. He would spend days and nights teaching himself to play along to folk and country and western records. Eventually discovering the music of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams, who he cites as him main influences in wanting to write his own material.

Raised in bars by his father's friends and uncle (Johnny Vincent), Lee was getting up on stage in his early teens. Slim Dunlap and Curtiss A were mentors and would take the time to show him songs and invite him on stage to play and sing with their bands.

Influenced by Nirvana, The Dead Milkmen, Tom Petty and Lucinda Williams. Lee began his own musical career in local bars, playing 4-hour cover sets under the name Clyde. The band was composed of high school friends Brendan Kane and Sam Rockwell.

Lee graduated high school in 2000 and left for college in Wisconsin on a full soccer scholarship. After his third semester in college, Lee talked his coach into letting him take out his scholarship money to "go west".

Between 2001–2015 Lee lived in Austin, TX, Los Angeles, Tulsa, OK, Nashville, TN, Milwaukee, WI and Minneapolis, MN. His longest stint was from 2001–2008 in Austin, TX where he was recording bedroom demos and playing locally around the up-and-coming East Austin country/folk scene.

Texas Years (2001–2008)

In early 2001, Lee moved to Austin to study the craft of his favorite writers and storytellers at the time. Eventually he settled into east Austin working for Townes Van Zandt's son (JT) while recording his first demos on Joe Ely's 4 track recorder. He passed around tapes to what would land him local bookings and a following of like minded musicians in the up-and-coming folk/americana scene.

After almost 7 years in Austin, urban development and gentrification pushed him further away from the city center. Lee decide to move to Buda, Texas where he could focus more of his time on writing and recording his own music. Working at a horse stable by day to cover his rent, he would commute to the city on motorcycle by night. In the fall of 2008, feeling his time in Austin was coming to an end, Lee threw one last get together at Polvos Mexican restaurant and the Longbranch Inn and decided to move to Los Angeles the next day.

Los Angeles

When Frankie Lee arrived in Los Angeles he witnessed the beginnings of a folk/americana movement. His first proper booking in the city was with and up and coming band from Malibu called Dawes. While living in a warehouse in downtown east LA, Lee was immersed in a scene of DIY musicians who would pave the way for his future motives. He shared stages with the Allah-Las, Cass McCombs, Jonathan Wilson (musician) and Farmer Dave.

Middle West EP

After returning home in the fall of 2010, Lee went into the studio with Erik Koskinen and started recording songs that would become the Middle West EP. Thanks to strong support from influential local radio station KCMP/The Current, the Middle West EP sold over 2,000 copies at the celebrated Minneapolis record store Electric Fetus.

American Dreamer LP

In early 2015, Frankie inked a worldwide record deal with London-based Americana stalwart Loose. Loose released Frankie's debut full-length record, American Dreamer, in Europe in November 2014 to rave reviews. Q, Uncut, The Guardian, MOJO and Rolling Stone France all gave the album top 4-star rating, the latter calling American Dreamer the "Debut Album of the Year".

American Dreamer was released in the United States in the summer of 2016 through Loose, distributed by Thirty Tigers.

Discography