FRENCHY AND THE PUNK – “GEAR GEIST”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
As they say, artwork is a product of its time and we are certainly living in dark times. Enter NYC-based goth rock duo Frenchy and the Punk, who happen to present their steaming brand of post-punk music through the prism of romantic steampunk. Their new single “Gear Geist”, which we have the pleasure of premiering today, is no exception.
Translated as Gear Ghost, “Gear Geist” conjures the ‘ghost in the machine’ idea, which reflects the overall ‘mind phantoms’ theme of their latest album Zen Ghost. With a catchy surf-rock guitar underpinning, “Gear Geist” is a largely instrumental track peppered with expansive atmospheric and ethereal vocals, adding texture and emotion.
Captivating with a sense of adventure – a journey – this music would be perfect in a film soundtrack. Best of all is the fact that Frenchy and the Punk’s always injects a silver lining into their dusky post-punk – in this case, cast through the mix of guitar and haunting vox. With music this fantastic, we can only hope that their art is not merely a sign of the times but a harbinger of better times to come.
The accompanying video was filmed in Whitby and Thetford Forest during the duo’s UK Zen Ghost tour earlier this year. “Gear Geist” follows the duo’s recently-released cover version of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ classic “Cities In Dust”, timed for the 38th anniversary of the original release, which includes the B-side “Monsters”.
Frenchy and the Punk is vocalist, percussionist and lyricist Samantha Stephenson and guitarist-composer Scott Helland, co-founder of Deep Wound (with Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and Lou Barlow) and Outpatients. Tapped as one of the Top 25 duos in the US by Yahoo! Music, the duo professes a vivid blend of post-punk, cabaret and dark folk music.
Stephenson explains, “Whenever I sing those parts in the song it feels like a lament, an acknowledgement of the sadness in the world enveloped with a veil of the bittersweet nature of love, beauty, connection and loneliness in life. “It was cloudy and raining in both locations, which was perfect for the mood of the track. The atmospheric and haunting vibe of “Gear Geist” demanded a kind of setting that could reflect that mood.
For this video, Stephenson was able to tap into her many years of dance training and performance to bring a strong dance element to the visuals. Aerialist Nicole Pisaniello from Host of Sparrows Aerial Circus (in Richmond VA) adds a gravity-defying element to that dance theme, sewing up the thread of a gothic embrace to the song.
Helland and Stephenson met in NYC in 1998. The spark was immediate, powerful and undeniable. They started collaborating on creative projects together, but it wouldn’t be until 2005 that they would start to collaborate musically after Stephenson spontaneously jumped on stage to accompany Helland during his solo guitar performance. The two began to tour with fevered zeal and striking aesthetic, building fervent fans on the mystical-folk/steampunk festival, coffeehouse, convention and club circuits with their boisterous performances.
Over the years, Frenchy and the Punk has performed with Dead Can Dance’s Peter Ulrich and Dresden Dolls’ Brian Viglione, and opened for Thomas Dolby, Dinosaur Jr., The World Inferno Friendship Society, Rasputina, Cruxshadows, Hurray For The Riff Raff and The Young Dubliners.
After a full year of touring throughout the USA and Europe, Frenchy and the Punk is now back in New York, writing material for a new album planned for 2024. In the meantime, both the Zen Ghost album and the “Cities In Dust” single are available from fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. “Gear Geist” itself will be offered on a ‘name your price’ basis via Bandcamp until December 15th.
CREDITS
Samantha Stephenson – Vocals, Percussion, Keyboard
Scott Helland – Guitar, Bass, Drums and Drum Programming
Recorded & mixed by Jason Sarubbi at Split Rock Studios, New Paltz, NY
Mastered at The Cage, Coventry UK by Martin Bowes
Produced by Frenchy and the Punk
Single artwork by Samantha Stephenson
Photos by Samantha Stephenson
Video filmed in Whitby UK, Thetford Forest UK and Host of Sparrows Aerial Circus US
Aerialist in video – Nicole Pisaniello
Please also enjoy the band’s latest few releases:
Frenchy And The Punk
[Single]
(EA Recordings)
Release Date: November 28, 2023
TOUR DATES
Dec 2-3 WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Steampunk Adventurers Weekend
Jan. 13 COLTS NECK, NJ – Big Top Circus Ball
Feb 16-18 GETTYSBURG, PA – Mythicon
Apr. 6 GALVESTON, TX – Galveston Steampunk Festival
Apr 19-21 SAN METEO, CA – Clockwork Alchemy
Apr 27-28 HOLLY SPRINGS, NC – Festival of Legends
May 18 MILTON, PA – World of Fae Ball
May 31-June 1 DORSET, UK – Alice’s Wicked Tea Party Alternative Festival
Artist Links
Background Photo Credit: Samantha Stephenson
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: FRENCHY AND THE PUNK – “LIKE IN A DREAM”
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: GUITARMY OF ONE – THE WAVE FILES
