Frank Sultana dwells in a different time.
In his world, the song still tells a story. Lyrics are not merely a melodic device full of meaningless syllables and pleasant-but-irreverent turns of phrase. There is always something to be learned, something to listen for. Frank follows in the path of classic Delta blues stalwarts like Son House and Robert Johnson; a path where music is knee-deep in history, waist-deep in struggle. "It's a good question, whether or not you could write good blues music without going through any struggle... for me, I'm always taking from those blues greats and adding my own modern style.
“We do definitely take from classic blues, but we're also influenced by people like Tom Waits, Nick Cave... it's a modern variation."
Start talking about blues and a few themes come to mind. The woman that did her man wrong. The sufferer that just can't scratch a dime together. The drunk. The lonesome depressive. And if Robert Johnson taught us anything, that it's ok to just write songs about tamales. I may be flogging a dead stereotype here, but the title of Frank's latest EP, 'Working For Pennies', could not be more appropriate. "That's true, we've definitely been around for a few years now. But recording the EP was definitely still a conscious choice.
“I guess we thought that people would be overwhelmed with content if we released another album. The name comes from a song we wrote a few years ago now... I guess you could say there's truth in the title, as with any musician."
As always, also embarking on Frank's upcoming ‘Working For Pennies’ tour will be his resident Sinister Kids, a transient group of musicians that seem to have fallen straight out of a William Faulkner novel. "It's a rotating cast of 10 or 12 musicians... I definitely see it as a bonus, a way of keeping it fresh. I've always loved the idea of my band being transient. You know, more of a 'collective' than a band. All the people that play with me or that have played with me are either friends or friends of friends. I think that element is really important.
