Indie-pop veterans Frente started out the year celebrating the 30th anniversary of their definitive record, the two-time ARIA-winning 'Marvin The Album'.
From the hits to the more obscure songs, Frente took to stages across Australia to play the album from top to bottom, the band's Angie Hart saying she was taken aback by just how many people sang along to everything."It was amazing," she enthuses, "[and] people came along because their mum played the album to them when they were five, or some people discovered it over the last five years."
With hardly a moment to pause for breath, Frente will headline Sunshine Sounds Festival on Gubbi Gubbi Country (Sunshine Coast) this September.
Organised by another Aussie great, Katie Noonan, this dynamic event will focus on bringing community together through music, giving rise to an excellent selection of household names, First Nations artists, as well as up and coming talent.
Aside from this being the first time the band will have ever performed on Gubbi Gubbi Country, Frente's attraction to being involved in Sunshine Sounds, Angie says, came not only because of its line-up and location, but for the opportunity to take part in a mentorship programme with students at the Eumundi School of Music.
"[Collaborating] is something both Simon [Austin] and I love to do, and I think we're pretty good at it as well," Angie says.
"It'll be really lovely to turn up a bit early and spend some time with the kids there. I hear they're all amazing musicians [and] I've seen a bit of footage.
"I know Katie's really great at organising these things – I've worked with Katie a bit on different projects, so I know it's going to be a really top-quality event."
An opportunity to perform for these students carries reciprocal benefits for Angie, who agrees it's an occasion where Frente are teaching the kids as much as they're teaching them.
"I do a bit of mentoring," she says, "I find whenever you do that stuff, it's why you do it – you walk away with so much more.
"These kids are always much more across everything than I am, and it's always really exciting to see what people are doing online, what equipment they're using, what their idea is about songwriting. That's all you do; you walk away with new energy and sometimes new tools."
When they've worked with young children in the past, it's not often they realise Frente's success and longevity.
For Angie, however, that's often a good thing. "One of the great things about working with young kids is they really couldn't give a sh.t about you," she laughs.
"That's refreshing. It's very in the moment. It's whatever happens right then and there, what you have to bring with your tools you have on the day, because they don't care where you came from, and I think that's really healthy."
Frente plays Sunshine Sounds Festival at Eumundi School Of Arts Hall (Sunshine Coast), which runs 2-3 September. Frente also play Live At The Bundy (Bundalaguah) 28 October.
Sunshine Sounds Festival 2023 Line-up
FrenteElixir with Michael Leunig
Katie Noonan and string quartet
Abby Dobson (Leonardo's Bride)
Deline Briscoe
Clea
Eliott
Sue Ray
Cigány Weaver
Jungaji
Fred Leone
Louise King
Sugarbag Blonde
Mark Moroney
Frank and Louis
Layla Barnett
Eumundi School Of Music Band
Sunshine Sounds Community Choir
Craft Workshops
Gubbi Gubbi Welcome To Country
