Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox musical artist Frente! Template:IPAc-en (or Frente) is an Australian folk-pop and indie pop group which originally formed in 1989. The original line-up consisted of Simon Austin on guitar and backing vocals, Angie Hart on lead vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar (later replaced by Bill McDonald), and Mark Picton on drums (later replaced by Alastair Barden, then by Peter Luscombe).
In August 1991, they issued their debut extended play Whirled, which included the track, "Labour of Love". In March 1992, they released a second EP, Clunk, with its featured track "Ordinary Angels", peaking at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was followed in October by "[[Accidently Kelly Street|Template:Notatypo Kelly Street]]" (the unintentional misprint of "Accidentally Kelly Street" was retained) which reached No. 4. Their debut album, Marvin the Album, issued in November, peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. "Labour of Love" was released as an EP outside of Australasia in 1994 as a CD single with a cover version of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" included.
The band split up in 1998, but have reunited three times to date – most recently in 2014. Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane wrote that the group's "quirky, irreverent, acoustic-based sound was at odds with the usual guitar-heavy, grunge trends of the day. The band's presentation had a tweeness about it that could have been off-putting if not for its genuine freshness and honesty".Template:Citation needed
HistoryEdit
Frente! were formed in Melbourne, as "Frente" in 1989 by Simon Austin on guitar and backing vocals, Angie Hart on lead vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar and Mark Picton on drums and recorder.<ref name="McFarlane">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Holmgren">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The group were named after the Spanish word for 'forehead' and 'front', according to Inpress magazine "[i]t rhymes with 'heaven-sent-eh!'".<ref name="Jenkins">Template:Cite book</ref> The band spent two years performing in Melbourne's inner-city venues before, in August 1991, issuing their self-funded debut extended play, Whirled, on the Thumb Print label.<ref name="McFarlane"/> It was produced and engineered by Owen Bolwell at Whirled Records in Richmond.<ref name="Whirled">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Hart explained that the exclamation mark was added for the CD's cover art "Template:Nowrap don't write our name like that, but we thought we would on the CD covers because it looks good".<ref name="Jenkins"/> One of WhirledTemplate:'s eight tracks, "Labour of Love", was voted by Triple J listeners to No. 69 on their Hottest 100 for 1991.<ref name="Whirled"/><ref name="TripleJ1991">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Labour of Love" was co-written by Austin and Hart.<ref name="APRA Labour">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Frente! signed with Mushroom Records's White Label which issued their second EP, Clunk, in March 1992.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Clunk">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> It featured the track, "Ordinary Angels", and peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart.<ref name="AusCharts">Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
- Top 50 peaks: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}
- Top 100 peaks to December 2010: Template:Cite book
- "Lonely" (original single release): {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} N.B. The HP column displays the highest position reached.
- "Sit on My Hands": {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}
- "What's Come Over Me": {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}
- "Goodbye Goodguy": {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was certified gold by ARIA for shipment of 35,000 copies.<ref name=ryan/> In October 1992, they released a single, "[[Accidently Kelly Street|Template:Notatypo Kelly Street]]" (sic), which reached No. 4 and was certified platinum for shipment of 70,000 units.<ref name=ryan/><ref name="AusCharts"/> McFarlane described it as a "summery sugar-pop" tune with a "breezy, slightly kooky video clip".<ref name="McFarlane"/> O'Connor had written the track after moving to Kenny Street but incorrectly told his friends he was going to Kelly Street; the record label misspelt the first word but the group decided to keep the error and its lower case.<ref name="Jenkins"/> Initially Hart was positive about the track, "[i]t's a really happy song for me. It's about making all the right decisions and feeling really confident about what you're doing".<ref name="Jenkins"/> Hart changed her mind after it was parodied on TV's The Late Show as "Accidentally Was Released" – in 2005 she reiterated, "I still hate it".<ref name="Jenkins"/>
On 24 November 1992, their debut album, Marvin the Album, was released, which peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart.<ref name="AusCharts"/> It was produced by Daniel Denholm (Club Hoy), Michael Koppelman (Prince) and the band.<ref name="Holmgren"/> The album was certified platinum in Australia.<ref name=ryan/> On the ARIA End of Year Charts for 1992 "Ordinary Angels" was placed at No. 20 and "Template:Sic Kelly Street" was placed at No. 29. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 the group won 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' for Marvin the Album and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' for "Ordinary Angels".<ref name="ARIA1993">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="TallP1993">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album was also nominated for 'Best Cover Art' (by Hart and Louise Beach) and "Ordinary Angels" was nominated for 'Best Video' (directed by Robbie Douglas-Turner).<ref name="ARIA1993"/> Another single, "No Time", was released in February 1993, and peaked at No. 50 in March.<ref name="AusCharts"/> In July that year, Hart appeared nude for a cover story in Juice, with carefully positioned beads and her hand.<ref name="McFarlane"/> By that time Alastair Barden (ex-King Idiot, Maelstrom) had replaced Picton on drums.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/>
In 1994, Frente! toured Europe and the US to promote the international version of Marvin the Album on Mammoth Records.<ref name="McFarlane"/> AllMusic's Alex Henderson felt that "after several listens, one starts to realize just how strong this abstract pop-folk-rock release is".<ref name="Henderson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mammoth had also issued a seven-track extended play, Labour of Love.<ref name="AMG1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This included their acoustic cover version of New Order's 1986 hit, "Bizarre Love Triangle",<ref name="AMG1"/> which reached No. 76 in the UK<ref name=uk/> – following releases of earlier tracks: "Ordinary Angels" which did not chart, and "Template:Sic Kelly Street" which reached No. 80.<ref name=uk/> "Bizarre Love Triangle" appeared in Australia on a re-issued version of Lonely EP in May 1994 which peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Singles Chart – the first issue had charted at No. 88 in February.<ref name="AusCharts"/> In the US, "Bizarre Love Triangle" peaked at No. 10 on BillboardTemplate:'s Modern Rock Tracks chart<ref name=mod/> and No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name=billboard200/> The US re-release of "Labour of Love" managed No. 9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name=mod/> "Ordinary Angels" appeared on the 1994 soundtrack for the US TV series Melrose Place.<ref name="McFarlane"/> By year's end, due to constant touring, O'Connor left and was replaced on bass guitar by Bill McDonald (ex-Hot Half Hour, Deborah Conway Band, Rebecca's Empire).<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/>
In early 1995, Hart recorded vocals for an Australian single, "Tingly", by Pop! released in November, which reached No. 92.<ref name="AusCharts"/> Frente! has a track on a compilation album, Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits (5 December 1995), a cover version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)". During 1995, Frente! recorded their second album, Shape, in Spain with Ted Niceley (Fugazi), David M. Allen (The Cure, Sisters of Mercy), Cameron McVey aka Booga Bear (Neneh Cherry) and the band producing.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/><ref name="AMG3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first single, "Sit on My Hands", peaked at No. 66 in Australia in July 1996.<ref name="AusCharts"/> The second single, "What's Come Over Me" peaked at No. 116 in Australia,<ref name="AusCharts"/> and No. 77 in the UK.<ref name=uk/> The album was issued in July 1996, peaking at No. 35 on the ARIA Albums Chart.<ref name="AusCharts"/> McFarlane felt it was "more sophisticated and textured than its naive (yet still classy) predecessor".<ref name="McFarlane"/> Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted the group "experiment with trancy instrumental overtones and languid trip-hop beats ... Certain melodic lines slip out of the pleasant mist while the album is playing, but nothing is memorable after the record is finished".<ref name="Erlewine">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
During 1996, the group toured Europe, Asia and US for three months to promote the album.<ref name="McFarlane"/> They used Fraser Brindley<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> on keyboards while touring. John Everson of Illinois Entertainer, interviewed Hart in September and described Austin as her "on-again, off-again boyfriend", Hart detailed "Simon and I had a lot of shit to work out. We went out for a while and then we broke up and then we went on tour. It goes in and out of being fine."<ref name="Everson">Template:Cite news</ref> In Canada in August, and then Australia during December, they supported Alanis Morissette on her tour, promoting Jagged Little Pill.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Morissette's guitarist, Jesse Tobias, became Hart's boyfriend. In January 1997, Frente! performed on the Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out, in July that year they issued another CD single, "Goodbye Goodguy". Tobias had joined Frente! for their final tour before the band broke up late in 1997 – Hart and Tobias married and formed a duo, Splendid.<ref name="McFarlane"/>
Post break-up appearancesEdit
In late 2003, Frente! founders Austin and Hart, who were both living in the US, resumed song writing together.<ref name="Blackman">Template:Cite news</ref> One of their new compositions, "Sleeping", appeared on Splendid's EP, States of Awake (2004).<ref name="Mathieson1">Template:Cite news</ref> During late 2004, Austin and Hart reformed Frente! for acoustic shows in both New York and Los Angeles.<ref name="Mathieson1"/> In January 2005, Frente! performed some Australian east coast dates, the line-up of Austin, Hart, and McDonald were joined by Pete Luscombe on drums. The group issued a three-track EP, Try to Think Less, on Pop Boomerang Records. On 28 November 2010, Frente! played at a Punters Club reunion show at the Corner Hotel, curated by Hart.<ref name="Mathieson2">Template:Cite news</ref> The show also featured other early 1990s Melbourne bands: The Glory Box, The Hollowmen and The Fauves.<ref name="Mathieson2"/> In 2011, Frente! performed at the Brisbane Festival in the Speigeltent.
In March 2014, it was announced that Austin and Hart will tour as Frente!, performing nine concerts around Australia during May and June 2014 to mark the 21st anniversary of Marvin the Album. A special two CD anniversary edition of the album was also released on 16 May.<ref name="themusic">Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 2023, Frente! performed at MordiFest as part of the leadup to the 30th anniversary of Marvin the Album. Hart and Austin were joined by Tamara Murphy on electric bass guitar, Sophie Koh on keyboards and melodica, and Ben Wiesner on drums. The group also performed at the Castlemaine State Festival, at which O'Connor briefly joined the band on bass for "Accidently Kelly Street".
Frente! was selected as one of the bands as part of the Mushroom 50 Concert, celebrating 50 years of Mushroom Records with fifty songs for fifty years. Frente! performed Ordinary Angels in front of the live audience at Rod Laver Arena on 26 November 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 31 August 2024, Frente! performed at the reopened Punters Club.
In popular cultureEdit
"Template:Notatypo Kelly Street" was parodied by The Late Show, featuring Jane Kennedy, Tony Martin, Mick Molloy and Santo Cilauro. The parody was named "Accidentally Was Released".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> The song "Jungle" from Shape featured in an episode of the British television series Teachers. The band also guested in Home and Away in 1993.Template:Citation needed The song "Accidently Kelly Street" was featured in the 2002 Taiwanese film Blue Gate Crossing.Template:Citation needed
Their cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle" was one of Stephen Merchant's "Song for the Ladies" on The Ricky Gervais Show.Template:Citation needed
“Book Song" was featured on the soundtrack of the American television series My So-Called Life.Template:Trivia inline
“Ordinary Angels” aired on American television series Melrose Place and was featured on the soundtrack album.
DiscographyEdit
Studio albumsEdit
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="AusCharts"/> |
NZ <ref name="NewZealand-charts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
US 200 <ref name="billboard200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Heat <ref name="heat">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
UK <ref name=uk/> | ||
| Marvin the Album | 5 | 4 | 75 | 1 | — |
| |
| Shape | 35 | — | — | — | 109 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Live albumsEdit
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live at Fez, New York 2004 |
|
Extended playsEdit
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="AusCharts"/> |
NZ <ref name="NewZealand-charts"/> |
US Heat <ref name=heat/> | ||||
| Whirled |
|
63Template:Ref label | — | — | ||
| Clunk |
|
3Template:Ref label | 30 | — |
| |
| Labour of Love |
|
— | — | 10 | ||
| Lonely |
|
7Template:Ref label | — | — |
|
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
SinglesEdit
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="AusCharts"/> |
NZ <ref name="NewZealand-charts"/> |
UK <ref name="uk">UK chart peaks:
|
CitationClass=web
}}
|
CitationClass=web
}} N.B. The Chart Log UK site displays uncompressed (no exclusions outside the top 75) chart peaks. The peaks for "Accidently Kelly Street" and "What's Come Over Me" differ from the compressed chart peaks published on the Official Charts site.</ref> |
US <ref name="hot100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Alt <ref name="mod">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | ||
| "[[Accidently Kelly Street|Template:Notatypo Kelly Street]]" | 1992 | 4 | 4 | 80 | — | — |
|
Marvin the Album |
| "No Time" | 1993 | 50 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Ordinary Angels" (North America and Europe only) |
—Template:Ref label | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Lonely"Template:Ref label | 1994 | 88Template:Ref label | — | — | — | — | Lonely (EP) (Australia) | |
| "Bizarre Love Triangle" | 7Template:Ref label | — | 76 | 49 | 10 | Lonely (EP) (Australia) / Labour of Love (EP) | ||
| "Labour of Love" | —Template:Ref label | — | — | 106 | 9 | |||
| "Sit on My Hands" | 1996 | 66 | — | — | — | — | Shape | |
| "Horrible" | — | — | 163 | — | — | |||
| "What's Come Over Me" | 116 | — | 83 | — | — | |||
| "Goodbye Goodguy" | 1997 | 197 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Jungle" | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Try to Think Less" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||
- a <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^{{#if:| }} "Labour of Love" was used to promote the Whirled EP release in Australia. Despite being an EP, Whirled charted on the Australian albums chart.
- b <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^{{#if:| }} "Ordinary Angels" was used to promote the Clunk EP release in Australia.
- c <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^{{#if:| }} "Lonely" was initially released as a 3-track single in Australia in January 1994, when it peaked at number 88. It was re-packaged as a 5-track EP with "Bizarre Love Triangle" added and used to promote the EP in May 1994, when it peaked at number 7.
Awards and nominationsEdit
ARIA Music AwardsEdit
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Frente! have won two awards. Template:Awards table ! Template:Abbr |- | rowspan="5"|1993 | Marvin the Album | Breakthrough Artist - Album | Template:Won | rowspan="5"|<ref name="ARIA1993A">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> |- | "Ordinary Angels" | Breakthrough Artist - Single | Template:Won |- | "Accidently Kelly Street" | Highest Selling Single | Template:Nom |- | Robbie Douglas-Turner for Frente! "Ordinary Angels" | Best Video | Template:Nom |- | Angie Hart and Louise Beach for Frente! Marvin the Album | Best Cover Art | Template:Nom |- |1996 | John Hillcoat and Polly Borland for Frente! "Sit on My Hands" | Best Video | Template:Nom |<ref name="ARIA1996A">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> |-
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ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Frente! Template:ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist