As the heralded musician Dallas Frasca sips on a cup of earl grey tea, we delve into the decades that have made up her music career to date.
A lifetime of performing and recording Dallas Frasca has arrived at a place of immense pride, propped up by the years of dedication to her craft.
Her third studio album is set to be released on 19 July and in celebratory fashion Frasca has booked in a nationwide tour entitled Force Of Nature that will see her play in regional areas as well as most of the major cities.
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This album has been four years in the making, but acts as a breakout, or rather breakaway album for Frasca who initially conceptualised it as an LP that would reveal what she sounded like as a solo artist. What ensued was hours spent riffing on the guitar, writing countless lyrics and taking time out to immerse herself in nature.
“A few years back,” says Frasca. “I had this moment where I was like ‘what do I sound like without other musicians?’ I said to myself ‘am I going to regret things if I don’t do this’ And I don’t want to look back on my life like that at all.”
“So, I spent the last few years just grinding on the guitar, receding into my little creative cave and nest, treating the experience as an artist professional or personal development moment. I spent a lot of time in a lot of different locations in the bush over those four years. Wherever I would go I took my guitar with me, but I would often set off alone.”
It was through these experiences that Dallas Frasca was able to appease the independence she boasts as a person and an artist, but to also allow for the expansiveness that comes through time in the bush.
“Attached to all these experiences and this idea of me writing a solo album is the fact I am a fiercely independent artist. Rather than relying on a record label and the data analysis that comes with streaming I took a grass roots approach and began recording in friends studios.”
“Where I am now is Lady Luck Studios, my little home studio. I recorded all the demos here and we used a lot of those original tracks in the final version of the album. I went to six different studios.”
And despite Frasca homing in on her independence and wanting to create something free of the shackles that come with the conventions of the music industry, the album comprised of a plethora of collaborations. Connections that play an essential role in any artists journey.
“Having a grassroots approach with all of my friends on the record and having Andy Baldwin back working as the producer meant that the album really came to life in a way that treated every single song like its own universe, serving each of them like its own little baby. It’s a really multi layered and multi-dimensional piece of art.”
For an artist who does everything herself, it is those connections that fuel the drive to keep working in the way she does.
“Ultimately the biggest takeaway for me was discovering that [the audiences around Australia] are my community. This is our community, you know? I just want to connect with people. I won’t deny that it’s a lot of hard work, but my business is people and I feel really grateful about the authenticity of that.”
It seems fitting that Frasca would celebrate her latest body of work by embarking on a tour around Australia, because of her drive to connect with people, but also for her love of performing live.
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“I love touring. I just fucking love it. I love connecting with people. I like connecting with them after the show. I’ve spent more time with people in regional areas that have come to my shows over the years than I have with my community in Melbourne. Going back to all of these places is purposeful and I absolutely love it.”
And so, as she sets out to tour Force Of Nature with just a drummer and a couple of singers, Dallas Frasca is excited about the challenge that awaits, that is the reimagination of herself as an artist.
“In the past I leaned on other players and now I don’t have anyone else to lean on. This is me. I’m backing myself and I’ll bring it along the tour. I’ll have a drummer most of the way, but I’ll also have two singers with me along the way as well.”
Dallas Frasca will be heading out on tour from 2 August until 30 November for 19 dates. Tickets can be purchased here. Force of Nature by Dallas Frasca is out 19 July 2024. You can preorder it here.
