Ian Franklin is a dynamic singer, songwriter and guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area, performing as an acoustic solo artist and with his band, Infinite Frequency. He is inspired by many types of music – fueling both a diverse sound and a style uniquely his own, never void of passion. He mixes the best of modern pop, roots, classic-rock, funk, and 70’s soul.
Born in California, Franklin was home-schooled and obtained his first guitar at the age of 12. He was immediately swept away by its music, power and poetry. His parents were great musical influences, exposing Ian to a wide range of music, including the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder. Franklin began writing original songs at the age of 13 and joined his first band at 16. He’s played with a number of ensembles, some of which received awards for their outstanding performances.
Franklin’s songs pull from his creative imagination and are often fueled by personal experience. He enjoys using his music to connect with his fans – promoting awareness about issues that he feels deserve attention or simply helping to provide listeners relief from the daily stressors of life through a truly fun and entertaining live and recorded performance.
Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Franklin has performed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and he has shared the stage with many great acts. In 1995, Franklin formed the band Gollum, a fusion rock-funk and hip-hop group. The group found great success in Northern California between 1995-1998. Following this musical stint Franklin formed another project called Cory’s Slug, writing and performing in the style of Frank Zappa and Faith No More. In 2001 he teamed up with a good friend Frank ‘Side-Burns’ Sanders to record his first live acoustic EP “Finley Swims.” This same year Ian joined up with a separate crew called WISH (Warriors in Search of Humanity), an instrumental ambient tribal-rock that featured drummer Eric Strand, formerly of Victims Family. In 2002, Wish released the album “Full,” culled from countless jam sessions in a WWII bombshell bunker. After the release of “Full” and performing to a sold out crowd at the River Theatre in Guerneville, CA, Franklin shipped off to Boston, MA, where he earned his Bachelors degree in Music Therapy and Songwriting. Franklin was the visionary and front man behind the jazz-funk and groove-rock collaborative known as Infinite Frequency. They recorded their debut CD, “What If”, with Joe Laquidara former side-man of the band Boston. They released the CD in May of 2006 and performed throughout the North Eastern United States, taking first place in the Boston Regional Global Battle of the Bands and performed at the National Finals at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2007, Franklin continued to tour throughout the North East United States before moving back to California in 2008. In late 2008 Ian Franklin recorded a four-song demo with Scott Llamas at Popsmear Studios. Since his return home Franklin has been performing across the west coast feeding his muse and writing a whole new catalogue. Franklin is now in private practice as a Music Therapist, a profession that he enjoys and brings him a great deal of satisfaction. If the popularity of his music continues to increase, it’s a vocation he’ll have to put on hold to meet his professional musical commitments. He admits he often burns the candle at both ends, providing music therapy during the day and pursuing a professional music career by night. He feels the many long nights are well worth the effort. Franklin recorded six new songs with producer Ben Bernstein, and mixed his “Step By Step” 6-track EP at Petting Zoo Studios over a few months in late 2010. Two of the songs, “Baby I Got Your Fix” and “Don’t Do Me Like That” were released as singles in the fall of 2010. San Francisco based Independent Distribution Collective released and marketed his EP, “Step By Step,” in May of 2011, as well as his debut full length album, “Breaking Grounds” in June of 2012. Ian Franklin’s debut album, “Breaking Grounds” (Petting Zoo Records out of Oakland), features a diverse collection of songs inspired by modern pop, roots, classic-rock, funk and 70’s soul. With songs about life, love, and heartbreak, this album takes the listener on a journey toward self-awakening. Using imagery and sound, it invites the listener to give in and embrace the moment. “Breaking Grounds” features a cast of talented San Francisco musicians, and in true Bay Area spirit, there is no shying away from letting loose and jamming. The album takes the listener on a trip through psychedelic wailing guitar solos, horns pops (Adam Theis and Mike Olmos of Jazz Mafia, and Mark Growden), keyboard odysseys (Eric Levy of Garaj Mahal and Night Ranger), and drum grooves (Paul Spina of Frog Brigade and Groundation) that are sure to get the body moving. The highly melodic and tight rhythmic interplay on this recording will harken the listener back to a time when musicianship, not just style, played an essential role in rock & roll. Stay tuned for much more from this fresh artist.HIGH REZ PRESS PHOTO – CLICK HERE AND PRINT
