IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE members of Dallas' Frognot have been performing together for just over two years, already the four-piece lineup has managed to create a well-rounded niche for its groove-infested sound.
Moreover, with the advent of Welcome to Frognot, the act's just- released debut CD, Frognot's players are doing their level best to take the band's distinctive brand of alternative rock from the local music pond to rock's commercial mainstream. And they're doing it without com promising their artistic integrity.
Named after a tiny Texas town, Frognot's lineup consists of drummer April Samuels, bassist Todd Samuels, guitarist Ken Allen and lead vocalist-guitarist Dennis Leonard. Although the brother-and-sister Samuels team has performed together on previous projects, it wasn't the pair's initial intention to join musical forces again. Nonetheless, as fate has shown, together they create a rhythm section that is Frognot's aural foundation.
"Actually, I wasn't the first bassist in Frognot," explained Todd Samuels. "A guy named Mike Lockhart was the original bass player when the band first began to form. Mike wasn't really into the style of music that we do. As you can imagine, it's a real drag trying to put something together when one of the members isn't excited about the direction everyone else is taking."
"We have pretty much had the same lineup since the beginning, with the exception of the first month or so," April Samuels said. "Mike Lockhart, who I had played with in 100 Proof and East of Eden, played with us a little bit, but we quickly learned that our musical directions differed. We replaced him with my brother Todd almost immediately."
Brother Todd recalls, "I sat in on one of the rehearsals and paid close attention to Mike's parts. The next time I was present for a Frognot rehearsal, I was auditioning for the bass position. The rest of the guys and gal liked what I did. (They) then had a talk with Mike and he left the band without a sour taste in his mouth; all this happened before we had our first gig."
Recorded at Planet Dallas studios, Welcome to Frognot was produced by Rick Rooney and the Frognot bandmates. And even though Rooney's not an official Frognot member, as it were, his creative input is evident on the quartet's freshman release.
"Rick Rooney did come up with the idea of adding that flanged-out wah part in 'Little Pieces'," Todd said. "I think it really added to the song. For the most part, (Frognot) made the call on most of the production and Rick did a great job of doing what we asked."
"Working with Rick is always interesting," added April. "He really helped push us to bring out the best in each song. His input was greatly appreciated."
Since its 1996 inception, Frognot's players have performed steadily throughout the Metroplex, the state and beyond. At present, the act plays at least 50-plus dates each year, according to Frognot, whose members spent about a year composing the material for their new disc, then diligently worked the recording of Welcome to Frognot around their live-show schedule.
"We were in the studio less than six months after we first formed," offered Todd. "A couple of the songs were written after we had already started recording the other songs."
By the players' own admission, the eleven-song CD is an honest representation of the group's live show, Moreover, already the disc has garnered a significant amount of airplay and praise from the area's music critics and industry watchers.
"One thing (that) is definitely captured on Welcome to Frognot is the emotion, especially vocally," confirmed April, who ventured to this year's South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference in Austin to officially introduce the band's sound. "Dennis has a strong voice and carries that through on tape."
"For the most part, the CD is very much a true representation of our live performance with only one exception that I can think of," Todd said. "If you listen close, there are three guitars in 'Little Pieces,' one being an acoustic guitar. (But) we currently don't use an acoustic guitar in our live shows."
As for April's recent trip to SXSW on behalf of Frognot, she said, "I went solo to SXSW to familiarize people with Frognot and to sit in on some very informative conferences. I've been to SXSW a couple of times and the experience is invaluable. Meeting and talking to people in the music industry really stimulates new ideas and new plans of attack."
Often described as "alternative groove rock," Frognot's debut effort is quickly making its presence known to Metroplex rock lovers, thanks to support and radio play from several Dallas stations, including The Eagle, The Edge, The Zone, and Q102 as well as stations in Amarillo, Austin and Houston. However, the band's airplay extends well beyond the Lone Star State's parameters. In fact, Los Angeles, Denver, Oklahoma City and even Brisbane, Australia radio stations have all spun Welcome to Frognot.
"Our response from (disc jockeys) and fans has been incredible," confirmed April, adding that the CD tracks "Little Pieces," "What I Want" and "You Never Know" have nabbed the most nods to date. "We are tossing around 'Little Pieces' as being the single, but no separate promotion has been discussed at this time," April said. "We have gotten the best reception from radio on this song by far; I think this was the second song we ever wrote as a band. Having 'Little Pieces' come out so great on disc takes me back to when I first heard Dennis play it on acoustic. The production on this track is excellent."
Nevertheless, when it comes to the songwriting process, Frognot's crew is a prolific bunch, noted April. 'Usually when we write a song it will start with, 'Hey, April, give me a beat,' and we go from there," she explained. "So many times the pieces just fall right into place. Other times, someone will come into the jam room with a riff and we will build around that. The band shares the writing of the music itself equally. The lyrics are split almost exactly fifty-fifty between Dennis and I, either collaborating or writing them separate. Anyone in the band can throw out lyrics if they want, it just seems that Dennis and I are the ones that do."
As for the future of Frognot, the band, its players intend to continue expanding the group's performance circuit and fan base while promoting their infectious, often funk-laden CD. And from all indications, the quartet is prima donna-free and focused solely on the business at hand: making music.
"I've worked with each member of the band in different groups over the years,'remarked April, "I couldn't imagine having a band with three better people, musically or mentally."
For more information on Frognot, its performance schedule or to sample music from Welcome to Frognot, visit the band's web site at www.frognot.com. Currently, the band's debut CD is available at Frognot's live shows and area Blockbuster Music stores.