I always wonder how to call a genre that combines alternative rock, folk and an acoustic guitar. Americans have a great name for a music that is rockier than folk, not yet country and composes a lot of traditional rhythm with an independent twist. They call it Americana, which is brilliant, very memorable and catchy. Can Americana be used to describe British artists? I see some British acts adopt the word to describe their sound but not everyone is willing to do so. Americana is a great name for American acts but what do you call Welsh or Scottish or Irish music? Each one is different and it’s hard to put everyone in one bag and brand them “alternative folk”. I have no idea how that genre should be called but for the purposes of this review, I will invent the term “Welshana”, to describe the new single from singer/songwriter Frankie Wesson.
Single cover
Song info: In 2023, Abergavenny singer-songwriter Frankie Wesson won Tredegar House Folk Festival’s annual songwriter competition. As well as opening up the main stage of the festival, the prize came with studio time at Shabbey Road Studios in Caerphilly with Al Steele. So, Frankie took her musical companion Ruby Ravelle and talented videographer friend Honey B. McKenna on a little road trip to Caerphilly. They ended up with a beautiful arrangement and recording of Frankie’s song “Your Version of Event”. Plus, an intimate music video documenting the recording process in the studio.
We have written several times about Frankie on our blog, and each time, we were giving her music the highest praises. Frankie has been playing for years, she travelled Wales back and forth, been played on national radio on BBC2 and BBC6, her voice and repertoire were complimented by many in the Welsh music industry. Yet somehow, Frankie remains not well known outside of her native Wales, maybe with the exception of Hereford and Worcestershire as she plays there quite often. I have seen Frankie live in Worcester at Art Courtyard (RIP) and it was one of the best acoustic gigs I have ever attended. Frankie has a magical way of getting your attention. She is not doing anything special, she just stands there, plays her guitar named Stevie (after Stevie Nicks) and sings. This is enough to win the harshest musical critics and connoisseurs. Within a second, all your attention focuses on her voice and you get pulled into Frankie’s musical landscape. It is a beautiful experience – you can feel her anger, her sadness and happiness. She sings about things that matter the most – friends, family, discovering yourself, love, despair. All those universal feelings that life cannot exist without. And she does it with such ease that you may think that playing a guitar must be as natural to all as breathing. I don’t know many artists who can do this to the audience. Frankie is very unique in this aspect.
Video to “Your Version of Events by Honey B. McKenna
Miss Wesson’s new single “Your Version of Events” can only be described as a gem. I absolutely love how delicate, spellbinding this song is. 4 minutes of a brilliant storytelling that details a bitter end of a long-standing friendship. If you don’t fall in love with the piano and harmonized choruses in the background, are you even a human being? The beat creeps into your system and you cannot help but sing along. Frankie is assisted on this track by her guitarist Ruby Ravelle and AI Steele, the songwriter based at Shabbey Road Studios in Caerphilly.
I mentioned that this song mixes Welsh country (it’s a real thing, please look it up!), folk, modern alternative rock and even pop. Frankie is a master of creating a really varied mix of genres that is accessible and easy to listen to. She can charm hard rock fans, pop aficionados and country and western enthusiasts to an equal degree while staying true to her own sound. That is a very rare skill.
Today is St David’s day, patron saint of Wales. Please give Frankie a listen, you will not be disappointed. Frankly, listen to Frankie all year long, she is good for every occasion! I truly hope that Welshana name will stick – it’s very romantic, has a nice sound to it and I can finally make it to the rock and roll hall of fame 🙂
You can follow Frankie Wesson and her band on socials:
http://www.frankiewessonmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/frankiewessonmusic
https://twitter.com/FrankieMayJones
https://www.instagram.com/frankiewesson/
https://soundcloud.com/frankiewesson
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZWxoAHLNVfiTH0IzRaSs2A
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3SBpmZcOOC9HkUEJVR11QT
https://www.tiktok.com/@frankiewesson1
“Your Version of Events” is out now independently.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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