Welsh singer/songwriter Frankie Wesson is one of my all time favourite artists on the independent scene. I have known her for years, seen her performing in Worcester in 2019 at the ever missed Worcester Arts Workshop and even met her mom by sheer accident when I ended up in a small bookstore close to the Abergavenny train station. Everything that Frankie puts out is excellent. She is an amazing songwriter, a very perceptive social observer and a poetic lyricist that is able to write songs about everyday life that resonate with listeners all around the world. I miss living at the Welsh border, life in the North has its advantages, but you can’t go on a one day trip to Hay-on-Wye anymore, or just go to see Frankie play at your local pub. Her newest single “Paper Planes” came out today and as you can imagine, it’s fantastic. We have a single of the month on our hands, before January is even half way through!
“Paper Planes” single cover
Official bio: Multi award-winning singer-songwriter Frankie Wesson started writing songs and performing in her hometown of Abergavenny at the age of 16. Her cinematic songs draw inspiration from her personal experiences of bitter-sweet nostalgia, unrequited love, teenage angst and the complicated reality of growing up LGBTQ. Raised on artists like Alanis Morrissette, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Nicks (who her guitar is named after). Wesson also takes inspiration from a mix of contemporary artists such as Deaf Havana, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Gabrielle Aplin. Producing intimate, emotionally raw, yet laid-back music with a pop/folk/rock feel. Her versatile vocal range and talent for emotive, relatable song writing makes for captivating live performances and songs that’ll soon become part of your musical diet.
Frankie may not be a household name in the UK (just) yet, but she has a solid fanbase in Wales. She has been making music for over a decade now and whenever I speak to my friends, or Welsh music industry professionals, they are all massive fans of what she does. Her CV is truly impressive, she won multiple songwriting competitions (most recently Tredegar House Folk Festival 2023 songwriting award for “Just Friends” and Best Song award at the 2024 Love Live Music Awards for “Delicate”), had her songs played multiple times on national radio stations (BBC 6, BBC Wales) and toured the UK to great acclaim. She is like Wales’ best kept secret and if you haven’t heard her music yet, this is the best time to get acquainted with it. Frankie has a new single out called “Paper Planes” and it’s absolutely brilliant.
“Paper Planes” stands at 4 minutes and 10 seconds – a whole minute and a bit over the preferred 3 minute limit by the radio stations these days. I’m very glad to see that artists try to break through that limit and release singles that are longer and more varied musically. 15 years ago, the average length of a track was about 4 and a half minute long, now it’s down to 2 minute and 40 seconds only and everything is cut out from songs to fit this really silly trend. I have heard artists saying that they were forced to remove choruses, or guitar solos, or even cut verses to get their tracks on the airwaves, but this practice is really damaging in my opinion. “Paper Planes” is getting radio play at 4 minutes anyway so maybe things are beginning to shift, but we really need to push to normalize longer tracks being played.
The single falls into three major rock subgenres: pop-rock, folk and Americana, which in Frankie’s case is, really, Welshana. Frankie describes “Paper Planes” as a confessionary song – a tale of a friendship that got damaged and lost along the way. It is a really beautifully crafted monologue, a personal admission describing how once a well-known person can become a perfect stranger to us. Or the other way around: how we can become separated from others, even our closest friends or family members through time, distance, growing up (growing older) in a different social or political landscape.
“Paper Planes” is stronger, more rock orientated than Frankie’s previous singles. She says she is entering a new phase in her career, heavier and more mood orientated. I’m truly excited by that statement. Frankie has a powerful voice, you can’t really hear it in her studio music, but when she is performing live, there is no doubt. Her melodies may be soft and pop infused, but Frankie is a rock and roll girl at heart. When she raises her voice, you get chills going up and down your spine, believe me. I’m not sure what she means by describing her upcoming material as more mood orientated, but I can’t wait to find out!
The song comes with a video that was filmed at Factory Studios in Bristol, starring Frankie and her band: Kirsty, Simon and Ruby. It was filmed and edited by Honey McKenna.
Follow Frankie online:
http://www.frankiewessonmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/frankiewessonmusic
https://twitter.com/FrankieMayJones
https://www.instagram.com/frankiewesson
https://soundcloud.com/frankiewesson-music
https://www.youtube.com/@FrankieWesson
https://www.tiktok.com/@frankiewesson1
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3SBpmZcOOC9HkUEJVR11QT
Our previous coverage:
https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2024/08/03/frankie-wesson-delicate-single-review-and-video-premiere/
https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2024/03/01/frankie-wesson-your-version-of-events-single-review/
https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2023/10/06/frankie-wesson-unviable-single-review/
“Paper Planes” is out now independently.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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