Frank and Earnest

Biography

The soundtrack by and for a bunch of dudes hanging out, Frank and Earnest has gone through a few configurations since 2008 but has always been an outlet of unpretentious music that oozes Lansing, Michigan. Originally conceived as an acoustic project by founding guitarist Otis Pierce, the band has had Ben Hassenger (guitar, vocals), Paul Wittman (bass, vocals), and Ryan Horky (drums) as its core since spring 2009, even after Otis left the band in fall 2013. The multiple songwriters and the devil-may-care live show (on any given night you don’t know if they’re going to blast through a tight clutch of songs, drunkenly talk for most of their set or show up as a satirical country band) has earned the band a following and made them a fixture of Michigan music to the point of bafflingly being the only DIY punk band to be mentioned on the Lansing wikipedia page. Their debut EP Old Francis, full of sincere and passionate melodic punk, showed up in the summer of 2010, winning both critical acclaim and blogger vile, with the split 7-inch Funemployment following in 2011, and the full-length Modern Country in 2014. Not bad for a bunch of self-described “stupid guys” who basically started a band as an excuse to hang out.

Audio
“Addictionary” from Old Francis

“Mr. Holland’s Otis” from Old Francis

Links:
Facebook page
Bandcamp website

Discography:
How Much Art Can You Fake (GTG) split cassette with Bong Mountian, Protected Left, and Bluffed Called, released 8/2016
Modern Country (GTG) full-length CD, released 9/2014
Funemployment (GTG) Split 7-inch with The Plurals, released 6/2011
Have A Horky Christmas digital EP available at F+E Bandcamp website, released 12/2010
Old Francis (BMP/ GTG) EP/CD, released 7/2010
Wafflehouse self-released 3 song demo CD, released 5/2009

Compilations:
Bermuda Snohawk 2016 (BMP/GTG) features exclusive song “Year In Review”
Bermuda Snohawk 2013 (BMP/ GTG) features exclusive song “This One’s a Bummer” (2013)
It’s Fine. (GTG) features demo version of “New Traditions” (2013)
Secret Identities: Lansing Covers Lansing (GTG/ LMTV) features cover of “Woman Like That” by Mystic Shake (2012)
Either/Or Sucks: A Tribute to Descendents (Either/Or) features cover of “We” by Descendents (2012)
No F@%king Egos:This Is Lansing! Volume 2:Electric Boogaloo (Silver Maple Kill) features live version of “Mr. Holland’s Otis” (2011)
3-Way Split Singles Vol. 5 (ITAV) features exclusive song “Paul 4” (2011)
Explosions: Lansing Salutes Devo (GTG) features cover of “Whip It” by Devo (2010)
No More Tomorrow Baby! A Tribute to KISS (GTG) features cover of “Plaster Caster” by KISS (201)
BMP 2010 Sampler: BMP5 is Alive! Nifty at 50…releases (BMP) features “Mr. Holland’s Otis” (2010)
BMP 2009 Sampler – Four Score and Four Shitty Label Compilations Ago (BMP) features Wafflehouse version of “’87” (2009)
Bermuda Snowhawk 2008 (BMP/ GTG) features original acoustic version of “Stick a Fork in Me, I’m Done” (2008)