member frankosp

... the devil behind the cause.

Frank Makak picked up the guitar when he was 4 years old... and learned how to play it some 10 years later, but his passion for music was there from the first time he could actually get to see a guitar or hold a pair of drum sticks.

While still in elementary school, he fell into punk rock. The Ramones, The Clash, The Damned and Pistols were common names in his, ahem, cassette collection.But the two things that would open his mind even further would be picking up the guitar (for real) and getting his first copy of The Clash's "London Calling" for Christmas when he was 10 or 11 (this album changed so many lives, you know... Frank's life was next on the list back then). It was all about having no such thing as limits, and discovering new territories.

While still in high school, his friend Jeff convinced him to sing and, later, that he could write songs. Frank's first band, makaks, was born. It was raw, loud, fast, DIY punk rock with a drum machine (influenced here by one of the band's biggest influence, french punk band Bérurier Noir). After the band's demise, Frank recorded an album of the band's songs, alone, playing all the instruments himself (on a cassette recorder - ouch - but later transfered and remixed on digital equipment).Then in college, Frank would team up with Jay, also an Art student like Frank, and started a darker side-project band called NightVisioN. Influences of the Misfits, Samhain and Danzig were evident, but lo-fi techno, DIY punk rock, acoustic folk, spoken word poetry and even reggae music would show through what was going to be something that would leave a mark on Frank's songwriting.

Eventually, Frank moved out of his hometown (a small town called Jonquière) and landed in the (subterranean) jungle that is Montreal.That's where he built his own studio. The SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE studio. New influences were landing in Frank's huge CD collection. Neko Case, Carolyn Mark, Tom Waits, Woody Guthrie and the Pogues, just to name a few. But the artist that would influence him the most to go solo is Billy Bragg. Frank even wrote a song that's a tribute to Bragg ("Walk Away Leader").

Back in 2007, Frank released a first limited edition ep, a mini-opera called "frank makak's misery train". Taking part in the project were Frank's heroes Keith Seifert and Kelly Haigh. The CD was sold out in less than two days and copies found new homes in Canada, USA, United Kingdom and New Zealand.With a first full length album released in 2008, Frank Makak is about to change a life. His own. Be on the lookout!

... the train could not miss you.