It is undeniable that Web sites like MySpace have served as
catalysts for the growing popularity of smaller musicians over the
past few years, providing them with a free method by which to
spread word of their music. The Internet overall has essentially
eliminated the barriers between fans and their favorite musicians,
and newer artists are taking advantage of it.
But for Edith Frost, who will be performing a Campus Events
concert at The Cooperage on April 5 alongside Chicago-based band
The Zincs, the use of the Internet as a means of connecting with
others is already old news.
Ten years ago, Frost started a blog before she even had music to
promote, using it instead to post scanned images of concert ticket
stubs and basic updates about her life. Now, with five albums under
her belt and a steadily growing fan base nationwide, she’s
reaching more people than ever before.
“It kind of happened on accident and it can be annoying
sometimes, but it can also be really great,” Frost said.
“On the bad side, people sometimes think, “˜She’s
my best friend because I know her so well,’ and on the really
good side, it does let people get to know you and your music
better. For the most part, though, it’s been really
great.”
The 41-year-old singer/songwriter began her music career in her
early 30s, a time some might consider late for delving into the
music scene. But with her smoky voice and soft, charming songs that
touch on everything from folk to country to pop, Frost has slowly
but surely ushered her way into the music business, spending most
of last October touring with Iron & Wine and Calexico on what
was her largest tour to date.
Her latest album, “It’s A Game,” works overall
as a break-up album, but still remains lighthearted despite its
pensive and saddened tone. Behind plucky guitar lines and
country/folk instrumentation, Frost uses the album to examine
nearly every aspect of the relationship, becoming like an exemplar
of fellow singer Feist’s laments: The saddest part about a
broken heart really is the beginning, not the end.
“It’s just easier for me to write about
problems,” Frost said about her inclination toward love
songs, which runs throughout all of her albums.
In “Just A Friend,” for example, she sings,
“Come on and get closer, it’s going to be alright / I
want you to be happy, we’ll find a compromise / Your
happiness baby is just as important as mine,” admitting to
both her candor and strength, a duality to which Frost returns
repeatedly throughout the album.
This high emotional level in the songs, combined with their
musical arrangement of simple guitar, piano and percussive lines to
develop into a sparse but well-supporting sound, are ideal for
small and cozy settings like that of UCLA’s Coop.
Opening for Frost’s set will be the equally appropriate
brooding acoustic pop of The Zincs, led by British guitar and
keyboard player Jim Elkington.
“Every tour we have a couple (college shows) and they can
either be a lot of fun, or they can be a drag, but it depends on
the scenario,” Frost said.
One of the determining factors that rings true of all shows,
Frost says, is the degree to which the crowd is familiar with her
music. With her availability to fans in her songs and online, Frost
makes this much easier than the average artist.
Frost is careful to note the distance that forms between the
story within the song and the story of her actual life.
Nevertheless, the intimacy of her lyrics combined with her use of
the Internet has helped fans get to know a side of Frost’s
personality on a level to which few other musicians seem to
reach.
But aside from the types of impressions she may give through any
of those mediums, there’s one main focus for Frost in her
music endeavors.
“I’d rather have people call attention to my music
than to this persona or this mystique,” she said. “I
just want to write good songs.”