Andy Frasco – Keep On Keepin’ On

By starrymag | March 12, 2020

By: Matthew Pepe

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your creative and writing process for “Keep On Keepin’ On?

 

A) I think it’s the most honest work on how I feel today, both inside my mind and inside this life. It got me to go to therapy and it got me to finally be honest with my insecurities.

 

Q) Talking about mental health still comes with a taboo in many circles. What do you hope people take away from a song like “Keep On Keepin’ On?”

 

A) I hope this record makes people feel that they are not alone with depression, insecurities and anxiety. Even the happiest people you see go through these things. You are not alone.

 

Q) While talking about a serious topic, “Keep On Keepin’ On” is upbeat in its sound. Was this on purpose and why?

 

A) Yes, because it’s my way of seeing the truth of life. We need to celebrate sadness more. We need to celebrate mourning. We need to celebrate being authentic, even when we are feeling low. I will never stop celebrating life even through the darkest of days because nothing lasts forever – not sadness or happiness. That’s the beautiful thing about life. We always get another chance at it if we keep fighting and keep being optimistic.

 

Q) The lyric to a good song are really a poem. Please talk about your poetry, and how purposefully writing this way has changed your song writing.

 

A) Poetry has helped me find out who I am and who I am becoming. When I first started writing songs I was writing to entertain, nowadays I’m writing to talk and inspire. Poetry has helped me with that.

 

Q) What was it like to come to the realization that “I didn’t want to be remembered just as some good-time party guy?” What do you want to be remembered for?

 

A) Ya know, it’s hard to wake up one day and realize you’ve been living your life in a fog… whatever the fog was. Binging on coke, having too many one-night stands, taking ecstasy just to wake up and make it to a radio interview…I never wanted the party to reflect the main reason why I’m out here living on the road every day. I wanted to show people that a guy with no musical background or family in the industry can still follow the dreams I always had since I was thirteen years old. Be an artist. I want to be remembered as the guy who worked the hardest, who listened and was there for people when they needed me the most. I give my life to making people happy and inspiring them to do what they always wanted to do, to be authentic.

 

Q) Do you think that this album would have come about without you being part of the Gary Gulman documentary “The Great Depresh?”

 

A) I believe everything happens for a reason. Gary helped me find therapy. Gary gave me the confidence that I’m not just an entertainer but a good songwriter as well. It’s amazing what can happen when you stop being stubborn and just listen.

 

Q) What would you want to express to your fans about mental health?

 

A) Mental health is a silent killer. It doesn’t just go away – we need to understand that it stays with us and we need to exercise our minds just like we exercise our bodies, our diet and our relationships. Let’s stop suppressing our feelings because we see nothing but happiness on social media posts and magazines. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to express how you really feel. You are not alone in this fight and your mind and heart deserve the nourishment

 

Q) Do you have a favorite track off your coming album?

 

A) I love the songs “Animals” and “None Of Those Things.”

 

Q) You are a voracious tourer, you have a podcast, you write and record songs, and are creative in so many other ways. What drives you to work so hard in the business and at your craft?

 

A) I learned everything I know from Kobe Bryant. Work ethic is what drives me to try to be the best I can at everything I do. I want to be the earliest one at the gym. I want to be the first one at the venue. I want to play the most shows. I want to be prepared for every interview. I don’t want to take life for granted. I want to soak up every minute I have with it because you never know when it’s your turn to leave the party. If you put in work and never give up, you will see your dreams in fruition.

 

Q) What was your inspiration to start a podcast?

 

A) I get to hang out with all these musicians, comedians and actors at 2 or 3 am after shows and they tell me the most heartfelt stories about love, life and addiction. These people in this scene are amazing and don’t get another publicity on the humans they are outside of their musical notes, funny jokes or acting. I want to talk publicly about the hard things in life. My podcast is my platform to make our fans see their favorite artists in a different light.

 

Q) How has your podcast changed the way you approach your craft?

 

A) It made me listen more. [laughs] I’ve always been so stubborn – stuck in my ways with a one-track mind. My guests have really opened me up and made me feel a little less alone and like we’re all in this fight together. The entertainment industry is hard and lonely most of the time. To see people that I look up too feeling the same way about the life we choose makes me want to keep going.

 

Q) What is one of your favorite moments from one of your live performances?

 

A) The speech I make every night about living in the present.

 

Q) If I took a peek at your music collection, who would I be surprised to see in it?

 

A) The evolution of a guy growing up on the road since he was eighteen years old in a van three hundred days a year solely for the purpose of trying to bring smiles to every person I can.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of your music?

 

A) Thank you and Keep On Keepin’ On. I’m here for you.