Greta Kline has put in some work of late to clarify: Frankie Cosmos is the name of the band—including members David Maine, Lauren Martin, and Luke Pyenson. Yes, it started as a true solo project (with some eight million self-released Bandcamp albums to prove it), but it’s now a fully fleshed out vehicle that exists well beyond the reach of her bedroom. Just listen to the difference between her first Bandcamp release, the 2009 instrumental ditty “hanging out on georges roof,” compared to her most recent, last year’s studio-recorded Next Thing, and you’ll understand her point straightaway.
All that said, Kline is still the central voice of Frankie Cosmos, and it’s a pleasure to hear her band’s newer music stripped back down to the same basic elements that grabbed so many at the outset. At the past installment of Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik, we asked her to do just that—for Original Tracks, our video series in partnership with Original Penguin. Joined by Maine, Kline performed acoustic versions of two tracks from Next Thing—“Too Dark,” available to watch here, and “On the Lips,” which we’re premiering today. You can watch that one below.
