We are so pleased to announce upcoming tour dates for Frank Viele. His upcoming EP and singles are previewed below, and we had a great chance to catch up with Viele about meeting John Waite, the upcoming tour dates with Waite, and all the exciting things that are in the works. Oh yea, we have an exclusive performance video, too!
Connecticut musician Frank Viele is an unstoppable force, a quadruple-threat singer, guitarist, songwriter, and performer who belts out every song as if it were his last — his fingers dancing along the fretboard of his Breedlove guitar, his soulful, gravelly
voice pushing out every note with conviction. Yet even as he’s racked up accolades over the past 7 years — including New England Music awards for Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year, Songwriter of The Year, and Live Act of The Year for gutsy, gritty tracks like “Broken Love Song” and “‘Til The Bourbon’s All Gone” — he’s rarely paused to savor the moment before moving on to yet another tour, album, or
collaboration.
It wasn’t until the pandemic hit in early 2020 and he was forced to hunker down that Viele realized that time itself was the world’s most precarious, yet precious, resource. And as the rest of the world sheltered in place, Viele embarked on a writing-and-recording journey with Jimmy Nutt (Jason Isbell, American Aquarium, The Dead South) and James LeBlanc (Travis Tritt, Will Hoge, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Dylan LeBlanc, Rascal Flatts) of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Within this co-writing collaborative partnership, Viele approached each new song slowly, intentionally, and with an open mind, challenging himself to transcend the limits of genre and industry expectations.
Outside of this songwriting collaboration, Viele found himself inspired by this new writing process and was penning more tunes (by myself and with multiple collaborators) than ever before. Time is a Thief is Viele’s most thoughtful, intimate release yet, a four-song collection slow-roasted between sessions in Stamford, Connecticut, West Haven, Connecticut, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. While Viele’s signature blend of rugged Americana and soul is undeniable, the collection — a prequel to his forthcoming 2022 album — presents Viele in a way that his fans have never experienced.
“I have been running for so long, since my first band record came out in 2011, and not taking any time to appreciate the moment,” says Viele. “I remember opening for Blues Traveler on the same field I played tee ball in, but instead of soaking it in,
my head was spinning and focused on reaching the next set of goals, the next song, the next show. It wasn’t until I was forced to slow down a bit, when Covid hit, that I realized that time is a precious commodity.”
Viele is accompanied by electric and acoustic guitars, cello, and percussion from legendary collaborators including drummer Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), bassist Scott Spray (Johnny Winter), and cellist Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Ray LaMontagne).
Bringing these songs to life was nothing short of serendipity for Viele, a pure testament to the notion that timing is everything. As Viele recalls: “Everything happened like it was scripted for a TV show, from the songs to the players, to the entire process of putting together this EP”.
We caught up with Frank Viele, to talk about the upcoming album, meeting John Waite, and to talk about the upcoming tour dates that the two will do together starting in a couple of weeks.
LMNR: Tell us how you met John Waite:
Frank Viele: Back in October of 2018, I was asked to play two concerts opening for John Waite. Night one, was at My Father’s Place at The Roslyn Hotel on Long Island and night two was at City Winery NYC. I had not met John prior to these shows and being the super fan of his I was, I was simply humbled by the opportunity and honestly nervous to share the stage with him.
LMNR: How were the shows?
Night one on Long Island was sold out and I left it all on the stage. I walked off stage to a standing ovation. Night two was an incredible night as well as I walked off to a roaring crowd and after the show was over, I was asked by John’s management to come down to the main green room because John wanted to meet me. Apparently, he heard about my set night one and watched my set night two from underneath the stage where his green room was.
LMNR: Oftentimes support artists don’t even get to meet the headliner, tell us more about meeting Waite.
He officially introduced himself to me, told me how much he dug my voice and then wrote on a poster for me “To Frank, Very Best Voice!”. He then said “now it’s in writing so you’ll never forget it”. This poster has been framed and hung above my bed ever since as a reminder to never doubt myself, never doubt my voice, but always strive to learn and grow as an artist. I learned a lot playing those two shows and watching John perform. I’ve done some amazing things musically since then but that experience performing those two shows has been beyond close to me as a pivotal turning point in my musical journey. I never thought I’d have the ability to duplicate those incredible nights again…
LMNR: And yet…
Life can be amazing sometimes and today I can officially announce that three years later, I’ve gotten the call and I get to do a full on tour opening for John Waite in support of my new Time Is A Thief EP!
We are so happy to present an exclusive video for Frank Viele’s upcoming single Tears Drag You Down. This acoustic version is available here only, and is an appetizer for the amazing music to come from this Nutmeg state troubadour. Look for this single to come out on November 12, with the whole album releasing on November 19.
Upcoming Tour Dates with John Waite:
11/3 – The Barns at Wolf Trap Vienna, VA
11/5 – New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Newark, NJ
11/6 – Levoy Theatre Millville, NJ
11/7 – The Living Room at 35 East Ardmore, PA
11/11 – Greenwich Odeum Greenwich, RI
11/12 – Mauch Chunk Opera House Jim Thorpe, PA
11/13 – New Hope Winery New Hope, PA
11/14 – New Hope Winery New Hope, PA
Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.
To submit an article an article or review, or to just say hello hit us at [email protected]
Also- check out the search feature in the upper right hand corner and search for your favorite artist, event, venue or genre. You’ll be surprised at what you find!
