FRASE Showcases New Musical Blend In New Single ‘Paddlin’
FRASE is a singer, producer & multi-instrumentalist who grew up in Montreal and migrated to the mountains and music scene of British Columbia in 2017. With authenticity and lyrical finesse, FRASE’s voice blends the classic sounds of Soul, Hip-Hop and Dub and pairs it with production that pushes the boundaries of contemporary electronic music.
FRASE recently released a bouncy, groove-driven new single titled “Paddlin'” that highlights his ability to blend smooth, nostalgic sounds with modern production. Along with the song is a video that conveys FRASE’s energetic and charming presence.
Watch the video now and check out our conversation below with FRASE!
What makes ‘Paddlin’ different from your past work?
My vocal flow is quite different, it is more melodic rap then my usual soul singing.
I don’t rap that much in my past work but I want to do more of it in the future.
Can you describe the concept behind the track?
A canoe trip in northern Quebec changed my life when I was a teenager. It was so hard and gruelling yet beautiful and life affirming. Ever since, I have learned to move through adversity and overcome my fears. The lyrics for this song came out of a similar life experience while trying to make it as a musician in Montreal. I applied that same philosophy – keep “Paddlin’” – and opportunities presented themselves. It’s meant to be an anthem for people to keep moving forward.
How would you describe your artistic evolution throughout your career?
Definitely a slow build and a bit of a long story. I started thinking I might be an artist when I picked up the acoustic guitar in senior year of high school, so I was a tad late to the game but ever since I have been singing and writing my own songs. I got a degree in Music in College studying Jazz and really honed my guitar playing and signing and also learned how to play bass, piano, and percussion. After I graduated all I wanted to do was be a professional recording artist and touring musician, so I started a project called FM Hi Low, where I wrote and sang and played all the instruments. My sound then was more acoustic and organic with lots of live instrumentation and human touches. After I finished the album I put a band together and we toured all over Canada and a bit of the States and sold over 2,000 copies of that CD right off the merch table. As fun as that all was I learned a lot about what the music industry was about and how much work it takes it takes to be a successful artists and keep a band going. Most of the time I learned the hard way how not to force things and develop relationships slowly, I was in a bit in too much of a rush for things to work.
I folded FM Hi Low in 2014 and started a solo project FRASE (my real name is Fraser). I had some guidance from DUB FX, he is a self produced independent artists and performs mostly solo, and he told me I could be great on my own too. My sonic evolution as a producer and song writer from then till now is documented over the course of my 3 Ep’s and 1 full length album. I have evolved as a performance artist a lot over the past 4 years as well, mostly due to my partner Embody MVMT. She is a dancer and choreographer and has injected life and movement to the show and has got me dancing along and making more danceable tunes.
What’s been the biggest change in your life over the past year?
We had a baby! Her name is River and she was born at home in July and is absolutely wonderful, I am so in love.
What song by another artist do you wish you had written?
I guess I would go with a song that touched me most recently. Flawless Real Talk -On My Way . I just finished watching the Netflix show Rhythm + Flow, and Flawless was one of the contestants. He was not my favourite Rapper on the show but that song floured me the second I heard it, the raw emotion in his voice and lyrics just made me started crying and I really felt him. He opened up for once and lost the contest as a result but what an amazing song!
And finally, where can readers keep up with what you are doing?
Follow me on Instagram @frasemusic or check out my website www.frasemusic.ca and sign up for our newsletter. Thanks!
Tweet
