Singer-songwriter Ian Franklin splits his time between a few professions and locations. By day, he’s a board-certified musical therapist; by night, he performs at venues with his band Infinite Frequency. During most of the year, he stays in the Bay Area to be near his practice, but at least twice a year he makes his way down to Lompoc, a place he still calls home.
“I do feel close to Lompoc,” Franklin said. “I spent a third of the year every year growing up there with my dad; it’s always a very comfortable experience going down there.”
Being that he has family and friends in town, Franklin sees Lompoc as a perfect spring board to launch his new CD, titled Breaking Grounds. The album features original songs by Franklin with the help of his band Infinite Frequency. The band, Franklin explained, is a collection of his musical friends who get together in several different arrangements to help him showcase his songs. For his April 14 set at the Wicked Shamrock in Lompoc, Ian Franklin and Infinite Frequency will be a trio including guitar, bass, and drums.
“It’s kind of like a collective,” Franklin said. “It has evolved and will continue to evolve.”
Though Franklin performs his original music with his band and has been working on his new album, those are activities he has to do in his spare time outside of work. Franklin is a board-certified musical therapist and runs his own private practice in Santa Rosa. He helps improve the quality of life of elderly stroke victims in learning how to talk again, helps brain injury victims improve cognition, and works with adults and children with disabilities including autism.
“They don’t need any training,” he said. “We all have music; anybody can do it. It’s an active therapy; my personal approach is through improvisation and participation.”
Franklin learned the techniques required to be a musical therapist at the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. He completed a double major in songwriting and musical therapy. It was in Boston that he first formed Infinite Frequency, which toured the East Coast between 2003 and 2008, and even won a battle of the bands competition in Los Angeles.
Inspiration comes from many places in songwriting, and Franklin finds inspiration in relationships and experiences, but also from the work he does. He recalled a group therapy session with psychiatric patients he was leading, which “planted the seed” to the song “Step by Step”, which is on the new album.
“A way my music is inspired by my work would be that some songs are about general inspiration and awakening,” he said, “I try to help my listeners feel good and forget about their problems and try to find some satisfaction. I strive to have some thoughtfulness and integrity in the music I put out.”
Franklin is not on a label, but has been producing his music privately, from his own pocket. He has teamed up with a bay area recording engineer Ben Bernstein to produce his album. The two have reached a mutual agreement in which Bernstein is investing his time and equipment to the project, Franklin his music, and the two will share in on the profits from the album. Certainly a unique situation, but one that gives Franklin all the artistic freedom he desires.
Drawing inspiration from a multitude of genres, Franklin’s music isn’t the easiest to pin down. It can be described, the artist says, as songwriter rock that pulls from funk, blues, jazz, and pop or independent rock. His style calls back to older groups from the ’60s such as The Beatles, but also elicits similarities to contemporary groups such as Maroon 5 and Dire Straits. Franklin, a guitarist as well as vocalist, embraces the purely instrumental side of rock exemplified by famous jam bands.
“I definitely take liberties to break and express myself as a guitar player,” he said, “A lot of music these days isn’t really guitar driven.”
Franklin is no stranger to performing in Lompoc. He has done concerts at the Lompoc Flower Festival and at other venues in town, and looks forward to the upcoming concert at the Wicked Shamrock where he will be showcasing the songs from his new album.
Make it to the Maverick
The Maverick Saloon offers live entertainment including country music by Teddy Spanke and the Tex Pistols in concert April 13 and 14 at 8:45 p.m. followed by “Late Night with guest DJ’s” at 11:30 p.m. at the saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. More info: 686-4785 or mavericksyv@aol.com.
No talk like Sweet Talk
The C Gallery presents the singing and songwriting duo Sweet Talk Radio as part of its “Sing to Me” concert series April 15 at 7 p.m., The C Gallery, 466 Bell St., Los Alamos. Cost is $22. More info: 344-3807, connie@thecgallery.com, or thecgallery.com.
Music with pop
The Lompoc Pops Orchestra, going strong with its 15th season of orchestral pops music, presents a Spring Concert on April 16 at 7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 925 North F St., Lompoc. Cost is $15, $5 for students. More info: 735-6463 or connieatthepops@aol.com.
Keeping it fab
Local rock band Unfinished Business will be performing an “All Beatles” concert featuring selections from the group’s early career, albums, and contemporaries on April 14 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the 510 Event Center, 510 South Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 928-5510, 510eventcenter@gmail.com, or 510eventcenter.com.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 12-19, 2012.