Album Name: Zinnia
Artist: Pierce Frolic: Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Production & Writing
Released: July 2021
Label: Independant
Rating: 8.5/10
Photography by Tom Reece Editing by Pierce Frolic Font Junko Hanhero
Tracklist
Wavelengths
Florence Ave.
Love Blooms
Tom's Song
Growin' Old
Solo artist Pierce Frolic from Wilmington, Delaware is releasing his debut EP 'Zinnia' which will be available from the 21st of July 2021. The five track EP mixes emotional themes with upbeat acoustic rock melodies, with a large focus on friendship and love this EP has many cliche moments but that's what makes it so enjoyable. Pierce Frolic grew interested in playing the guitar after studying Bob Dylans music and reading lots of books. After struggling through school mentally and socially he picked up the acoustic guitar as a coping mechanism. Frolic hasn't had a perfect smooth sailing life from friends dying to running away to overdosing on shrooms he hit rock bottom and that made him want to start a brand new life.
"Fortunately, I started writing songs again on guitar and truthfully I didn't have a clue what I was doing. So i just went with whatever sounded right to me," (Pierce Frolic)
'Zinnia' is said to be for fans of Beeabadoobee, Gabriel Black, Mod Sun, Front Bottoms & Avril Lavigne. I would happily agree that this EP would fit in nicely amongst those artists. While listening I personally thought there was moments that sounded like a couple of artists I really like, American Teeth and Waterparks. This EP delivers heartbreak and rememberance, the songs focus on break ups, running away and death but really Zinnia is about love and long lasting friendships. The EP to me felt like spending summer in the sun surrounded by your friends. The songs within Zinnia definitely have this cliche love song sound but with the live drums there is this added natural heaviness that makes it become more pop punk. The mix of these upbeat melodies and emotional lyrics is very relavant right now and a lot of artists are seen making this kind of pop, rap, pop punk, electronic sounding music and I think as a new artist Pierce Frolic has jumped right up to a level where he fits in with these more established artists straight away. The duality of the sadness and happiness within 'Zinnia' is one of the reasons I really enjoyed it and during the songwriting Frolic thought it was relative to correlate a love story to the five phases of death, something every Bob Dylan fan would say "Hey, that's something Bob would do."
It was really hard for me to pick a favourite from this EP as I truly fell in love with all five tracks. The one I picked though is 'Tom's Song' as this one shows of the duality of the upbeat sound with the darker lyrics. The song as a whole feels very summery and I could just imagine being surrounded by my friends lying in a field in the sun just laughing and having a good time but I suppose I could say this for almost every song on the EP. The only song on here that I felt didn''t fit this formula was closing track 'Growin' Old' which had a slower pace and more of a lullaby like melody but even though it was slower it still had this warm safe feeling to it.
Pierce Frolic on the meaning of Zinnia:
"The greatest part was turning my thoughts into something beautiful. A few years ago, I was at my absolute worst- drugs, running away, friends dying, mental health problems, breakups. But there were people there who kept me going, even people who I don't speak to as often nowadays. And that shouldn't be ignored or forgotten even if we're on different wavelengths now. My first job was at a flower shop and the best part was rejuvanating the flowers. Each one required different nurturing to bring them back to life, and some came back quicker than others. I was told a Zinnia represents friendship that weathers all storms. I felt the name was appropriate because even though the EP is mainly love and breakup songs. I had no ill feelings against anyone who's came and gone through my life. And to me, that's how a Zinnia has such strong life cycles"
The mixing, mastering , sound development and engineering for 'Zinnia' was done by Nick Holmes (Occupy Studio, Newark DE)
Electric guitar and Bass on 'Love Blooms' was provided by Alex Parkinson (Mothman and the Thunderbirds)
The Guitar solo on 'Wavelengths' is from Jake Flanders (JAMES)
I personally cannot wait for the 21st so I can just listen to this EP on repeat. I would highly recommend checking this one out when it is released. There isn't a bad song on here and every one is catchy and stands out on it's own while also blending together to make this really fun EP. I keep mentioning it but 'Zinnia' really does feel like summer and friendship and even with the harder lyrics it just feels safe and happy. Pierce Frolic has truly created something beautiful.
Pre save 'Zinnia' HERE
Listen to first single 'Love Blooms' HERE
Check out Pierce Frolic on social media
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