Leicester’s Uncle Frank is a band that has developed from roots, soul, big

band, and funk to guitar driven melodic rock, always with a splash of pop.

Channelling influences from bands like Rival Sons, ZZ Top, Clutch and Lenny

Kravitz.

The band has grown, with critical acclaim, performing on tours and festivals

with the likes of Paul Heaton (Beautiful South, The Housemartins),

Glastonbury rockers Reef, and Craig Charles and his Funk and Soul tours.

They have headlined and been featured artists at many festivals such as Y-

Not, Looe, Summer Sundae, Simon Says and The Great Estate Festival as

well as touring regularly in the USA.

The highlight of 2022 was performing MainStage at London’s 02 Dome and

Manchester AO Arena.

Significant radio play also helped to elevate the band with playlisting on

regional radio, spot plays on many national radio stations including BBC

Radio 2, 6 Music and BBC Introducing and commercial stations.

An array of music videos ,to complement the bands output, have racked up

over 500,000 views on Youtube and Frank himself has been a presenting for

half a decade on BBC Radio .Hand selected tunes every Sunday night, and

never a bad song played in over 5 years (as he would definitely tell you)

The brand new Uncle Frank record ,’Diablo’, is the bands 4th album

(preceded by Soul on the Battleground 2019, Love Lion 2017 and Smiles For

Miles 2014.)

They formed in 2003 in Leicester where Frank Benbini and Naim Cortazzi

grew up in single parent families. Music was their way out, a common

interest and what they saw as the way to see the world and win in life.

Everyone in Leicester knows Frank. A force of nature in the music scene,

performing in a bunch of bands as a singer, rapper, drummer.

Naim learnt guitar from his Flamenco playing Father, he went on to study

contemporary music and worked in most of the music venues in town

hustling a living as a sound technician and studio engineer,

Frank and Naim soon developed a musical brotherhood which grew into

something way bigger, producing an irresistibly powerful energy that became

the band Uncle Frank

These two massive personalities originally met long before Uncle Frank,

working night shifts in a Banana Warehouse. Years later an unplanned

reconnection quickly turned into regular recording sessions within the attic

of an old abandoned Leicester Mill.

Together they have now built their own studio complex , Make it Nice

Studios, in an old knitwear factory in a secret location in the vicinity of their

hometown of Leicester. ‘Diablo” was conceived here in their own personal

space ,influencing the development of the bands sound a bigger beefier

guitar and drum sound with no limits .

He bands lyrics come from life, living life. When you've loved and lost like

Frank, lyrics have a tendency to flow. They come from a troubled childhood

and a troubled mind that somehow end up hopeful and honest. Frank works

closely with Naim on the lyrics but the environment of the studio allows for

the kind private space he enjoys with the final lyrics only revealed to

everyone at the final cut .

The album opens with the title track 'Diablo' .

“This song is really about the belief that the devil is a woman living inside the

depths of every woman ready to surface and take you down, hard” says

Frank . “Musically this is balls out, foot to the floor, rock and roll fire”.

Off In The Distance'

“This tune is chasing something that you already possess could be love/

strength/time but we gotta figure it out before time runs out or the distance is

just too far out of reach. Musically this is pulling on some Pearl Jam

influences”

'Exercise them Rights' “This is the curve ball on the album, its about having

the right to feel down, blue or out of sorts with the world and even your own

mind. It's about accepting vulnerability and the fact that sometimes you are

going to go through life alone and that is OK.

With the simplistic infectious drum beat setting the tone that drives this

message through”

'So High' ‘A song that is really about your soul mate, the person that takes

you to a dizzy height. I wanted it to have a classic rock n roll feel. Its a song

that sounds like its fell of the back of a 70s Rolling Stones hit record”

'Mary Jane The first single from the album ,released on April 28th 2023.

“Mary Jane is a song about the merry-go -round of having too much fun, not

knowing when to stop, even when deep down , you want to stop. The

addiction of needing something or someone that is beautiful yet toxic,

like the riff of the guitar and the weight of the drums, you will not want it to

stop”

Uncle Frank

Frank Benbini: Lead Vocals (also of Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Radio Riddler,

Radio presenter, producer and songwriter)

Naim Cortazzi: Guitars (fellow FLC member, Radio Riddler, one time Happy

Mondays guitarist, producer, song writer)

Darryl Jnr Benbini: Drums (Massappeals, YUQT, mix engineer, producer,

DJ,)

Luke Kool: Bass (Aka Luke Roy Bryan) Orchestrator and film music

composer

Joining the band live is Nile Barrow: Rhythm guitar (also Ho-Fu, By The

Rivers)

The new album ‘Diablo’ features a huge array contributory talent with post

production on this record by Darryl Reid (Massappeals, YUQT)

Mixed by grammy award winning Tim Latham (Tribe called Quest, De La

Soul, Lou Reed, Hamilton Soundtrack, Britney Spears and Fun Lovin’

Criminals)

Mastered by grammy award nominated Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Rolling

Stones, Depeche Mode, Lana Del Ray)

Mozart Estate

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