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Frankie Lee performs live in The Current studio

Frankie Lee on the terrace of Minnesota Public Radio
Frankie Lee on the terrace of Minnesota Public RadioMPR / Nate Ryan
  Play Now [26:20]

by David Campbell, Leah Garaas and Frankie Lee

March 30, 2015

Frankie Lee - Buffalo (Live on The Current)
by MPR
Frankie Lee - Honest Man (Live on The Current)
by MPR
Frankie Lee - Where Do We Belong (Live on The Current)
by MPR

If you've been patiently waiting for new Frankie Lee material, today's your lucky day. Let us break it down for you: on March 20 the Local Current blog premiered a new video for "Where Do We Belong," the lead single off Frankie's forthcoming American Dreamer EP, out April 18. That same day he released the "American Dreamer" video—a separate venture, a "visual album" if you will—featuring some (but not all) songs that will be on the forthcoming EP of the same name.

Joined by guitarists Jake Hanson and Michael Rossetto, bassist Phil Hicks and drummer JT Bates, Frankie Lee stopped by The Current to perform tracks off his American Dreamer EP and to chat with David Campbell, host of The Local Show.

Frankie approached songwriting differently for the American Dreamer visual album and EP. Last summer he had a farming accident that left three of his fingers crushed forcing him to write on the piano in his mother's home instead of on the guitar. "The healing process was great because you just kind of slow down," says Frankie. "Very simple things take you into where you were and where you come from and what's important: you're fingers!"

Lee tries out some new sounds this time around, too. Unlike his past work, American Dreamer features a drum machine and a synth. "We should all not be afraid to accept and get down with each other," says Frankie. "If a drum machine is groovin', it's groovin', man."

Songs Performed

"Buffalo"
"Honest Man"
"Where Do We Belong"

All songs off American Dreamer EP, out April 18.

Hosted by David Campbell
Produced by David Campbell
Engineered by Mike DeMark
Web feature by Leah Garaas