In case you haven’t already heard, Frankie and the Studs is a rock band blazing out of Los Angeles with the intensity of a meteor. Their powerful new single and video for “Bimini” is set to release on July 11th, coinciding with a Pacific Northwest tour with Bad Cop, Bad Cop, and leading up to their debut LP this fall, which promises some exciting special guests. The band is fronted by the energetic Frankie Clarke and features Frank Salazar on guitar, Lizi Gionangeli on bass, and Nick Rossi on drums. A fan of drag performance, Frankie wrote “Bimini” as a tribute to the legendary drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash.
“Bimini Bon Boulash was a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and I became captivated by their style and attitude,” Frankie explains. “I couldn’t stop saying ‘Bimini Bon Boulash,’ so everyone had to hear about them. I’m also really into makeup and drag in general. I love shape-shifting and using makeup and fashion to express a part of myself that I wouldn’t normally show. Even onstage, I’ve always had a sort of persona. So, the song is about feeling free to express yourself in any way, regardless of gender conformities, and not to impress anyone but yourself.”
For the music/lyric video, Frankie embraces self-expression through full rock ’n’ roll fashion while doing everyday activities like sitting at a diner, eating a donut, and walking around various favorite spots in the valley. The song was co-written with Frankie’s longtime friend and collaborator Stewart Cararas. In addition to being a co-producer and songwriter, “Stewart also taught me to always ask ourselves, ‘What would Bowie do?’”