Recreating magic _{by Madelaine Empson}

It’s been four long years since their last tour, and now, The Frank Burkitt Band is coming back to Wellington, where they formed and performed their first-ever gig in 2014. Based in the windy city for five years, singer-songwriter and guitarist Frank and his partner, backing vocalist Kara Filbey, relocated to the UK in 2020 in the early days of the pandemic. Who knew it’d be this long before they’d be back?

Frank says their return to New Zealand has been an incredible experience.

“Memories of touring NZ and the network of friends we have built up here over the years have kept us going through some really dark times in the UK over the last four years. To now be back for a couple of months, performing to amazing crowds and catching up with what feels like a million people is truly life affirming.”

Touring Aotearoa as both a duo and with the full band, Frank and Kara will be joined by Robert Henderson (double bass), Cameron Burnell (mandolin and banjo), Oscar Laven (horns), Louis Thompson-Munn (keys), and Kim Bonnington (harmonies) at San Fran on Friday the 10^th of February. The show will feature Frank’s most recent songs from their new album Silvereye, which they recorded during the lockdown in their “little flat in Manchester”.

Compared to their debut album Fools & Kings, which reached number 12 on the Official NZ Music Charts, and their award-winning follow-up Raconteur, Frank says the new tracks are more stripped-down, slower, and “almost back to basics”. 

“The songs are more heartfelt and personally revealing, born out of the emotional rollercoaster that was the pandemic and also some anger over the state of British politics.”

Frank says one of the best gigs of his life was the Raconteur album release at San Fran back in 2018.

“I am so excited to be performing my newest album and let’s hope we can recreate the magic of that night again!”