Connor: Hey there, Connor here, I sing and play guitar and trumpet (and now sometimes flugelhorn!). I joined Frame and Mantle in 2018 and it’s been a blast ever since! 

Brian T.: Hello, I’m Brian T., I play guitar and am one of the founding members and principal songwriters of Frame and Mantle.

Mark: Hey, I’m Mark! I play drums and I am also a founding member of the band.

Brian D.: My name is also Brian, & I play bass in Frame and Mantle. I was a fan of the band previously & was lucky enough to start playing with them in the Summer of 2024. Shoutout to Scott Gergelis who wrote & recorded the bass lines for this new album – it’s been an honor & a blast bringing these parts to life at shows.

Connor: This song is about feeling like a tree that was planted in the wrong place. You’re realizing that you’re not surrounded by the things you need to grow in a healthy way, but you have to grow anyway because life happens whether you’re ready for it or not. And sometimes this makes you bitter and scared and withdrawn. It’s a bit of a bummer jam, but I’m happy with the way the tree metaphor played out.

Brian T.: I wouldn’t consider any other artist in the scene competition, but I think what sets “Green Grove Zone” apart is the fact that the song essentially doesn’t have a traditional “chorus”. The “hear me hit the ground…” lyrical refrain is repeated, but in an unexpected way. I’m proud of the fact that we pulled off an unorthodox songwriting move, yet still came through with one of our catchiest songs yet.

Brian D.: For anyone discovering Frame and Mantle with this release, you can count on earnest songwriting, dynamic atmospheres, & pronounced energy that bridges the gap between the solo listening experience & the live performance. For fans who have been with the band for a while – you know what the deal is. Everything you loved about the previous LP & EP are here, with another step up in terms of songwriting.

Mark: I became a dad last year, so the lyrics are inspired by my son, Miles. They were written by Connor, and it portrays the difficulties of becoming a parent, but also to cherish all the ordinary moments with your family.  I get a feeling of optimism throughout the second half of the song that not only applies to my son, but me as a parent as well. Brian wrote the guitar part, and it gives me a Third Eye Blind vibe. 

Connor: We worked with Larry Luther at Mr. Smalls Recording and Mastering. Working with Larry was awesome. He’s patient and creative, and he knows how and when to push a part for a better take or more interesting variation, and when to switch focus and drop something that isn’t working. He respects the band’s vision and does his best to support that. We also got some solid mixing and mastering input from a friend of mine, Bill Radovich, check out his bands Zeta Zeroes and Septic Idols to see what he brings to the table musically. 

, can fans look forward to catching you all on the touring/performing circuit?

Brian T.: That’s the plan! We gotta get to work booking some dates, but we’re hoping to hit the road later this year.

8.) A question for all of you: Who are some of the folks both in and out of the world of music who have inspired your own professional pathways?

Connor: I take a lot of lyrical and vocal inspiration from Caleb Cordes of now-defunct Sinai Vessel, Ben Jorgensen of Armor for Sleep, and Kyle Durfey of Pianos Become the Teeth. Sometimes when I think of a melody or line of a song I can hear one of them singing it and it helps make things come together in my mind.

Brian T.: My personal guitar heroes are Doug Martsch of Built to Spill, Matt Talbot of Hum, and Elliott Smith.

Mark: I am heavily influenced by Josh Eppard and Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria. I am also a big Dave Grohl guy, his drumming had a huge impact on my style. 

Brian D.: My biggest influences musically are Matt Freeman of Operation Ivy/Rancid, Ned Russin of Bad Seed/Title Fight/Glitterer, & Dave Costa of Boys Night Out. 

9.) Mark, how is Well of Light similar to Frame and Mantle’s freshman album Lost Under Nighttime Sky? How is it different?

Mark: All the great aspects of LUNS are in Well of Light, but shown in a different manner. We have the same aggression,  similar post rock-y atmosphere, but it’s packaged with big and catchy riffs this time.

10.) Brian D., at the end of the day what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving many-a-listen to the brand-spanking new Frame and Mantle album Well of Light?Brian D.: I feel uniquely positioned to answer this – as someone who now gets to play with this band AS WELL as someone who was an outside observer not that long ago. I can tell you that as someone who really loved the Above A Burning World EP & then went back & got into the band’s previous releases, this album checks all the boxes for me. This is exactly the kind of step that I would have loved to hear this band take if I was still just a listener, & to have been lucky enough to join towards the end of the recording process & hear these songs take their final shape has been incredible. I’m BEYOND excited for people to hear these songs. If you like indie, emo, Shoegaze, or anything even remotely hardcore-adjacent, this album is for you.