VOKILLS SINGER INTERVIEW : FRANKIE CROSS / CORNERS OF SANCTUARY

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us who you sing for.

Frankie Cross: Hello! My name is Frankie Cross and I sing lead vocals for Corners of Sanctuary!

  

2. What / Who made you want to sing?

Frankie Cross: Singing was a way for me to become more like the person I wanted to be. It was exciting. As a kid, I was shy and often kept to myself. But I had this passion to sing and I found myself drawn to Metal...it was empowering. Singing gave me confidence and opened up a whole new world for me. Furthermore, it became a personal way to express myself. Music has always been a part of my life and for that I’m grateful.

3. Who was the first singer you saw live who gave you chills?

Frankie Cross: There have been many singers who have knocked me for a loop live. But I have to say that when corners of Sanctuary opened for former Accept singer UDO I was blown away. He voice was dead on. The whole set was classic Accept songs…”Balls to the Walls,” “Restless and Wild’…you name it we did them all. His voice was so powerful and precise that it gave me chills…I closed my eyes several times and thought I was listening to the Accept records…that’s how good it was…just amazing.

4. Many people say heavy music is just screaming. How would you combat that statement?

Frankie Cross: Well, some of it is…so part of that is accurate. I’m a traditional type singer with clean vocals as are many vocalists…especially those from the classic era of Rock and Metal. To classify a genre of music with a single type style of singer is a bit of an unfair comment. Heavier music is no different than any other style or genre…you have some who sing and some who don’t…some who are crooners and some who just talk…and I guess you have some who yell and scream and some who sing…it’s just a matter of taste and perspective. There’s something for everyone I suppose. 

5. If you growl or do harsh vocals how do you keep your voice after such violent performances?

Frankie Cross: I’m not a growler and I do my best to stay away from anything violent, LOL, I’m too old for that. But regardless of style, taking care of your voice before, during and after a performance is essential and necessary for longevity. A singer’s voice is their instrument. Hot tea is my go to as well as pre-performance vocal exercises…this really makes a difference both for the show and for afterwards, especially when you have back to back performances scheduled. Some singers I have met avoid talking after a performance in an effort to allow their vocal muscles to relax. Go with what works I always say.

6. Do you have a warm up routine? Tell us about it?

  

Frankie Cross: Yes, as mentioned, I have a light vocal warm up I do before every show. Several hours before, I basically run through a series of scales to loosen things up as well as get my bearings for tone, pitch and levels…like a pre-assessment to make sure everything is working the way it should be. The trick is to warm up the vocal chords just enough so they don’t go into the performance already taxed but poised and ready for action.

7. Do you think power or performance is more important?

Frankie Cross: I think a good performance has its own power to it. The truth is we are never 100% all the time. Some days it’s just hard. So focusing on power alone paints us in a corner and we miss out on other opportunities or options to connect with the music and the audience. An audience comes for the performance. A solid performance is paramount when it comes to delivering what they, the audience, are there for. In the end, it’s all about the music and doing what needs to be done to make the music work.

8. Who do you think gets unfair vocal praise, someone the world thinks is great but is not? / And who is great but does not get the credit?

Frankie Cross: That’s a tough question as it’s a matter of taste, understanding and personal resonance…PT Barnum said there is “ass for every seat” and that is so true. We all like what we like and dislike what we don’t…it’s our right and our choice…and really, no one should judge that. To judge one thing over another is more opinion based than factual as the facts all depend on who’s relaying them and to whom they are relaying them to. Personally, I think indie artists and local artists are more overlooked simply because they don’t all have the same PR juggernaut or financial backing as the bigger names. There’s a ton of talent out there and it comes in all sizes and shapes…there’s something for everyone.

9. Name your top 5 vocalist.

 

Frankie Cross: Halford, Dio, Tate, Steve Perry and Joey Belladonna. After Corners of Sanctuary did a show with Joey Belladonna last year, I was blown away by his diversity and depth of talent. He is a machine…played three hours straight with no break. His voice never gave.

10. Michael Buble or Jim Gillette? Just testing your skills here…

Frankie Cross: Buble hands down…this guy is seriously old fashion cool…like dino and Sinatra. He is not afraid to have fun and doesn’t take himself so seriously…he can laugh at himself and that is cool. He is talented and diverse and really knows his craft. Jim Gillette is a powerful, dynamic singer for sure…he wrote the book on four octave high notes for Metal singers. But Buble has staying power across a greater divide..

11. Who do you love to listen to that would surprise people?

Frankie Cross: Lately I have had a deep fascination with Aldous Harding. There is a hypnotic ambiance to her voice and her overall presence is haunting…I’m drawn to it. It surprised me as well.

12. If you could remove the Autotune from any singer who would it be?

Frankie Cross: Not really a question of if I could but more so a question of why would I bother to? Again, to each his or her own... We are all running the same race and working towards a similar goal with our careers and man is it a tough race. There are many ways up the mountain…to what you need to do and more power to us all!