Frail Talk Hosts LP Release Party With Slow Caves and Sound of Honey at the Aggie

In the alternative indie music world, new bands with distinct sounds are described in ever-more inventive ways. Frail Talk, an intriguing duo out of Fort Collins, may be the first band whose sound has been described as “squiggly.” Yet the longer you listen to this innovative group, the more the term makes sense.

“Squiggly can mean so many things,” says Frail Talk's Alex Woodchek. “But we like that word for how we are as we explore sounds, not shying away from authenticity and our values, and just following whatever squiggly spirit is running through our instruments.” The result is a self-described “weird blend” of acoustic and synthetic sounds, honoring folk roots while discovering new melodic variations.

“A sine wave is sort of a squiggly symbol used in synth music as a technical way of understanding how a note is generated," adds bandmate Cor Wright. "That squiggliness is not sharp, but smooth.” And technically, it's acoustically pure.

The squiggly quality carries over to the creative ways that fans receive Frail Talk's music. “It’s interesting to hear the fun ways people describe our sound," says Woodchek, adding that one of the more fascinating descriptors came from “a fan who told me after a show that we write lullaby bangers.”

According to Wright, the band’s producer, Tommy Read of Lazybones Audio, calls it “pop music for honors students.”

Whatever it is, and whatever it’s called, the musical creations of Frail Talk are worthy of attention.
The band will celebrate its sophomore LP, Microspirit, with a release party tonight at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, where it will be joined by good friends and fellow FoCo bands Sound of Honey and Slow Caves.“We wanted a sense of celebration, and a huge part of our musical process is our friends, our community and the lovely music scene in town," says Woodchek. "The folks of Slow Caves and Sound of Honey are our dearest friends and co-conspirators. The Agg is such a great spot supporting local music, and it will be a fun, celebratory evening with a supportive community that has held us with a lot of love.”

Formed in the solitary days of the pandemic, Frail Talk came together in the summer of 2020. “Our first record was simply a product of being stuck inside exploring sounds and new ideas," says Woodchek. That initial album, New Creation Myths, was recorded independently over several months, and in unusual locations like friends’ living rooms, a drummer’s banjo shop and a barn in Loveland. The result captures an eclectic sound created as two talented artists explored how to make beautiful music with broad, intriguing experimentations.

Microspirit, in contrast, was funded by a Kickstarter campaign and recorded in a studio with a full band in just seven days in 2023. “It was a totally different experience," Woodchek notes."It captured the togetherness of creation.” While the band is a duo, that album includes contributions from drummer Tobias Bank of Sound of Honey and bassist/banjo player Nathaniel Riley. “Frail Talk is really malleable and a bit of a shapeshifter as a band," Woodchek adds. "It’s the blend and constant change of sonic ambient explorations that makes the band what it is.”

Thematically, Microspirit is a narrative connecting all things through tiny moments of recognition abstracted from the band’s own lives. “Lyrics are important for trying to find a connection point with ourselves and build pathways between small universes, recognizing differences and building bridges when you feel far from others," says Woodchek, whose voice provides serene vocals, complemented and layered over the soothing calm of Wright’s harmonies.

The band definitely has fun with language, whether explaining the nuance of its squiggly sound or describing the origins of the name Frail Talk. “It’s a nebulous term changing all the time,” Wright says, describing Frail Talk as “the feeling you get when you eat a really good PBJ.” Woodchek says it's “the sound of a little grasshopper trying to talk to you.”

Fort Collins artist Jared Kaser, maker-in-residence this season at Wolverine Farm Publick House, is a longtime friend and fan of Frail Talk. “Microspirit is a world teeming with life," Kaser says of the release. "I’ve had the chance to hear these songs evolve during live shows the past couple years, and I’m so happy that the living, breathing nature of the music shines through.”

Frail Talk represents the best of what folk music has become in this contemporary age. True to its roots of acoustic authenticity, with resonant guitar chords and the quirky personality of the banjo, the band seamlessly incorporates synthesized sounds to create inviting new indie folk. But it also has a throwback commitment to standing up for what matters, including inclusivity.

Concludes Woodchek: “The last track, ‘Little Like You,' captures the feeling of the whole album in the line 'A little like you, a little like me, empathy.'”

Frail Talk with Slow Caves and Sound of Honey, Thursday, August 29, the Aggie, 204 South College Avenue, Fort Collins; tickets are $23.40 here.