Check Out Frank Bauknight’s Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Frank Bauknight.

Hi Frank, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
In my early stages of life, I’ve always loved how music made me feel. I remember discovering niche artists like Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Miguel. They inspired me to create my own world of musical sounds. I remember writing songs early on for fun, not thinking much of them.

Once I was introduced to Soundcloud, which bumped my interest and compelled me to create more music and get them uploaded for people to see and listen to, hoping that one would relate or feel how I felt when I heard good music. As I progressed, I started getting more compliments, more love, and more attention on my singing and my songwriting. Before these stages, I was heavily into drawing and dancing. There was a moment when I began to fall in love with songwriting. This was a whirlwind and took me over by storm!

Fast forward to 2016, I moved to California on a whim; it was a spiritual journey for me. This is where I wrote my first project, “The Start of Something Blue.” This was the beginning of my music career and the beginning of my self-discovery. Since then, I’ve been writing and creating. And I’ve made one album per year since 2016! Now, it is 2024, and I’ve performed across the country, met some amazing people along the way who have grown to be famous, and worked with some of the biggest artists in the world.

I now have many people who love my music. Some people even DM me, telling me that my music saved them from dark times. It all happened so fast, but I’m so grateful to be where I am today because now I look back at what I’ve created, and not only does that inspire me, but now I have a fan base that inspires me to keep going, that’s the only win that I consider.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road for me at all. I think this is normal for an artist in general. A lot of self-doubt creeps in, wanting to give up and just flat-out feeling like you’re not good enough. These are the times when you need to break through your silence, try new things, explore, and experiment.

There have also been times when I’ve done things I regretted, gotten scammed, and wasted a lot of money and a lot of time on things that I did not need. Funding your own career as an independent artist is extremely difficult and causes a lot of wear and tear on your mind and your wallet.

I am still going through a lot of those things, and I don’t think those will ever stop. There are major artists that go through these exact moments, however, nothing is better than changing the world with their music and that does come with quite the load.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an R&B artist from the South, I’m black, I’m short, light-skinned, and bisexual. However, being all of those things doesn’t define me as an artist. I’m not a black artist, I’m not a bisexual artist, I am an artist! I am not defined by any boxes or genres. There’s always a slight hint of another genre mixed in with my R and B. I’m inspired by artists that are rock stars all the way to screenplay-orchestrated music.

My inspiration is boundless, and many people can connect with the sounds that I create in the aesthetic and ambiance. I pride myself in being able to write a good song, but not only a good song, a song that is made to last forever. Real, something you can feel, something you can go back to and revisit. Every one of my songs lives in its own world and in the space I made them to be in and none are the same.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5 to 10 years, I definitely see my industry changing and growing. If anything I see it returning back to its original state which is how everyone appreciates and loves R&B. I am starting to see the shift now, many current artists and rap artists are using a lot of samples from 90s R&B and a lot of soulful instrumentation. This is leading lots of R&B artists like me into a more welcoming industry.

There are a lot of underground artists that do R&B music that are becoming very very popular and more appreciated these days, many people say that R&B is dead or is dying but I see it being revived more than ever. People are starting to appreciate the real music as we have been in a Rap and Hip-Hop era for quite some time, and it’s time for a change.

I’m excited about it because I get to come into the industry at a great time!

Pricing:

• $200 for performance (plus any travel fees).
• $50 for interview (plus any travel fees).
• $150 for songwriting (plus split sheet percentage).
• $150 for monthly consulting.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/FrankieB
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankiebofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankiebmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/frankieb
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/frankiebmusic