A group of birds is called a flock, a group of cattle is called a herd, a group of frogs is called an army.” This seemingly innocuous fact from Smithsonian Magazine holds a deeper meaning for Los Angeles artist frogi, who’s been steadily building her army of fans since her 2019 debut single “peace of mind.” It’s a sentence rooted in the idea that there’s power in community and connection, and that hey, don’t write off the little guy. With her music – which she sings, writes and produces – frogi takes us into her psyche. Organic instrumentation and weightless vocals help translate her innermost thoughts into kinetic stories about love and self-worth, revealing that universal thread of emotions which runs through all of us.
Her latest single “Fake It” typifies frogi’s sound. A warm bed of piano and soft humming comes in on top of the sound of falling rain, and it feels like we’re in a cozy fall cabin sitting on the bench next to frogi as she performs each note. frogi laments the need to conform in order to be liked, choosing instead to stay true to herself in the lyrics, “Stay here, I’ll go home without you / You have way more friends than I do.”
How did you become an artist?
I was always a creative person and have loved to write, sing, paint, and draw since I was a child. When I was in High School, we had a program where we did only art for an entire week. I did music, welding, glass blowing, poetry, pottery and painting all week long and I was the happiest I had ever been. I performed a cover of the Avett Brothers’ “I and Love and You” in front of my class, and that was when I realized I really wanted to pursue music more.
How do you think this single is different from your past ones?
This single is different in a lot of ways. I have really been pushing myself with my productions and I’m really proud of where it’s taken me. There are a lot more live instruments in this single, including live drums from my husband. I’ve also mixed in some rough voice memo guitar recordings with electric ones and I think it sounds really raw and real. I’m really proud of the production on this one. I think it shows a lot of growth from my previous releases.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing this song?
I don’t really have any funny ones, but here are some not funny ones!
Like I said in the previous question, my husband is playing live drums on this one. There are also a few voice memos tucked in there from when he was playing me a guitar and bass part he was hearing when I was showing him the song. I really like capturing those raw, intuitive, imperfect moments. It adds a realness to the music you can’t get when it’s thought out and rehearsed.
This song is heavily influenced by my childhood, and growing up somewhere that I didn’t feel like I fit. It’s interesting timing for it to come out because I just got back to LA from a trip home. And in this trip in particular, I faced a lot of challenges from my past and found peace with a lot of the difficulties I have with my hometown and the people there. So I feel like the timing is absolutely perfect. I get to let go of the song now, and I get to let go of a lot of that pain I felt from my childhood.
What’s a record that shaped your creativity?
Hard to pick one! I get inspired by new music all the time. 22, a Million by Bon Iver, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, and Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers are a few.
Who is an artist or band you look up to these days?
I have always looked up to Stevie Nicks – for her dedication to her art, her beautiful poetry, and her witchcraft. 🙂 Some new artists that have been inspiring me lately are Remi Wolf, Julius Black, Maisie Peters, Christine and the Queens, and Arlo Parks.
Any future projects?
I’ve got lots going on! I have an EP on the way after this single, which I’m very excited about. I’ve had the pleasure of producing a new artist project with my friend called “HUESA” – the first two singles are out now and an EP is on the way as well. And I’ve got another song coming out that I produced with my friend “dora.” called Red Line. I have another project with Dora as well called “hunnybunny” that’s more sync focused, and we just had a song on Netflix’s Virgin River. So yes, a lot is in the works! I like to stay busy. And much more is coming! I’m hoping to do a full album next year.
What does music mean to you?
Music means a lot to me. When I was younger, music was my best friend. I listened to music in the car for hours and felt every feeling under the sun. It helped me get to the depths of my feelings. I think music is a road to understanding ourselves more. It opens people up. It’s magic, really.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
I always have a hard time describing my music. Still working on the right words but here’s my current take on it: Nostalgic, dreamy, grainy, intimate, psychedelic indie/alt/pop.
