California native Donavon Frankenreiter divides his time between two great loves. The first is his music, be it live or laid down in the studio. Since the release of his self-titled debut album just over a decade ago, the famously moustachioed singer-songwriter has earned himself plenty of fans with his folksy, easy-going tunes, embarking on several international tours, including multiple sojourns to Australia.
His second great passion is one he’s had since he was a child, growing up near the beach in Downey, just south of Los Angeles. “I remember at the age of ten, when I got my very first surfboard,” Frankenreiter reminisces. “I just remember how fast I went. I’ll never forget the sensation of going down the face of a wave, fast, and knowing that this piece of equipment was exactly what I’d been looking for. The moment I stood up, I was addicted.”
From then on, the young Frankenreiter was barely away from the water. After competing in some amateur junior surfing contests, he officially went pro at the age of 16, aided by a sponsorship deal courtesy of Aussie surfwear company Billabong. It was around that same time that Frankenreiter picked up his first guitar, and soon thereafter discovered his second great passion. After some time spent jumping between bands, he decided to pursue a solo career. His first album was released through Brushfire Records, owned by friend and fellow surfer-turned-musician Jack Johnson. The record was a success, and Frankenreiter has been splitting his time between the surf and the studio ever since.
“To me, they both enhance each other,” he says. “There have been some times when music’s come to me while surfing. There have also been times on music tours when I haven’t been expecting to get any good waves, and it ends up being the best day ever. They both definitely enhance each other, because I love doing both so much that when I’m surfing a lot, while I’m in such a great mood and I love it, I can’t wait to get back to playing music. And also the same thing, when I’m on tour playing music, I can’t wait to get back in the water … I think it’s great to put one down for a little bit and then you go back to it with a fresh approach.”
Interestingly, it seems the same thing that attracted Frankenreiter to surfing is also what attracts him to music – particularly live performance. “[It’s] the magical feeling of knowing you can never surf out and get that exact wave again,” he explains. “There’s this elusiveness. I think that’s why I became addicted to it, because there’s that element of wanting to get good, and then there’s the element of wanting to find the best waves you can. It’s not always perfect, and it’s forever changing. I think that’s what every surfer loves. They fall in love with not knowing if they’re going to get the best barrel of their life tomorrow or if they’re going to wait ten more years to find that day where it all comes together.
“I had the same exact feeling when I picked up the guitar for the first time,” Frankenreiter continues. “It’s never ever the same. I don’t know if it’s the way I think, but things happen in a split second when you play live, and I just love that feeling of not knowing. I love that sensation of playing live … every night I go onstage, and whether we play the same songs or not, they’re always a little bit different. There’s always that element of, ‘Am I going to break a string? Is it going to be in tune? What’s this crowd going to be like? What’s this PA sound like?’ And I love that.”
Frankenreiter’s latest tour will bring him back to Australia, where he’ll play 18 locations in less than four weeks, including multiple sets at Bluesfest in Byron Bay. Unsurprisingly, his travels will take him past several major surfing hotspots, where he’s hoping he’ll get the chance to catch some waves.
“Australia’s always been that place, especially in the surfing world, where every surfer has always wanted to get to,” says Frankenreiter. “It’s one of the meccas, being able to catch some of the waves that break in Australia.
“I think the first time I went down I was 13 or 14, for a big huge world juniors amateur surfing contest. So then when I started to go back to play music, I felt comfortable there because I’d been there with the surfing.”
“One of the things I’ll be looking at every day will be where I’m going to be tomorrow, and who I know in that town with an extra board,” he says with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll trade a board for a ticket – that always works out good.”
While the surfing keeps him entertained, Frankenreiter says the biggest downside to the touring is being away from his wife and two sons. “It’s the most difficult thing in my life,” he says. “I try to bring them as much as I possibly can, but when I’m away it’s heartbreaking. It’s just one of those things that I’ve never really been able to figure out, how to make it make sense and how to make it work. They’re always intertwined in everything that I sing about – you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
Catch him at Lizotte’s, Dee WhyonWednesday March 25 and Thursday March 26, tickets online.Headlining the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday March 27 (tickets online), the Factory Theatre on Saturday March 28 (tickets here) and the Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley on Sunday March 29.Also appearing atBluesfest 2015alongsideThe Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes, Train, Rodrigo y Gabriela and many more atTyagarah Tea Tree Farm fromThursday April 2 until Monday April 6.
