Frayle - 1692

Frayle makes music for the night sky. The group was formed in 2017 by guitarist Sean Bilovecky (formerly of now-defunct Man's Ruin recording artists Disengage) and vocalist Gwyn Strang, a singer with an alluring voice and an equally compelling flair for imagery. Frayle's "lullabies over chaos" approach to songwriting allows the group the freedom to explore what is possible with heavy music; its gorgeously ominous sound a result of complex layering and tone stacking while simultaneously overseeing the perfectly delicate balance between heaving, heavy riffs and haunting vocal melodies. Gwyn's lyrics tell stories of heartbreak, anger, hypocrisy and resolution, asking the audience for empathy, and in turn inspiring vulnerability. Her angelic, siren-like voice pulls at the tension between wanting to dissolve into the universe and needing to stand on top of it, riding each wave with elastically ethereal phrases that bring to mind Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser or Portishead's Beth Gibbons. This dynamic is also reflected in Frayle's music, where dark, brooding guitars and percussion are both fighting against and propelling the emotion and melody carried by Strang's magnetic voice.With '1692', Frayle pushes the immense intensity and gorgeous ache of its unique sound and style through to uncompromising new plateaus. The group's quantum weight, hypnotic rhythms, dark beds of sound, and the arcane female power of Gwyn Strang have coalesced into a sonic thumbprint both distinct and beguiling. As Frayle's music inhales and exhales, building into atmospheric, chilly epics, Gwyn's lyrics explore her own personality and experiences, referencing and representing her frustrations growing up in a strict Roman Catholic family, as well as alchemical ideals such as changing negatives to positives, or ascending from one level of understanding to another. While there is much darkness on the record, it's also contrasted superbly with beauty, both fragile and fierce, in a way that feels weightless rather than plummeting, as if release truly is a possibility."'1692', as the title of our album, references those who have been singled out and persecuted for their beliefs," says Strang. ""We strive to create a safe haven. A place to be vulnerable amongst the chaos."In addition to vocalist Gwyn Strang and guitarist Sean Bilovecky, Frayle features drummer Pat Ginley, bassist Eric Mzik and guitarist Ellliot Rosen.