Frankie & the Heartstrings

Frankie & the Heartstrings regale us with their Sunderland heaven and hell in Football Firsts.

Frankie & the Heartstrings regale us with their Sunderland heaven and hell

If Frankie & the Heartstrings were a footballer right now they'd probably be Jack Wilshere; lacking in big game experience but seemingly destined for the big time. The five-piece from Sunderland were mainstays of the music press' ones to watch columns at the back end of last year and now judgement day is looming with the imminent release of their debut album Hunger, out on February 21. A lyrical wordsmith a la Morrissey, front man Frankie Francis is not afraid to wear his pop sensibilities on his sleeve with Orange Juice founder Edwyn Collins, who produced Hunger, describing the experience as being 'amazing and magnificent to work with the wonders of Sunderland'. Debut single and terrace-like anthem Hunger has been adopted as the theme tune to Sky Sports' Take it Like a Fan, while its reverse A side Fragile was declared by Rough Trade owner Dave Travis as being his song of the year. Amiable Frankie, who boasts three years' commentary duty from the Stadium of Light on his CV, took time out to regale Football Firsts with his Sunderland heaven and hell.

Sunderland

I can't go to the match as much as I'd like to but whenever I'm home I go to the game. My cousin was a big fan, he took me to a match and that was it. My parents were never really into it, but me Mam used to watch me play for the school team. Now it's lucky if I get to a couple of games a season as I'm away most weekends. If I'm back though there's always a ticket being passed around. I used to commentate on the games for Sunderland's hospital radio show. When I went to college I had to seek out some voluntary work and got the gig. I got the chance to do all the home games from the stadium, it was a brilliant experience. All the regional press were there, the nationals too to be fair. I did it for three seasons and by the end the likes of Sky's Chris Kamara were giving me a wink whenever he saw me. It was like 'alright lad' as he used to recognise me. It was pretty cool.

Sunderland v Wolves

It was Sunderland against Wolverhampton Wanderers, I think in the 93/94 season. We got beat 2-1. It was at Roker Park and I was in the Roker End, which was a standing terrace at the time. I remember there was a crush barrier that I sat on. It was quite scary at the time. All the chanting, blokes swearing and drinking pints. It was an experience, but one that I loved. The new stadium is up there with the best in the country, more people can get in and the pitch is great, but atmosphere wise there's only a few sections that really sing so I think it's lost something there. But I'd love to do the corporate thing, have a meal then off into the comfy padded seats...(hint Frankie?)

Craig Russell

At the time I started supporting them my favourite was a guy called Craig Russell. He scored a lot of goals; I had his name on the back of my shirt. He never really did anything in the game but knew where the back of the net was. I was six or seven when I first started to go and he was the man back then. Not long after that we finished seventh twice under Peter Reid and if we can do that again this time around I think it'll be a brilliant achievement. To have lost our main striker as well makes it interesting to see how the rest of the season will pan out. To be fair, (Asamoah) Gyan has being banging them in so it's not been too bad. I thought it was good business for us.

Keegan and Newcastle in general

Growing up in Sunderland you're encouraged to hate Newcastle as par for the course. I remember Keegan coming back to manage them and being hailed as their saviour. It was pretty much inescapable at that point. It was kind of drilled into me from an early age that Newcastle are the enemy, in football terms, and you're to have nothing to do with them. Bent? I thought it was good business for us to be fair. He will score goals for Villa, there's no doubt about that, but if the player wanted to go...I'm just glad we didn't panic and decided to wait to find his replacement. I'd rather they reinvested in the summer, at the right price, rather than pay over the odds in January.

School football

Playing at school was what got me into football at a really young age. I wasn't that bad and I played for my junior school team when I was in the first year there. It was the first time it had happened in the school. I remember being nervous about playing with the bigger lads but by the time I reached my final year I was the old pro. I had a few bad injuries though. I broke my ankle in two places and had to be off school for six months. A couple of years after that I had a fall playing and had fluid on the brain. I had to go hospital for that too, obviously. Then I did my knee a year or so back. I love it though.

Eppleton FC

I played for a team called Eppleton FC. I played for them from starting secondary school up until college. I then played Sunday League pub football. I was part of a couple of championship winning teams; other than the injuries it was always a good crack. In the band Michael is a big Sunderland supporter, but we're all football fans to be fair. His dad has a season ticket so he tends to go with him whenever he's back. We (the band) play five-a-side on a Monday night with the lads from the Futureheads. It's good to sweat the beer out of your system.

Everything Must Go

My first album was Everything Must Go by the Manic Street Preachers. I got it when I was at school. Bit questionable but I thought they were the coolest band in the world at the time. Other than the Manics, when I first started buying records it was people like the Happy Mondays. Before that, Michael Jackson. It's an exciting time for us, our album is what we'll be judged on. We're very much a live band, but this is what people are waiting for. We're very proud of it, it's the first time we've been in the studio. We just want to get out there now and get people hearing the new songs. We do indie pop I guess, and we're proud of that. A lot of bands come out and stare at their shoes but we're very much about engaging the audience. I think there's a void that needs a band to come along and fill. There's no real heavyweights at the minute. Frankie & The Heartstrings are set to release their debut album "Hunger" on 21st February 2011 on PopSex Ltd / Wichita Recordings. To preorder the album, click here