Five Fast Facts: Frankie Muriel’s “THOSE WERE THE NIGHTS,” but There are More To Come

Stefani M.C. Janelli
Jul 3
3 min read

Frankie Muriel got his start in St. Louis with Broken Toyz, then came major-label deals, MTV airplay, and Billboard-charting success with KINGOFTHEHILL. With shifts in genres, Frankie reinvented himself repeatedly, shaping his music into what it is today. Currently, Frankie fronts Dr. Zhivegas, a high-energy disco-rock band. "THOSE WERE THE NIGHTS" is both a toast to the fans who’ve supported him throughout the years and an invitation for everyone to reminisce on their youth.

IB: Hi Frankie Muriel, we are so excited to have you today!

FM: Thanks for having me!

IB: You have been in many bands, including Broken Toyz, Big Fat Love, King of the Hill, Shameless, and are currently in Dr. Zhivegas; what was the reasoning for "THOSE WERE THE NIGHTS" being a solo song?

FM: I've been a lot of great bands, and when it was time for me to think about what I wanted to do next, I realized that I had a lot of songs that came from my personal perspective and when I went through a lot of the stuff in my vaults a kind of story was coming together about what I've done, where I'm at, and where I'm going and that became the album. I'm still standing. I'm still here. I'm still writing, still producing, still creating, and performing!

IB: You told us that "THOSE WERE THE NIGHTS" came to you as you were watching old tour footage, and that it brought back many memories for you. What was it about these footages that lit a spark in you to write a song about them?

FM: I think I had a such a different perspective on what I've done watching them back 30 years later than I did when I was going through it and for a lot of the years after it was more a feeling of what I actually did accomplish instead of worrying about what I hadn't and I wanted a song to celebrate that and then as I zoomed out, I realized a lot of people have those times of their lives that you wanna raise a glass to and your buds and the stories and for me it was a love letter to the fans back then that gave me those successes many of them im realizing that I still have! I wanted to share that with everybody!

IB: As you were writing "THOSE WERE THE NIGHTS," what were some of the emotions you felt and drew from?

FM: Oh, I think I looked back with fondness of those times… you know we were young, we were wild, we were free! Anything was possible, and I was struck by how much fun we were having in these clips because at the time, it was a lot of work, and it went by so fast! I'm proud of what we accomplished, and we did it together, which was the coolest thing, you know, not many people can say they did that with their buddies, made a dream come true, and lived it!

IB: How has your writing process changed over the years?

FM: I think I've become more collaborative, which is something I think that comes with experience and age. I don’t feel I have to prove myself to the room anymore. You can contribute more deeply without an agenda. I definitely think I’ve gotten better results opening that door.

IB: Did your recording process feel different or the same as usual recording with a band?

FM: I've been doing this a long time, and so have the guys in the band, so it's always the same. We don't really worry about if we're going for a take we're always recording, we're always playing so when I have an idea, it could be finished by myself or I'll bring in the guys or as I said earlier, I've had a lot of cool collaborations with some very amazing iconic musicians on this collection of songs to help me bring the stuff to life.

IB: What is one song you wish Frankie Muriel wrote?

FM: Ahhh, so many, but “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel is such an amazing, beautiful real song for people who don’t want to open up, then do so with full acceptance of what may come. It's an amazing one of many from one of the masters!

IB: What’s next for Frankie Muriel?

FM: We've got more singles and music coming! The album drops in August, and we will probably start doing shows in support of the album next year.

IB: Thank you for talking with us. We are excited to hear what you create in the future!

FM: Thank you so much for giving me the time and supporting indie music!