Frank Viele photo by Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez
Singer songwriter Frank Viele has a new EP out this week, The Silo, which is another step along Frank’s pathway of soulful electric guitar, honest songwriting topped by powerful vocals and emotionally expressive performances. He put this EP out on his own label Bigger Beast Records, and has been touring behind it and pervious albums for years and years, performing on stage after stage and pouring his blues rock heart out. We had a moment to chat with Frank about the EP, his songwriting, and more.
Americana Highways: We’re so happy to have you join us at Americana Highways to talk about your music. You have a new EP out this week, The Silo. Did you go into this planning to do an EP and writing with that in mind, or did the whole thing come together more organically?
Frank Viele: This one came together pretty organically. I went into the studio with Lee DeWyze and Nico Grossfeld to learn more about producing music aimed at television and film placement. I’m always thirsty for creative knowledge and new experiences, so it felt exploratory from the start.
We hoped to get two songs done. We ended up finishing five — with time to spare. When it was all said and done, I stepped back and realized it felt like a complete collection. That’s when I decided to run with it as an EP.
AH: What background information can you give us about the EP?
FV: It’s a five-track EP that explores inner thoughts and struggles tied to strength, loneliness, empathy, and mortality. We recorded it over a couple of days in Michigan, with my longtime tour mate Lee DeWyze and Nico Grossfeld producing.
It was meant to be a sonic departure for me, but, in hindsight, I don’t think it’s a departure at all. It feels more like an evolution — a natural step forward in who I am as an artist.
AH: You mentioned exploring struggles on the EP. Do you consider that the theme of the EP, or what do you think are the themes that run through the songs?
FV: The biggest theme is human connection. In some ways, it’s a sad breakup record. In other ways, it’s a hopeful, introspective collection of songs written in a Portland, Oregon motel room during a three-night rainstorm — by a man who’s been on the road for almost half his life, chasing a dream and coming to terms with the importance of love, sacrifice, and empathy.
AH: Which songs are standout tracks to you and why?
FV: It’s not the single, but “She Sleeps Better In The Rain” is probably the most outside-the-box track on the collection, and one of my personal favorites.
I also adore “Better Late Than Too Soon.” It was the first song we finished vocals on in the studio, and Lee and Nico were immediately into it. Watching them react to something that felt so different from my previous work really helped me let my guard down. That moment became a catalyst for how this EP ultimately sounds and feels.
AH: Talk to me a bit more about the recording process. What were the sessions like overall? How was the vibe, and how did the songs come together?
FV: We put the EP together in less than a week at Nico Grossfeld’s studio in Michigan. Lee flew in from Los Angeles, and I drove out from New England to meet them.
Both of them have extensive experience creating music for television and film — a world I’ve always wanted to explore. I came in with what I’d call “blank canvas songs.” The lyrics, melodies, and chords were there, but I didn’t have definitive instrumentation or signature guitar parts mapped out like I usually do. Normally, I perform songs live for a while before taking them into the studio. This time, I intentionally didn’t.
They approach music cinematically, so we built each track from the ground up. That’s very different from how I’ve recorded in the past — setting up with a killer band and just hitting record. This process gave me space to stretch as a vocalist and guitarist. It was creative, rewarding, and honestly freeing.
AH: Has the creative process in general and your songwriting specifically — both music and lyrics — changed through the years as you’ve grown as an artist?
FV: Absolutely. In the beginning, I was purely a stream-of-consciousness writer. I wrote when I felt something and needed to get it out.
During pre-production for my last full-length album, The Trouble With Desire, the team in Muscle Shoals taught me how to approach writing more intentionally. They showed me how to channel ideas and craft songs on demand — how to treat it as a discipline as much as an inspiration.
That became a skill I sharpened over about three years. Eventually, I was able to blend both worlds: the “song pouring out of your chest” energy with the structure and tools I learned down South. I think “The Silo” EP is where those two approaches really merged. Add in the cinematic lens that Lee DeWyze and Nico Grossfeld brought, and my sound and process continue to evolve.
AH: Do you find inspiration in different or unique places? What kinds of things typically inspire you to write songs these days?
FV: A little less than two years ago, I founded an independent record label called Bigger Beast Records, along with a community outreach arm called All Boats Rise Entertainment. Through that outreach work, we run over 200 songwriter events a year, primarily to support developing artists and causes we care deeply about.
Being surrounded by incredible songwriters almost daily has become an unexpected gift for me creatively.
Some of the events are built around songwriting prompts — like our annual Paws & Listen music festival and songwriter journey. Each year, 11 other songwriters and I visit a local animal shelter. We spend time with a shelter animal, learn their story, and then write a song from their perspective to help them find a home and raise funds for the shelter.
So, every year, I’m guaranteed at least one new song inspired by a pup.
AH: You’ve collaborated over the years — in the studio, performing live, co-writing, etc. What does working with other artists mean to you? Are there standout collaborations that are special to you?
FV: To me, music is a tool for connection. Whether I’m writing alone and using a song to connect with listeners, or co-writing with another artist, it’s all rooted in the same belief — that together we can create something bigger than the sum of its parts.
I’ve been blessed to work with so many incredible artists, but writing and recording with James LeBlanc and Jimmy Nutt in Muscle Shoals has had the most staying power for me. There’s such a rich songwriting and recording tradition there, and the two of them embody it so authentically.
Those sessions changed how I view my art. I left a different artist than when I arrived — and I’m deeply grateful for that.
AH: Do you plan to do any touring around the EP?
FV: I’m currently in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Wells, Maine — on tour. I’m always on the road, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ll be headlining listening rooms all over the continental U.S. this year in support of this release. After that, I’ll be heading back down to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record the full-length follow-up album!
Thanks very much for chatting with us, Frank Viele! You can find more details and information here on his website: https://frankviele.com and check out the new music here: https://onerpm.link/the-silo-ep
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Frank Viele “Sleepless Nights Alone”