Frente! - Biography
By Marcus Kagler
Folk-pop quartet Frente! garnered a cult following in their native Australia on the strength of intelligent and unpredictable indie-pop songs. Outside of Australia, however, the Melbourne-based band is still primarily known for their intimately stripped-down rendition of New Order’s synth-rock classic, “Bizarre Love Triangle.” The cover has inadvertently pigeonholed them as a one-hit wonder in the States and in Europe. But that’s a bad rap, as Frente! were gifted forerunners to an indie folk-pop movement that gained prominence a decade later.
Founded in 1991 by guitarist Simon Austin, Frente! was rounded out by the angelic vocals of Angie Hart and the rhythm section of Tim O’Conner (bass) and Mark Picton (drums). After releasing their debut EP, Whirled (1991 Thumbprint) they gained notoriety throughout Australia with the critically lauded EPs, Accidentally Kelly Street (1992 White Label) and Clunk (1992 White Label).
Frente!’s debut full-length, Marvin The Album (1992 White Label) expanded upon their abstract pop sound, eventually going platinum in Australia. The album did not make much of splash overseas, however, until the non-album single “Bizarre Love Triangle” shot the band to international acclaim in 1994. The hit led to the US release of Marvin The Album on Mammoth Records, with the additional hit track added in.
Looking to capitalize on their new-found success, Frente!—now comprised of Hart and Austin as a duo—made the mistake of jettisoning their highly-original folk-pop sound for the more popular trip-hop trend of the mid-’90s. The result was the variegated sophomore full-length, Shape (1996 Mammoth), which made but a little splash both critically and in general.
Frente! disbanded in 1998, with Hart moving on to form Splendid with former Alanis Morissette guitarist, Jesse Tobias. They reunited for a small Australian tour in 2005, but no plans have been revealed for the release of new material. With the success of more contemporary acts like The Shins and The Brunettes, Frente! now appears to have been ahead of their time, meaning the band’s back catalog has become increasingly prescient.
