Freely exploring his identity and aesthetic led the Sheffield artist to his loose, liberated new EP ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ F rankie Beetlestone used to declare he wanted to be “ the biggest artist in the country ”, but when NME meets him he’s singing a tune. The 23-year-old headed to London to record his new EP ‘Ignorance is Bliss’, which appears to herald a new perspective on life: “I want to be the best I can be – and for me, that looks like a room full of people,” he says modestly. After all, a lot has changed since that ambitious statement.
After releasing debut EP ‘Tasting The Sky’ in 2021, the Sheffield native would move into the caravan on his grandma’s driveway and release another EP named after the vehicle. The small moments of escapism narrated on ‘Get Paid’, from that project, suggested something darker was going on: “ That lady on the tram has nothing left to lose but her liver / She’ll take about a gram of anything her dealer can give her, he delivers. ” ‘Caravan’’s sunny guitar licks and penchant for escapism resonated with fans enough to nab Beetlestone an opening slot for Tom Grennan during his What Ifs & Maybes tour.
Beetlestone’s nostalgic sound worked well in the giant arenas he played in, transporting his audience back into the hectic heyday of indie – by design: “I want a room full of old people to feel youthful and young people to feel youthful as well.” The ‘Caravan’ EP also earned Beetlestone a BBC In.