Andi Fraggs Explained

Andi Fraggs
Birth Name:Andrew Fraggs Bennett
Birth Date:1986 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Merseyside, England
Genre:Electronic, synth-pop, pop
Occupation:Singer-songwriter, music producer
Years Active:2006–2017
Label:Twenty20Sound

Andi Fraggs (born Andrew Fraggs Bennett; 7 April 1986 in Merseyside, England[1]) is an English singer-songwriter and music producer. After contributing to musical projects featured on television and radio in the UK and the US, Andi released his first solo single in 2010. His debut album, Always First, followed in 2012 and included the popular single "Beautiful Feeling". Fraggs has performed at many notable venues and events around the UK, and supported such artists as Toyah Willcox, Hazel O'Connor, David Hoyle and Go West.[2] [3] In 2015, he took part in the national selections to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest with "One Song". His second album, Pure, was released in 2016.

Career

Andi Fraggs grew up in North Wales and moved to London at the age of 20.[4] He contributed vocals to Koolwah's 2007 single "Fashion" which was used in a promotion for Bacardi and appeared on the accompanying compilation. It was also featured on the HBO TV show Entourage,[5] and has since been also featured in Channel 5's Fashionista Diaries, The Sunday Timess TV advert and ITV's Monaco Grand Prix coverage. Around that time, Fraggs worked on an album which was eventually shelved due to creative differences.[6]

Andi's first solo single, the double A-side "Addiction"/"November", was released in November 2010 on his own label Twenty20Sound and reached number 1 on the Play.com pre-order dance chart.[7] His next single, "The Way I Feel", was presented at the international Midem music festival in France and featured on the official companion compilation. In June 2011, Fraggs released "Reality", a charity single for the LGBT organisation London Friend, followed by a fundraising show at Soho's Madame Jojo's.[8] He also performed at Pride festivals in London, Liverpool and Leicester.[9] In autumn that year, he supported Toyah Willcox on her UK concert tour taking in major venues across the UK, such as Glasgow's Classic Grand and London's O2 Academy Islington,[10] and opened for David Hoyle at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. He released a new single, "Beautiful Feeling", remixed by Massimo Paramour, which went on to become one of the tracks of the year on Gaydar Radio.[11]

Fraggs supported Toyah again during her spring 2012 dates, and self-released his debut album, Always First, in April 2012. In summer that year, the video for the track "If It's Wrong" went viral on YouTube, accumulating over 80,000 views in just one day.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biography . andifraggs.com . 2022-03-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120621200155/http://www.andifraggs.com/biography/ . 2012-06-21.
  2. Web site: Andi Fraggs Interview . 2012 . lyricallucysmusicreview.com . 4 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160812124202/http://www.lyricallucysmusicreview.com/andifraggsinterview.htm . 12 August 2016.
  3. Web site: Andi Fraggs – Official Website . andifraggs.com . 2022-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140720113532/http://andifraggs.com/fraggs-news . 2014-07-20.
  4. Web site: Andi Fraggs Interview . 6 September 2013 . phoenixfm.com . 2021-06-29.
  5. Web site: Entourage Soundtrack: Season 4 · E12 · The Cannes Kids. Tunefind. 7 May 2020.
  6. Web site: Andi Fraggs Interview 2012 . 2012 . toyah.net . 2022-03-02.
  7. Web site: Interview: Andi Fraggs . 2012 . beigeuk.com . 27 August 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131109042946/http://www.beigeuk.com/2012/08/interview-andi-fraggs/ . 9 November 2013.
  8. Web site: Andi Fraggs interview . 30 June 2011 . gailymail.co.uk . 2011-12-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426013409/http://www.gailymail.co.uk/culture/andy-fraggs-interview/ . 2012-04-26.
  9. Web site: Live Feed . andifraggs.com . 2022-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120923212502/http://www.andifraggs.com/live-feed/ . 2012-09-23.
  10. Web site: FSFTA – On Tour with Andi Fraggs 2011 . 2011 . toyah.net . 2022-03-02.
  11. Web site: CLUB NATION 2012: THE BEST OF 2012 . Phil Marriott . 28 December 2012 . Facebook . 21 May 2013.
  12. Web site: Leicester Pride taking place this weekend . 30 August 2012 . midlandszone.co.uk . 2022-03-03.
  13. Web site: Andi Fraggs, Author at Polari Magazine . polarimagazine.com . 2013-05-21.
  14. Web site: FRAGGSMUSIC – BIOGRAPHY . andifraggs.com . 2022-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161018124742/https://andifraggs.com/biography . 2016-10-18.
  15. Web site: Pride in London 2013: Saturday, June 29. Besi Besemar. 16 June 2013. gscene.com. 7 May 2020.
  16. Web site: 10 Legendary Unreleased Albums Part 2: Jimi Hendrix, Carly Rae Jepsen and More!. 28 November 2021. matuklon.com. 2022-03-04.
  17. Web site: 50 songs lead to Chisinau! . 17 December 2014 . Eurovision.tv . 16 January 2016.
  18. Web site: I'm very excited to announce that my new song... . 19 December 2014 . Facebook . 16 August 2015.
  19. Web site: FRAGGSMUSIC – LIVE . andifraggs.com . 2022-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161018124733/https://andifraggs.com/live . 2016-10-18.
  20. Web site: Pure by Andi Fraggs on iTunes . 3 July 2016 . itunes.apple.com . 4 July 2016.
  21. Web site: Interview with Andi Fraggs | I Can Take It! |date=3 August 2013 |publisher=publicdescription.com |accessdate=2022-03-02}} The singer performed at several Pride events, including Norwich and Leicester.[12] In October, he embarked on the Only Love Tour, supporting both Toyah and Hazel O'Connor]. In early 2013, Fraggs began publishing a series of features and interviews for an online magazine Polari, interviewing such well known cultural figures as Christina Crawford and Kate Pierson of The B-52's.[13] In July, he performed to around 18,000 people in London's Trafalgar Square and Soho as part of London Pride.[14] [15] In late 2013, he supported the band Go West.

    In February 2014, Andi Fraggs returned with a new single, "Visions", followed by the songs "Rain Comes Soon" and "Blue". They were to feature on a forthcoming album, also titled Visions, which eventually wouldn't be released.[16] In December 2014, Andi's track "One Song" was shortlisted in the national selections to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.[17] He stated that the song, co-written with Massimo Paramour, was created with the theme of building bridges between nations and the 60th anniversary of Eurovision in mind.[18] To promote the song, Fraggs appeared on major television and radio channels in Moldova and Romania.[19] The song received strong public support, with more online poll votes than any other entry, but the jury stated that they were looking for a more traditional entry for Moldova, and "One Song" was eliminated. Throughout 2015, the singer released videos for the new songs "I'll Still Be There" and "Once More (With Feeling)", and by that time performed under the simply Fraggs. He released the new single "Only the Moment" in January 2016, and his second album, Pure, was self-released in July 2016.

    Discography

    Albums

    TitleAlbum details
    Always First
    • Released: 7 April 2012
    • Label: Twenty20Sound
    • Formats: CD, digital download
    Pure
    • Released: 3 July 2016[20]
    • Label: Twenty20Sound
    • Formats: digital download, streaming

    Singles

    TitleYearAlbum
    "Fashion" (Koolwah feat. Andi Fraggs)2007Minimal Digital
    "Addiction"/"November"2010Always First
    "The Way I Feel"/"Broken Promises"
    "Always First"/"Eroction"2011
    "Reality"
    "Beautiful Feeling"
    "If It's Wrong"2012
    "Visions"2014align="left" rowspan="2"
    "Rain Comes Soon"
    "Only the Moment"2016Pure

    Music videos

    TitleYearAlbum
    "Addiction"2010Always First
    "The Way I Feel"
    "November"
    "Always First"2011
    "Reality"
    "Beautiful Feeling"2012
    "If It's Wrong"
    "Visions"2014align="left" rowspan="2"
    "Rain Comes Soon"
    "Blue"Pure
    "One Song"
    "I'll Still Be There"2015
    "Once More (With Feeling)"
    "Only the Moment"2016
    "One More Night"

    Tours

    • 2011: From Sheep Farming to Anthem Tour (supporting Toyah Willcox)
    • 2012: The Changeling Resurrection Tour (supporting Toyah Willcox)
    • 2012: Only Love Tour (supporting Toyah Willcox and Hazel O'Connor)

    External links

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