The DIG 25: Laura Frank

From bleaching her hair before a festival to collecting cassettes, singing Springsteen and finding the perfect pair of jeans.

Laura Frank takes on The DIG 25 with plenty of humour, a love of good music and a cold beer never too far away.

There's something wonderfully refreshing about Laura Frank. She's a country artist who doesn't mind doing things a little differently, whether that's taking her music into unusual regional venues, filming one of her spontaneous ‘Singing Wherever the FRANK I Want’ videos or getting ready for a festival performance with a coffee in one hand and song lyrics scribbled on a piece of paper.

With her album Life In The Front Seat reaching No. 3 on the ARIA charts, Laura has plenty to celebrate, but she's also the sort of artist who seems happiest keeping things grounded. Family, music, good food, the occasional road trip and a decent country pub are all part of the picture.

For this edition of The DIG 25, we caught up with Laura while she was getting her hair bleached ahead of Groundwater Country Music Festival. Along the way, we discovered her love of Missy Higgins, Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile, why she's collecting old cassettes, and how an intimate acoustic show in a local wedding chapel became one of her favourite gigs.

And when it comes to denim, Laura has a theory that's hard to argue with. Finding the right pair is a bit like finding your soulmate.

The DIG 25

1. Where are you right now, and what can you see from where you're sitting?
I'm currently sitting in the salon chair getting my hair bleached, ready for playing Groundwater Country Music Festival this weekend! I can see my big mug in the mirror, an empty coffee cup and the lyrics to ‘Islands in the Stream’ that I quickly handwrote on a piece of white paper so I could do one of my ‘Singing Wherever the FRANK I Want’ social media videos.

2. What's the first record you remember falling in love with?
The first record I ever bought myself was ‘Believe’ by Cher, but the first record I remember falling in love with was Missy Higgins' The Sound of White. I begged my mum for weeks to buy it for me. I just had to have it!

3. What's the best lyric you've ever heard?
A Jason Isbell lyric. There are soooo many great ones, but the one that springs to mind is ‘Don't wash the cast iron skillet’. Haha, practical advice for everyday living! It's such a great song though. If you haven't listened to it, you must!

4. Who's the greatest storyteller in music?
Hmmm, Springsteen, Dylan, Isbell, Cohen. How could you choose just one!?

5. What's an artist people would be surprised to find in your record collection?
K'naan, a Somali-Canadian rapper and singer-songwriter. Incredible!

6. Vinyl, CD, cassette or streaming, and why?
Cassette!!! We have a really big CD collection and a growing vinyl collection, but I'm trying to build my cassette collection. I love the crackle, that you can hear every imperfection. There's something nostalgic about it.

7. What's the first concert you ever went to?
That'd have to be P!nk, I reckon.

8. What's the best live show you've ever seen?
That'd also have to be P!nk or Springsteen. Both incredible performers.

9. Who's the best live performer you've ever shared a stage with, and who would you love to share one with?
I would be beside myself to share the stage with Brandi Carlile! I adore her. As for someone I've shared the stage with, that'd be my dear friend Adam Thompson from Chocolate Starfish. He is one of the greatest showmen I've ever seen.

10. What's your favourite song to play live right now?
One of my own, the newest single from my ARIA No. 3 album, Life In The Front Seat. The song is called ‘It's Enough’.

11. Is there one of your songs you wish more people knew?
Haha, yeah, probably that one!

12. What usually comes first for you: words, melody, riff or something else?
Usually a lyric of some kind. Then Nick, my husband and songwriting partner, will start playing some riffs and we work from there.

13. Do you know when you've written a good song, or does it take time?
Sometimes. Every session is different, every song is different. Sometimes they grow on you, sometimes they're awesome right from the start.

14. What's the best road-trip album ever made?
I love listening to Kings of Leon's Come Around Sundown on a road trip. Such a great album.

15. What's the best town you've discovered because music took you there?
I've had the privilege of visiting so many incredible places because of music, particularly on my You Played Where!? Tour, taking us to super-unique venues in regional Australia. But my favourite would have to be from being on tour in regional WA with Tom Curtain. Albany. It's a beautiful spot!

16. What's the best venue you've ever played?
We played a totally acoustic show, no PA, just Nick with a guitar and me, in our local wedding chapel. We sold out and it was the most beautiful, intimate show ever. It was amazing.

17. What's your favourite Australian pub?
Probably my local, Aratula Pub. Great food, cold beer.

18. What's the best meal you've ever had on the road?
Oh man, we've had so many great meals! There are a few really awesome places in Mansfield, Victoria. One place was Stallion. We had a beautiful set menu there. Unfortunately, they're permanently closed now, but there are plenty of other great places in Mansfield! The Goomeri Bakery is also a must-visit!

19. Beer, wine, whiskey, coffee or something else?
Haha, beer, all the way!

20. What does your perfect Sunday look like?
Sleep in, family cup of tea in bed, maybe a visit to our local cafe for breakfast, some time in the sun with the doggos, a beach visit if we're close, then a chilled arvo with a few drinks around the pool to close out the day.

21. City, coast, country or bush?
Ooooo, that's tricky! I live in the country surrounded by bush, which I love, but the novelty wears off. So, coast!

22. Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset!!

23. Boots or sneakers?
My Dr. Martens Chelsea boots are my absolute favourite. So, boots!

24. Double denim: yes or no?
Absolutely, 100% YES!

25. Finish this sentence: Denim is good because…
It's so darn versatile! Dress up, dress down, hang out at home or party all night long. Finding the right denim is like finding your soulmate. When you know, you know.

Twenty-five questions later, Laura Frank has given us a pretty good picture of what makes her tick. There's a love of great songwriting, from Springsteen and Isbell to Missy Higgins, an appreciation for music you can actually hold in your hands, and a willingness to take the long way around if it means discovering another interesting town, a good meal or a memorable place to play.

She's equally comfortable talking about a sold-out acoustic show in a tiny wedding chapel as she is about performing at a major festival, which probably says plenty about what matters to her as an artist.

And while she might be building a cassette collection and dreaming of sharing a stage with Brandi Carlile, the everyday pleasures are pretty straightforward. Family, the dogs, a bit of sunshine, the coast when she can get there and a cold beer at the end of the day.

As for the denim, Laura's all in. Double denim, naturally, and a firm belief that the right pair of jeans is worth hanging onto.

We couldn't agree more.