FRANK, modern alternative artist, releasing anticipated EP, “BACKBONE,” on October 2, 2026
September 28, 2026 | written by Dabria DiCenso
FRANK, Indianapolis-based modern alternative artist and songwriter, is set to release her anticipated new EP, “BACKBONE,” on October 2, 2026.
FRANK, the moniker of 28-year-old Sydney Elliott, was conceived in 2022 to present music of her own design. Representing her connective instincts and truest musical tastes, FRANK pursues adventurous sonics while maintaining a reverence for the cinematic beauty and excellence of great soul singers.
Comprised of 5 songs co-written by FRANK and Owen Thomas, produced by Thomas, and mixed by Geoff Swan, “BACKBONE” explores FRANK’s visceral and unique observations on human resilience in the wake of soured relationships and personal tragedy.
Listeners can expect to hear an evolution in lyrical depth and lush vocals, supported by a powerful backdrop of heavy grunge, industrial rock, and trip-hop, building on what earned her praise following the release of her debut single, “Let Me Be,” in 2023.
“In Limbo,” the explosive lead single from “BACKBONE,” visits recurring themes in the EP, including both heavy and sparse instrumentation, soft and powerful vocals, and building melodies. The control she has over the colors and dynamics of her soulful vocals, as well as the vast range of emotions she can evoke over the course of a singular song, is impossible to miss and one of her greatest strengths.
The EP also features a bonus track of FRANK’s song “Naturally” remixed by acclaimed London DJ Samantha Togni.
Read on to hear FRANK take us behind the scenes for a closer look at her journey behind this new EP.
"BACKBONE" Q&A
Lyrically, I think the maturity is in purposefully addressing the topics of resilience and growth that are required to live in the world, and in fighting for what matters and speaking up when it’s the hardest. I think that the times we feel the weakest are opportunities for growth and real change.
This EP does push beyond what people have heard from me before, and I think that musical evolution will always continue. I’m always searching and discovering new music. It feels as though the influence never stops and my desire to grow and learn more as an artist and writer will only bring forth more diversity and experimentation.
Vocally, I did more than I’ve done on any project prior. I have consistently learned a lot about how to control my voice and continued to push myself vocally to try new things to see what I’m capable of.
What track differs the most sonically from your previous works? What inspired this?
“Poem Of Ashes” – this track is dramatic, cinematic, operatic. But it was not intended to be a song, I sat down in the studio and decided to write a poem because it had been a while since I had written poetry. An hour later I had the song. It touches on the fragility of humanity and the cycle of life, how an ending is really a beginning.
The most challenging aspect was pushing myself vocally and sonically. Once the songs were written we knew what they needed to sound like, and it was the executional process that challenged me. I would come into the studio before recording, and we’d figure it out as we went. I’m proud of the new risks I took, I’m very happy with how everything turned out.
Who are your biggest influences for “BACKBONE?” Are these influences different from your past projects, or have they been your inspiration throughout your whole career?
I feel a lot of the influences in this EP are very deep-rooted ones. A lot of classical, opera, and cinematic sounds that I grew up listening to. Andrea Bocelli, Queen, classical music. I learned to sing by listening to Italian opera and listening to my mom play classical music everyday teaching her students. I wanted to lean into what shaped me.
It’s changed my goals by encouraging me to focus on what I want to pursue as an artist. From the release of that song, it was a journey of self-discovery to get to where I am now. I’ve seen a great amount of positive feedback that really encouraged me. Since then, my goals as a songwriter and an artist are simply to get better and better.
I hope listeners understand that I’ve grown a lot since making this EP. I feel that with every project I change, but this change feels the most profound, like a true evolution.