Interviews
X Factor Finalists Miss Frank Get Interviewed
Fri, November 27, 2009The Guru that is Simon Byron gets up close and personal with the Miss Frank girls
When Miss Frank exited this year’s X Factor, pretty much everyone agreed the newly-formed three-piece were unlucky to leave so soon. The three ladies – Graziella Affinita, Shar Alexandra, 25, and Shaniece Davis – won a legion of fans with their sweet harmonies, street-wise looks and contemporary raps, and a bright future has been predicted by leading industry experts.
Miss Frank were the official UK launch act for We Sing on Thursday November 19th 2009. To illustrate the game’s unique four-player modes, the band was joined by members of the public on the fourth microphone – offering the opportunity of a lifetime for fans who’d dreamed of singing in an X Factor band.
We caught up with them for an exclusive chat ahead of their appearance, and found out exactly what the girls have been up to – and who’s the best at videogames.
So we’re here with Miss Frank ahead of their We Sing launch. Ladies: Hello
[All]: Hello
So how has it been going since you left X Factor? What sort of things have you been up to?
SA: We have been just so busy. We’ve been gigging up and down the country, meeting all our supporters – just having fun at the moment. It’s been really hectic, but it’s really enjoyable.
Have you managed to keep in touch with any of your X Factor chums?
GA: Yeah, quite a few of them – we went back onto X Factor to perform the single that’s out now. It’s a charity record in aid of Great Ormond Street. You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson, as performed by the X Factor finalists. So we were back last Sunday to perform it on national TV. It was good to see everyone. Everyone’s still really close – very much like a family.
And your plans for the future – you’re going to stay together as a band, right?
All: Yeah, definitely.
So what sort of stuff can we expect from you in the future?
SD: Hopefully we’ll be signed by the time we’ve finished recording our first set of songs. And we’ll be touring as soon as we can.
You’re here to perform We Sing with members of the public – that’s quite exciting, isn’t it?
GA: It is, isn’t it?
SA: Maybe we’ll find a fourth member of Miss Frank.
GA: It’s a really fun game. I’m Philipino so I’m down for karaoke, always, whenever the weather.
SA: Do you know what’s really good as well? The fact we can all sing at the same time. Because most other console games that feature singing are always for just two people. So now you can do three or four – the more the merrier.
GA: You can get your harmonies going
I once met the lead singer of the Manic Street Preachers. When I tried to get him to play Guitar Hero, he physically recoiled, saying it “denigrates his art”. Do you think that singing games are good – are you happy to support them?
GA: Absolutely – it makes the whole thing come across as fun...
SA...yeah, it takes the seriousness away from it...
GA...so rather than just being focussed on the vocals, it’s about having a good time. Even if you can’t sing, you can have fun...
SA...and that’s what’s good about We Sing – it doesn’t just concentrate on points and high scores. There’s a karaoke mode which is just about singing along with your mates or whatever.
Do you think playing We Sing can make you sing better? Do you think we’ll one day have an X Factor winner who started out playing We Sing?
SA: Who knows? Technology takes you so far these days you just never know. Wasn’t Dizzy Rascal’s Fix Up, Look Sharp written using a PlayStation?
Will we ever see a Miss Frank version of We Sing?
SD: Hopefully... that’d be amazing.
SA: In fact, we’re working on it right now.
Do you all play videogames?
SA: Yeah, when we get the time – we’ve actually got a PlayStation in the car.
GA: And when we’re gigging we’ve got Nintendo Wiis. We mainly play Mario Kart.
And so who’s the best?
SA: Shar. No-one else gives it as much welly as she does.
Thanks very much, Miss Frank – good luck with everything, and we hope to see you again soon.
