Shining for Optimism
Andy Frasco aspires to connect humans to happiness through music.
Man-cub, hippie, dance machine in fleshy form, call him what you wish, but Andy Frasco makes music—great, fun music. The latest album from his band, Andy Frasco & The U.N.—Growing Pains, released May 23—packs a wallop. Kind of, like, if you were going to order a beer, but the bartender hands you a double Long Island iced tea, and you like the guy, so, you’ll drink it, but then what happens, happens.
I talked to Frasco over the phone while he and his bandmates sped through backwoods somewhere while on their way to a show. He’s bringing those fellas along with his sagacity—a tie-dye twirled menagerie of wasted and sober wisdom, set to funky dance jam beats—to his show at Upper Merion Township Building Park in King of Prussia on August 13.
Q&A
You put so much kindness and soul into what you do. Has that been the goal from the beginning?
My dad taught me you have to work, to really go for it, and the optimism part is like—you know, being sad a lot of the times in your life is OK, but you’ve gotta know that sadness doesn’t happen forever. I always call myself an optimistic depressed person. I get depressed like all of us, but the main goal is shining for optimism. That’s something worth fighting for, knowing that the hard times don’t always last.
You put so much kindness and soul into what you do. Has that been the goal from the beginning?
My dad taught me you have to work, to really go for it, and the optimism part is like—you know, being sad a lot of the times in your life is OK, but you’ve gotta know that sadness doesn’t happen forever. I always call myself an optimistic depressed person. I get depressed like all of us, but the main goal is shining for optimism. That’s something worth fighting for, knowing that the hard times don’t always last.
I can see that work ethic and optimism in the tone, musicality, and vibe in the record. It’s all very uplifting.
Oh, man … I always like to try to talk about how to make others happy, but this was the first record I talked about how to make myself happy, and be honest with my insecurities, my addictions, my questionable things about life. … I’m very vulnerable. On stage I have this crazy, fearless type of stage show, but deep down sometimes I’m still that nine-year-old kid who got bullied in third grade.
Oh, man … I always like to try to talk about how to make others happy, but this was the first record I talked about how to make myself happy, and be honest with my insecurities, my addictions, my questionable things about life. … I’m very vulnerable. On stage I have this crazy, fearless type of stage show, but deep down sometimes I’m still that nine-year-old kid who got bullied in third grade.
So what did change that direction and make you want to open up?
I’ve been doing 250 shows a year with my band since I was 19 years old. I just think it’s kind of, like, finally being honest with myself. Like, social media taught us that we can fake happiness and we can fake, like, just perceive this altered-ness imposter syndrome so everyone thinks everyone is happy and, you know, you can post all that and press send on that, but when you go to bed, I mean …. I gotta be honest with myself. I can’t really shell out happiness unless I shell it out to myself first and be honest with that.
I’ve been doing 250 shows a year with my band since I was 19 years old. I just think it’s kind of, like, finally being honest with myself. Like, social media taught us that we can fake happiness and we can fake, like, just perceive this altered-ness imposter syndrome so everyone thinks everyone is happy and, you know, you can post all that and press send on that, but when you go to bed, I mean …. I gotta be honest with myself. I can’t really shell out happiness unless I shell it out to myself first and be honest with that.
So you’re opening up after all this time. Is there anything in particular that spurred or inspired this?
I’m into just my work, my life, and it’s, like, I was just conforming to what other people thought happiness was. The minute I started realizing what I think happiness was I became happy because happiness is subjective. For me, happiness within me was to try to set all this hard work of waking up at 9 a.m., doing budgets, and flying to Nashville on the only two days off I have in two months just to write more music … and I realized that’s what makes me happy. … I’m not running; this is where I belong.
I’m into just my work, my life, and it’s, like, I was just conforming to what other people thought happiness was. The minute I started realizing what I think happiness was I became happy because happiness is subjective. For me, happiness within me was to try to set all this hard work of waking up at 9 a.m., doing budgets, and flying to Nashville on the only two days off I have in two months just to write more music … and I realized that’s what makes me happy. … I’m not running; this is where I belong.
Some people don’t understand the difference between running and roaming.
Yeah, or some people don’t understand that what makes them happy might not make someone else happy. So they need to stop projecting how people should live their lives and just say, “Hey, everyone’s individual.” I think happiness isn’t black and white. I think happiness includes all shades of gray.
Yeah, or some people don’t understand that what makes them happy might not make someone else happy. So they need to stop projecting how people should live their lives and just say, “Hey, everyone’s individual.” I think happiness isn’t black and white. I think happiness includes all shades of gray.
So your album has only been out for a day, but you woke up to 300 emails. What are people saying?
Everyone tags me as this party guy, we’re this party band that’s reckless, a bunch of drug addicts, but really we’re not. We’re thoughtful, we care about our craft, and we care about who we are. We want to show people we’re not just these [expletive] party people. We actually have a heart. It made me rest my shoulders a little bit because people see us as just a great live band. Now they’re perceiving us as great songwriters, and that’s how I started this in the first part.
Everyone tags me as this party guy, we’re this party band that’s reckless, a bunch of drug addicts, but really we’re not. We’re thoughtful, we care about our craft, and we care about who we are. We want to show people we’re not just these [expletive] party people. We actually have a heart. It made me rest my shoulders a little bit because people see us as just a great live band. Now they’re perceiving us as great songwriters, and that’s how I started this in the first part.
What really connected with me, from what I heard last night, was kind of a picture of love as it looked in the ’90s. I felt the kind of vibe that I want to date you, hug you, and recommend you a good therapist—that complicated vision of love …
[Frasco laughs] I love that. That’s exactly it.
[Frasco laughs] I love that. That’s exactly it.
You could say that about romantic love or even the relationships between human beings.
The love within yourself—you can’t just wake up and say, “I’m happy.” You gotta do the [expletive] work. That’s also why I’ve been scared of having a relationship. It’s, like, I don’t have the time to work on it so I don’t want to be selfish and just take on this thing when I don’t have the time to actually give it the nourishment like I do with my business.
The love within yourself—you can’t just wake up and say, “I’m happy.” You gotta do the [expletive] work. That’s also why I’ve been scared of having a relationship. It’s, like, I don’t have the time to work on it so I don’t want to be selfish and just take on this thing when I don’t have the time to actually give it the nourishment like I do with my business.
I’m taken aback by how healthy that actually sounds.
It’s a dude fest in here, but it’s like I’m married to a bunch of dudes; we just don’t have sex.
It’s a dude fest in here, but it’s like I’m married to a bunch of dudes; we just don’t have sex.
Fraternity, brotherhood, monastery on wheels—call it what you want.
I’m finally cool with that. I used to, like, have these one-night stands, and I just realized I don’t wanna lead anyone on. I’d rather just put my head down, do the work and, you know, when that right person comes where I want to give the effort to and share a middle lane with, it’ll happen. … Now that I finally have my shoulders dropped down from the existential crisis of people not thinking I’m a songwriter, now they do, I feel like I’ve moved past that trauma of not being accepted.
I’m finally cool with that. I used to, like, have these one-night stands, and I just realized I don’t wanna lead anyone on. I’d rather just put my head down, do the work and, you know, when that right person comes where I want to give the effort to and share a middle lane with, it’ll happen. … Now that I finally have my shoulders dropped down from the existential crisis of people not thinking I’m a songwriter, now they do, I feel like I’ve moved past that trauma of not being accepted.
Why do you feel that’s not just an important message to live by, but to go the extra mile and try to share it in an artful way?
It’s the difference between people liking everyone else’s happiness and not liking themselves on social media. I feel like it’s that social media era where it’s, like, we’re just making sure everything is just rainbows and butterflies, and it isn’t. Once you start loving yourself, you stop really focusing on self-gratification through Instagram.
It’s the difference between people liking everyone else’s happiness and not liking themselves on social media. I feel like it’s that social media era where it’s, like, we’re just making sure everything is just rainbows and butterflies, and it isn’t. Once you start loving yourself, you stop really focusing on self-gratification through Instagram.
It’s not just art; it’s a human wellness initiative?
That’s been my whole vision since the beginning. It’s about making people be proud that, you know, that sperm reached that egg out of millions of people and you need to not take for granted being here, being on Earth. We need to take the power back.
That’s been my whole vision since the beginning. It’s about making people be proud that, you know, that sperm reached that egg out of millions of people and you need to not take for granted being here, being on Earth. We need to take the power back.
Outside of what you said in the album, how do folks do that?
I’m just slowly figuring it out, too. It’s about being OK with how you feel. Great, take other people’s opinions, but don’t live in an echo chamber. Take advice. Listen, but collect all the things and then make your own opinion.
I’m just slowly figuring it out, too. It’s about being OK with how you feel. Great, take other people’s opinions, but don’t live in an echo chamber. Take advice. Listen, but collect all the things and then make your own opinion.
Photo by Stephanie Parsley
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, June 2025.
