Franklin’s Mint is the solo project of artist and storyteller Philip Franklin from Sunburned Hand of Man and Faxed Head. Established in 1998, Phil released his first recording GOLD in 2004 under the Franklin’s Mint moniker.

Phil began his career In the early 1980’s as drummer with the New York hard core punk band BORSCHT, playing at local clubs such as CBGB’s, A7 and The Rock Hotel. With a Fine Arts degree from S.U.N.Y Purchase he also played in countless college bands.

In 1992, Phil relocated to San Francisco and joined the Art Rock band CAROLINER RAINBOW. He toured extensively throughout the USA, Japan and Australia. In 1997 Phil returned to Australia with “desk-metal” band FAXED HEAD which featured Trey Spruance from MR. BUNGLE and Gregg Turkington of On-Cinema fame.

The following year Phil joined Trey Spruance, Danny Heifetz, Trevor Dunn, Bar McKinnon (all original members of Mr Bungle) and violinist Eyvind Kang in the first touring line up of the Secret Chiefs 3, playing percussion and drums. We made our television debut during that tour, on cult Australian Saturday morning music show, RECOVERY (ABCtv).

Phil continued playing in the Secret Chiefs 3 until 2001, he then returned to Boston where he began playing with the new weird American psyche-improv collective SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN.

“I have worked with incredible talent over the years” remarks Phil “I was in the right place at the right time, and I tried to take every opportunity that came my way”

Story of the album:

Recorded in Melbourne, Australia and Western Massachusetts, USA, Depression Era, Ultra High Frequency (DEUHF) was born out the mud and dust of the last Sunburned Hand of Man Nimbus recording sessions. Featuring some of the heavy hitters from the Sunburned crew and recorded by Kurt Vile’s bassist Adam Langellotti, this release is the most ambitious, punchy and most accessible Franklin’s recording ever.

Once Phil relocated to Australia, he enlisted the considerable talent of Secret Chiefs 3 band mates Danny Heifetz and Bar McKinnon as well as musical wunderkind, Angus Leslie from Sex on Toast. And so the second half of the album was willed into existence.

Recorded by Idge at Soundpark and Big Blue with Adam in Turner Falls MN.

Themes:

Are we living in the times a second depression? Like a hopeless wave that envelopes us all, the depression era is here to stay, so how do make it through?

Like a scared little gnome, frightened of what he hears, sees and feels in his tiny ceramic heart.

“When I write this record, I was thinking of mortality, where I’ve been and where I’m going and how when you look out over the dystopian world, you can still see it’s brutality and beauty” – Phil Franklin, Franklin’s Mint