Snohomish band Fretland to release second album amid pandemic

SNOHOMISH — Fretland is about to release a new album titled “Could Have Loved You.” It will be the Americana band’s second recording to drop during the pandemic.

Albums aside, COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the group fronted by Hillary Grace Fretland from racking up accolades.

The Snohomish band’s latest single “Too Much” was named a “Best Country Song” by Rolling Stone. Fretland has been featured in the pages of No Depression, American Songwriter and Americanafest. The band’s songs are streamed an average of 100,000 times per month. The band has made Americana Radio Charts’ “Most Added,” “Bubbling Up” and “Top 40” lists. And their songs are getting radio play on stations across the U.S., including Seattle’s KEXP-FM.

“In my wildest dreams, I’d never thought that they’d (Rolling Stone) pick us to be in their weekly country songs to look out for, but it happened,” Fretland said, adding that their Americana sound is a mix of folk, rock, country and blues. “That was a treat, for sure.”

The band — made up of Hillary Grace on lead vocals, Luke Francis on guitar and bass, and Jake Haber on guitar, piano and bass — has released a music video for “Do You Think Of Me” to promote their second album, which is being released March 26.

“Could Have Loved You” is a nine-title effort featuring songs about relationships — expectations, heartbreak, regret, love and loss. In addition to the title track, songs on the album include “One More Try,” “Too Much,” “Won’t Be Us,” “You Were Mine” and “Wrong Bed.”

“Do You Think of Me” isn’t supposed to be a COVID-era song — although it very well can be. Fretland and Francis wrote and sing the song together.

“It’s about human connection … whether it be with a friend or a stranger,” Fretland said. “It’s that feeling you get when you brush somebody and get a little electricity. It can feel like you’re the only two people in the room sometimes.”

The music video for “Do You Think of Me,” released March 24, was filmed at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. The band performs on stage while two dancers — Stephan Bourgond of Seattle Dance Collective and Lucien Postlewaite of Pacific Northwest Ballet — move around the empty 93-year-old theater.

Francis said the Paramount was the perfect setting for the video featuring two contemporary dancers. Are the dancers alone because of COVID-19 or because they’re the only ones that matter in the moment?

“It was amazing. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done as far as a music project goes,” he said. “It just so happens that because of COVID and everything being shut down right now that the STG (Seattle Theatre Group) staff and the Paramount were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do something cool.’ It just became something bigger than we could have pictured.”

The album “Could Have Loved You” was recorded at The Unknown studio in Anacortes, which is housed in a former Catholic church built circa 1909.

“This is my first album with the band,” Francis said, adding that the band has signed with Nashville’s Soundly Music label. “I hadn’t been around for the recording of the first one.

“My favorite part was probably staying in the studio, and stepping out of my isolation recording booth where I’d sleep in my sleeping bag, and make coffee in the pot and go upstairs and start working on stuff. I loved the studio. If I could be a studio rat, I probably would be.”

When Fretland formed in 2016, it was originally a sister act. Sisters Hillary Grace and Kara Belle fronted the band. Kara Bell left the band about two years ago.

Their self-tiled album was released in May, also amid the pandemic. Songs on the 11-track album “Fretland” include “Have Another Beer,” “Long Haul,” “Black & Gold,” “Must’ve Been Wild” and “Heaven.” Kara Belle’s vocals are featured on songs recorded before she left the band.

Fretland was about to go on tour in Europe to promote that album when COVID-19 hit. All 22 or so European shows had to be canceled.

“We had just recorded our (self-titled) album,” Fretland said. “We were probably in the process of writing the last few songs that went on the (next) record, which would have been ‘Do You Think Of Me’ and ‘One More Try.’

“It quickly became very apparent to us that we wanted to start thinking about recording a second album right away.”

For more about Fretland, go to www.fretlandtheband.com.

Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; sbruestle@heraldnet.com; @sarabruestle.