Q&A: frank is Back with Your New Favourite Breakup Anthem “your biggest fan”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY ELLA ASSELSTINE ☆
HOT DOGS AND HALLOWEEN PARTIES—are not what conventionally bring two musicians together. But for Ley Vara and Lauryn Kovacs, a shared love for hot dogs and a costume party launched their joint musical journey.
Aside from their appreciation of franks (they spontaneously chose the band’s name after Vara showed off her “hot dogs i’ve eaten in 2024” photo album), Vara and Kovacs share a passion for music. Having previously released projects as solo artists, the duo spent two years perfecting their combined sound before releasing their debut single “dirt and onions” this past January.
Now, the duo is back with their fourth release of 2026. “your biggest fan” is a cathartic scream-in-the-car alt-pop anthem that explores manipulation and gaslighting in a relationship. Pair that incendiary theme with a catchy chorus and hard-hitting indie-rock instrumentals, and you’ve got a must-add song for your breakup playlist.
The duo has built a dedicated following in the eight months since their debut, with their music garnering comments such as “frank is dropping more music, life is beautiful” and “does frank ever miss? the answer is no”. Luckily for frank fans, the band has more music in the works. After all, the music industry isn’t half as scary with your best friend by your side.
Read on for frank’s chat with Luna where they discuss their new single, navigating working in a pair and their future plans.
LUNA: You had been posting covers as a duo for seven months before you released your first song “dirt and onions” this past January. Why did it feel like the right time?
LEY VARA: We actually have been working on music since 2024. We didn’t start releasing until this year because we wanted to take the time to develop our sound. Lauryn and I also had solo EPs to release so we wanted to focus on releasing our solo projects first in 2025 (check out Lauryn Kovacs and Ley Vara on Spotify!).
LAURYN KOVACS: We knew that we wanted to debut frank in 2026, so we started posting covers a couple months before to grow our audience and build anticipation for frank’s debut “dirt and onions”.
VARA: Also, it was also really, really cool to finally see frank be born into the public because we were working on it for so long and we felt like it was finally, finally time. It was, like, holy guacamole we’re actually doing it now—the wait was so worth it.
LUNA: You both release music as individual artists. Why did you decide to create music together?
KOVACS: As artists, being able to express ourselves creatively and in multiple different ways is such an honour. It’s so fun to have our solo projects, do our own thing, and explore different sounds, but then also be able to explore that together. Also, just having someone to do this whole thing with is so much more fun than being alone. The industry is a scary place and having someone by your side the whole time just makes it way more fun of a journey. It feels way safer and sweeter.
VARA: Yes, everything that Lauryn said I second it. It is super cool, not only to have a partner in the industry, but to have a friend as well. I think Lauryn brings out different sides of different artists in me, if it makes sense. I would never have thought to explore the genre if it weren’t for her and if it weren’t for frank. I get to live the best of both worlds—making my own solo stuff and being a part of this, too.
LUNA: You’ve said it’s easier to navigate the music industry with a friend. What are the other benefits of working as a duo?
VARA: Where do I start? There are a long list of pros. It’s easier to navigate the music industry, but also when we’re shooting a video, making content, or in a session, it feels like we’re just hanging out. It’s really cool and it doesn’t feel like work. It’s just really awesome.
VARA: Another thing that’s really awesome is being able to hold each other accountable. Lauryn and I were actually talking this morning, because we started doing vocal lessons and were being taught these different warm-ups that we should be doing before shows. I’m not gonna lie, I kinda look like a crazy person when I’m doing them. If I were alone, it’d be really hard to do them, but Lauryn and I talked about how it’s a lot easier to do stuff like that when you have somebody pushing you and supporting you. I think that goes for a lot of different aspects of our musical journey, not just crazy looking vocal warm-ups!
LUNA: Working in a pair, it must be hard to agree on lyrics, themes and instrumentals. How do you balance the tasks between the two of you?
KOVACS: I feel like when we’re writing lyrics together we really never have any issues. It just feels like how anyone would talk to a friend and tell them about what’s going on in their lives, except we end up making that conversation into a song.
VARA: We rock paper scissors, usually—I’m kidding! It’s really not hard to agree on lyrics; I think the way our brains work is really similar. But when they do work differently, it’s really cool—like when Lauryn comes up with a line I never would have thought of, and vice versa. It’s cool to see different perspectives, and I think it brings a lot of new material out of both of us. As for balancing all the tasks, I feel like Lauryn does a lot of it—thank you Lauryn. She’s really good at posting on TikTok and Instagram. I will be better. I’m sorry.
LUNA: What does your music process look like?
KOVACS: It usually consists of us talking about how we feel that day and what kind of mood and vibe we feel like making. Then we usually go through different chord progressions until we find something we like—the best part is getting to brainstorm melodies and lyrics together. Sometimes we’ll even pick a prompt or topic and write down lyrics on a piece of paper and present them to each other. From there, we piece them together.
VARA: It feels like the process is a little different every time! There was also one time where a friend suggested we write letters to each other about friendship and stuff and we ended up turning those lines into lyrics! It really depends on the day.
LUNA: What is the inspiration behind the new single?
KOVACS: This new single is about a personal situation, but it’s essentially about feeling like you’re being gaslit when it comes to another woman and trying to navigate whether it’s all in your head and if you’re the one being crazy.
LUNA: This is your fourth release. Can we look toward a full frank album?
KOVACS: Absolutely you can look forward to a full frank project and we can’t wait to share it with you.
LUNA: So if this single was a hotdog… What toppings would it have?
KOVACS: If this single was a hotdog it would have every possible topping on it. And tons of it. Pure chaos.
VARA: And all of the toppings would be kinda slipping off, too, because there’s too much topping to dog. And the ratio is a bit off, but it tastes really good still.
