The Framers Get Ready to Hang at Shabang Festival

Imagine this—it’s 11:15 p.m. on a Saturday night. You are walking down the quintessential block of 66 Del Playa, and the SpongeBob theme song escapes from a buzzing backyard. Entertained, you wander over to see a yard lined fence to fence with what seems to be every single person in Isla Vista. On the makeshift stage stands a five-person band: Oliver Chavez and Franky Sansone on guitar, Allison Corwin on bass, Jake Morenc on drums, and Jesse Prior on vocals. The group springs into No Doubt’s “Sunday Morning,” and the crowd sings along. “Who is this again?” a girl whispers loudly to her friend. Before you can decipher her response, the group eases into their own swinging indie ballad, “Angel.” Your eyes land on a white fabric sign: The Framers. You find yourself thinking, “Whatever they’re doing, it’s captivating. Wherever they’re going, it’s in their hands.”

Isla Vista is a musical hub where bands are formed, dissolved, and then you’ve got the life between. From cover bands to recording bands, Friday and Saturday nights are their time to shine.

It all began for the Framers in 2019. UCSB baseball player Franky Sansone was barbecuing with a buddy from the team when the seed was planted. “This is me not having played guitar for a couple of months,” Sansone prefaces. “[My friend, Tony] found my guitar and started slapping it like a bass.” From there, the two began jamming together for a few weeks. One day, the amusing notion was vocalized — they should start a band. At first, the focus was solely on having fun, stemming from a shared love for music. Gathering a group of college students from Craigslist, Reddit, and their entourage, the founding members naturally cultivated a garage surf rock style, incorporating covers by their favorite bands.

Since 2019, the band has seen multiple configurations that have evolved them to their current riot-girl-indie-sometimes-punk sound. Sansone and fellow guitarist Oliver Chavez have been there from the start. In 2020, Allison Corwin joined in on bass after the original bassist’s departure. Singer Jesse Prior and drummer Jake Morenc joined in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

As time passed, the band progressed to a committed group, recording original music. Both Prior and Morenc brought in previous band experience. Joining the Framers after leaving her former band in New York, Prior emphasized, “Being in a band that was very dedicated and willing to put time in was super important to me.”

Their determination did not go unnoticed. Since March 2023, the Framers have played events and shows all over Santa Barbara and its surrounding areas. You may have heard them at Summer Solstice 2022, Fields of Funk 2023, or at their numerous shows at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club. They have also expanded up and down the south coast, reaching audiences in Oxnard, Orange County, and Ventura. After winning Santa Barbara’s division of Battle of the Bands, they are gearing up to play one of their biggest venues yet: Shabang Music, Arts, & Camping Festival — a two-day event in San Luis Obispo May 3-4.

This has not come without challenges, however. In the early days of 2023, the band lost their founding drummer, Tommy Soto, to cancer. “We pressed a huge reset button last year,” Sansone reflects. How to proceed was unclear to them. They continued to play shows that winter and spring, but there was a grieving cloud over them.

Sansone continues, “I didn’t want to touch my guitar after Tommy passed away… we played a couple of shows, and it was like, ‘Why are we here? Should we even continue?’” They contemplated ending the band in those moments.

When Morenc joined in March 2023, he found himself in a delicate situation. “One of my challenges joining the band was trying to honor Tommy as best as possible,” Morenc reflects. Morenc originally referred Tommy to the band when they formed. “I looked up to him as a drummer. [When I first joined], we were still playing a lot of the songs that he recorded drums for. Every time I played one of those [songs], I made sure to try to get his parts exactly right. He was so talented, and I wanted to honor that as much as possible.”

Though the band pushed forward in that difficult time, Soto continues to live forever in their music, in their hearts, and is remembered lovingly by his community.

In their current configuration, the band has released several EPs and is gearing up for an album release on May 1.

Their upcoming album, I’m Feeling Fine, is a chronological story documenting the rise and downfall of a relationship. “[It is about] somebody who believes that they are okay with being alone… okay with not having someone,” Morenc explains. After entering a new relationship, the narrator goes on to realize that desperation made them settle on just about anyone.

“The whole album is about a relationship and drowning in it,” Prior adds. The last song holds the resolution: that one cannot find themself through another person — it all comes from within. It captures themes of healing and self-worth.

The concept for the album came to Morenc as he analyzed four of the group’s completed unreleased songs. He began piecing them together to create a story. Writing a song is an extremely intertwined effort for this group. “I’d definitely say prior to 2023, our Framers EPs were [a member] bringing in a completed song and the rest of the band adapting it into our own styles and ideas,” Chavez said. More recently with their Wonder Why EP and upcoming album, the band has found themselves collaborating in a way that allows them to build a song “from the ground up” together.

“I feel like we all have a good sense of when a song is going to work, when we can push something further than what we started with. Or if something is just not going to end up working,” said Chavez.

Off the bat, their friendship is clearly foundational. “I love these people,” Corwin smiles. “We are actually friends and that really matters to me.” Each member takes on essential roles outside of their musicianship to ensure the band’s success. Sansone manages email correspondence and bookings, while Morenc oversees production and sound engineering. Prior guides the band’s direction, ensuring they stay focused on their goals. Chavez serves as their graphic designer and accountant, while Corwin researches future opportunities and is the morale booster for the group. “I think that’s why this band works so well. All five of us do completely different things,” Sansone comments. Many bands have one member who does everything. “That’s too much,” Sansone shakes his head. “Maybe that’s how most bands operate but that’s not how we operate and that’s probably why it works really well.”

One last question — how did the band name come about?

“Yeah, yeah, they’re pointing at me,” Sansone laughs as his bandmates gesture to him. “Franky Framer used to be my baseball nickname. And on the UCSB team, I was a catcher. The act of receiving a baseball is called framing. Eventually, it became my nickname; the alliteration just stuck. We were coming up with band names and there were only two choices — Boiley Boys or the Framers. I remember calling my friend and I was like ‘Hey, I heard the Framers are coming into town.’ And they are like ‘Really? Where at?’” It hit Sansone at that moment. “Oh wait, they think it’s a real band,” he recalls. “I think we can sell this as a real band.”

And the rest is history.

Catch The Framers at Shabang Live Music, Arts, & Camping Festival on May 4 from 2:30-3:20 p.m., at the Cuesta Ridge stage. Stream their debut album, “I’m Feeling Fine” on May 1. To keep up with their next projects, find them on Instagram @theframers_sb.