Bobby Frith

Whether as a solo performer, band leader, band member, session musician, collaborator, or just a fan of music, Bobby Frith prizes a great song above all things. His appreciation for songs and the art of creating them has driven him to an intense study of a collection of musicians primarily known for their innovations on their instrument — most especially Charlie Parker, Tony Rice, and Earl Scruggs This path of study reinforces his fundamental values: he seeks greater mastery over his own instrument, the guitar, and always to unlock new musical ideas — in service of songs. Developing musical literacy has proven vital in his career, the majority of which has been spent in service of other people’s songs. In this collaborator role, he has traveled extensively, performing everywhere from DIY clubs to dive bars, to venues, to music festivals, to radio studios, all over the eastern US — with everyone from country bands to rappers, from punk bands to gospel choirs. Currently, he plays with Asheville-based rock band Urban Soil, a powerful quintet formed around singer-songwriter/guitarist Sarah Reinke, and Austin Royale, a Durham-based hip-hop artist who incorporates elements of the punk and avant garde.

Though his own original music has never been the focus of his career, he released Garbage Factory, a studio EP of his own songs, in 2020, and has quietly built up an extensive catalog of original material. His eclectic background has helped him to develop a unique sound and a distinctive songwriting voice, which is characterized by his use of humor and a strong tendency to depict unexpected scenarios – generally avoiding the more tried and tested songwriting topics. Sonically, his material tends toward the softer, melodic side; his songs at times embrace, at other times discard, the complexities of the more elevated styles of composing and playing typical of academic institutions, which comprise a key aspect of his background — in all aspects, maintaining firstly the supremacy of the song.