Broadway Star Josh Franklin Releases First Single from Forthcoming Album, SPENT

Leading up to his sophomore album release, "Spent" next month, Josh Franklin just released the album's first single, "Masterpiece", complete with a fun, inspiring new video. The playful video uses beautiful choreography between two couples - one straight, one gay - to illustrate the initial mating dance that we've all experienced upon meeting a potential new love and the uncertainty that ensues.

Check out the "Masterpiece" video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z96UN7LKwjM

Having already received numerous accolades for his Broadway and acting career work and having performed alongside such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, Kylie Minogue, and Barry Manilow, the new release shines a spotlight on Josh Franklin's immense talent as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist musician. And, that voice! Critics have been raving:

Josh Franklin, a Colorado Springs native, is an accomplished recording artist, composer, director and Broadway performer. As an actor, Josh was nominated for a Helen Hayes award for his lead role as Billy Crocker in Anything Goes and received nationwide recognition for his interpretation of Bob Gaudio (Jersey Boys), Danny Zuko (Grease) and Chad (All Shook Up). His Broadway credits include Nerds, Anything Goes, Ghost, Legally Blonde and Grease. He was selected to perform for the PBS special A Capitol Fourth (2009) live in Washington, DC alongside Aretha Franklin, Kylie Minogue, and Barry Manilow.

Putting on his hat as a captivating music artist, Josh released his self-titled debut pop album in 2013; produced by Grammy award winner, Peter Wade.

His second album "Spent" - available Fall 2016 - was recorded with all local talent in his hometown of Colorado Springs. The much-anticipated album features lush orchestrations and a production team headed by world renowned musician and producer Thomas Dawson Jr. of The Commodores. About the album, he explains, "It explores the search for self-validation through the ups and downs of relationships, financial burdens, and the journey of an artist. I set out to have half of the album sound like a live recording and the other half sound completely epic and to feel almost cinematic in tone. We definitely hit the mark and I'm thrilled with the musical journey everyone will go through while listening to these tunes."

Many singer/songwriter albums come from an extremely personal place and, quite often, each album details a specific journey, theme, time period or emotion. Singer/songwriter/actor/director Josh Franklin's sophomore album "Spent" is not one of those albums. Instead, Franklin spectacularly covers the whole spectrum of emotions associated with love - from the butterflies and uncertainties of the initial phases of puppy love, to dealing with the grief of a break-up, then on to the deceptions of love as well as the glorious splendor of a perfect lifelong romance.

Having already received numerous accolades for his Broadway, acting and directorial work (Jersey Boys, Grease, All Shook Up, Anything Goes, Ghost, Legally Blonde) and having performed alongside such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, Kylie Minogue, and Barry Manilow, "Spent" shines a spotlight on Franklin's immense talent as a composer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, piano) recording artist. And, that voice! Critics have already been raving about it for years, applauding "The standout voice... [that] possesses a rich and full range which is displayed to superb effect" and commending his "well-trained, silky, lyric Baritone voice."

"Spent" showcases these million-dollar vocal chords, as anticipated, but pushes his talent as a composer to new heights, incorporating full orchestration and adding a cinematic, theatrical quality to many of the songs. At the same time, many of the tracks possess the quality of a live recording, remaining loose and spontaneous. Thematically, Franklin succinctly explains that the album, "explores the search for self-validation through the ups and downs of relationships, financial burdens, and the journey of an artist."

The first single, "Masterpiece", is an ebullient ballad about the bevy of possibilities of new love and, musically, brings to mind Paul McCartney's triumphant "Maybe I'm Amazed". Franklin explains that the song is about, "that moment when you first begin something or you're first meeting someone and it could go so many ways. Could be a masterpiece, possibly a disaster, could be over before you begin."

Standout tracks include the gorgeous "Fairytale", a number about the illusions and false promises that love can instill. The song floats on beautiful piano and dramatic orchestration, further accentuated by a nostalgia-inducing French horn solo, all pushed along by a valiantly marching snare drum. On "Poconos" Franklin let's his musical theater roots shine in this playful two-step ditty that addresses class differences and self-discovery as he croons, "Poconos, Poconos, I can't afford you. But, I've got friends. I won't be alone even if your phone won't answer."

Perhaps the most overtly, rapturously romantic track is the poignant New York love song "He and He", which envisions details of what's to come of a potential long-term, committed relationship - chronicling the future Brooklyn apartment, lovable children and forthcoming birthdays. These milestones are laid out over Franklin's heartfelt, velvety vocals and thoughtful guitar picking. Tapping into the darker, more bitter underbelly of l'amour are album tracks "Queen of the Boat", a nightmarish carnival ride through a hard-to-shake break-up and "Nothing On Me", a scathing, yet upbeat, pop/rock song that finds a scorned lover going for the jugular, even calling out the ex's tacky lack of taste.

The album was recorded with all local talent in Franklin's hometown of Colorado Springs, CO and features a production team headed by world renowned musician and producer Thomas Dawson Jr. of The Commodores. Franklin released his self-titled debut pop album in 2013, produced by Grammy award winner Peter Wade.