Andy Frasco & the U.N.

Originating in Los Angeles, California, Andy Frasco & the U.N. operate as a high-energy ensemble that fuses soul, blues, jazz, and rock into an exuberant, occasionally irreverent sound. Fronted by Frasco on vocals and keyboards, the ensemble draws from 1960s and 1970s sources while chasing a deep R&B pocket and championing upbeat vibes alongside positive energy. Their studio effort Happy Bastards from 2016 locked in that lively atmosphere on record, the 2017 release Songs from the Road captured the unfiltered intensity of their stage performances, and the 2019 album Change of Pace proved they could tackle weightier themes without losing audience momentum.

A native of California, Andy Frasco nurtured a deep passion for music early on, yet he first entered the industry on the business side during his teenage years rather than as a performer. Early stints included work at the indie pop/punk imprint Drive-Thru Records and an Atlantic Records position secured at age 18. Relocating to New York City for that Atlantic role ended in disappointment when the position evaporated, an outcome Frasco interpreted as a prompt to create his own material. He taught himself keyboards, composed tracks, purchased a van, began securing gigs, and initially recruited players through Craigslist postings. Andy Frasco & the U.N. launched touring activities in 2007; although the lineup has shifted repeatedly, guitarist Shawn Eckels and saxophonist Ernie Chang have remained constants from the start, anchoring both the ensemble and its live presentations.

The band issued its debut album, Love, You're Just Too Expensive, in 2010 and maintained a rigorous pace of recording and road work thereafter. Three additional studio projects arrived rapidly in the decade’s first half—Road Life Revival in 2012, Just a Good Ole Time in 2013, and Half a Man in 2014—each bolstered by festival slots across multiple continents. Happy Bastards, released in 2016, supplied added drive, leading to the first live document, Songs from the Road, in 2017. The thoughtful Change of Pace followed in 2019, yet mounting pressures from nonstop touring, strained personal ties, and escalating substance use prompted Frasco to turn to poetry for relief, exploring themes of mental health and improved life balance. Those verses evolved into songs that reached the studio under the production guidance of Dave Schools of Widespread Panic and Kenny Carkeet of Awolnation. The resulting Keep On Keeping On appeared in April 2020 as the group’s initial SideOneDummy Records release.