Freshman Year

Released: August 20th, 2005

Re-released: September 4th, 2020

Written & produced by: Frances Quinlan

Genre: Freak folk

Label: Blue Moose Records

Background

The record was written over the course of Quinlan's freshman year of college in 2005. It was recorded through the following summer in their's, Chris Archibald's, and Phil Douglas' basements, the Quinn's kitchen, Damien Derose's apartmenr and parent's house, and the Well. The record was self-released in August under the label Blue Moose Records.

In an interview with Dominic Angelella, Quinlan revealed a lot about the album's production, background, and theme:

Quinlan wanted to make an orchestrated sound, but they had to make do with the toy instruments that were available to them for much of the record, such as the kazoo and the melodica.

Both Garageband and a physical interface were used to record the album, as well as a physical microphone and Garageband's built-in mic.

Background vocals for some of the songs, including "The Goose & the Wren" and "Laments of a Mattress", were recorded at live shows with other bands. In some live shows featuring tracks from the record, Quinlan gave audience members percussion instruments to use.

Quinlan's use of their own voice being stacked on top of itself in some songs was influenced by the song "Peach Plum Pear" by Joanna Newsom.

In another interview, Quinlan revealed that the sleeves for the original Freshman Year CDs were handmade by Quinlan themself. They also painted every envelope that the CDs were mailed in.

The album was re-released onto streaming services in September of 2020 to celebrate the record's 15th anniversary; prior to this, the songs were only available online through unauthorized rips. "Bride & Groom Hot Air Balloon"and "Laments of a Mattress" were performed the following day in an instrgram livestream to celebrate the re-release, along with a mashup of "Bruno is Orange & Mother by John Lennon".

Theme

The album was meant to feel like a story being told.

"I love concept albums, and one of the most successful at the time to me was Aeroplane Over The Sea. For me you had to play that all the way. There were even a couple songs where I was at first like, eh, this isn't great, but I would make myself listen from beginning to end because it was this important full passage. It's almost as though you wouldn't understand the full impact if you didn't hear it from beginning to end. It's like a play."

As a concept album, the tracks are meant to be connected thematically in some ways, and Quinlan thinks of the album as a collection of short stories. Quinlan implies that some of the songs have a connected story to one another by explaining that "Bride and Groom Hot Air Balloon" and "The Goose & the Wren" have their own characters and settings.

The darker themes within the album were influenced by Belle and Sebastian the album Winners Never Quit by Pedro the Lion. Quinlan wanted to seem "more worldly" and experienced than they were at the time. Now, they consider the tracks to be "songs of innocence."

Childhood is also frequently addressed in the record, influenced by Quinlan's own childhood discomfort and shame.

"I remember saying or doing something and not knowing, not having the sensation that I should be embarrassed at all until someone told me that I was being inappropriate, that I was speaking too loudly, that I was hugging someone too much, at age 8. And then like, recoiling. That sticks with you. So I think I was maybe just processing."

Tracklist

  1. "-"
  2. "Sirens"
  3. "For Sebastian from a Friend"
  4. "Elizabeth & Elizabeth"
  5. "The Cactus"
  6. "Failure"
  7. "The Big House" ᵉ
  8. "Of My Brothers and the Bear"
  9. "Organ Song" *
  10. "Hi Too Loo Rye"
  11. "Laments of a Mattress"
  12. "Bruno is Orange"
  13. "Bride and Groom Hot Air Balloon"
  14. "The Goose & the Wren"
  15. "Workers"
  16. "A Drummer's Arm"

ᵉ Marked as explicit.

* Excluded from the album's re-release.

Gallery