Frank Royster

For more than two decades, Frank Royster's musical love for Power Pop has led him on a journey that has put him in the center of almost every concert venue in the Charleston area. Royster is indeed that comfortable fellow in the middle of the stage. Now Royster has released his sophomore album, ?Innocence is Bliss? that hopes to catapult his music out of the Holy City and beyond. It's is a terrific throwback to the quick, up-tempo pop songs you and your parents grew up with, influenced by the Beatles, the Byrds and Brian Wilson.

But in ?Bliss,? this power pop is mature. Think Elvis Costello mixed with the music of Matthew Sweet.
Royster's love of pop started in his James Island living room at the age of 5 as he swapped out Tonka trucks for the Honky Tonk records of Buck Owens. At age 13, Royster owned his first guitar, and by college age had his first band The Uncertain-T's.
His talents grew as he performed as the rythym guitarist for the jam-stylings of the Eddie Bush Group in the 1990s (Bush was later signed to a major label) and then took on the reigns as guitarist for the mega-popular Charleston bar band, The Fire Apes.
The result was the formation of Royster's own band in the 2000s, The Hed Shop Boys that now weekly brings in the "whiskey drinkers" to local watering holes across South Carolina to smile at their pop favorites from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. They often dance to Royster originals they think were created 30 years ago.
Those originals are now dosed in two solo CD efforts. Royster self-produced his first album ?Thru the Years? in 2006 to much critical acclaim here in the states and overseas.
And now, the 2010 release of Royster's sophomore effort, ?Innocence is Bliss,? produced by veteran power pop producer Jamie Hoover, member of the Spongetones whose recording resume includes Don Dixon, Bill Lloyd, Hootie and the Blowfish, and even toured as a bassist with the Smithereens.
-Patrick Villegas