30 Frames in Montreal Gazette's bands to watch in 2016!

Rock Opposites attract in 30 Frames

JORDAN ZIVITZ MONTREAL GAZETTE

With their respective histories, Amanda Mabro and Sebastian Freemanare less chocolate and peanut butter than they are birthday cake and acid. By all reason, their electro-rock collaboration 30 Frames shouldn’t click — but this is an intuitive duo, not a rational one.

Mabro built a solid reputation in Montreal with her vivacious jazz/cabaret/R&B, while Freeman kept busy in the city’s punk scene. In a Montreal Gazette interview last summer, Mabro (now based in Ottawa) admitted she hesitated collaborating with Freeman (now in Toronto), despite their longtime friendship, but the songwriting quickly yielded results. “We were looking at each other in total confusion,” she said. “ ‘Why does this work so well?’ ”

Not overthinking helped. The self-titled album was immediate and bracing, and their live debut at Divan Orange in July proved the controlled abandon was ready-made for the stage.

Now it’s just a question of how many stages they reach, considering the duo stressed the need to prevent ambition from tainting joy. “The second you start thinking, ‘What can I do with this and how could I make a living off this?’ it becomes poisonous,” Freeman said.

Mabro said last month that more Canadian dates are in the works, and possibly a trip to England, “but it’s all very unconfirmed.” Whatever happens, they’re in it for the right reasons, and have the talent to go international if given the opportunity.

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