Compelling, powerful and authentic is the best way to describe the music of Tom and Frank. From AC/DC and Johnny Cash to The Kinks, The Hives and more, this duo tackles well-known FM-friendly songs and overwhelmingly makes them their own. A prime example is the band’s version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Fortunate Son.” The cut starts off slowly and builds to an unplugged yet metalish crescendo emitting a thoroughly modern vibe; it’s definitely a great cover track. But that’s just for starters.

In addition to producing their own music, the Norway-based pair creates entertaining YouTube videos to go along with the tunes. The guys are definitely onto something that can satisfy rock enthusiasts, metal fans, acoustic devotees and even punksters. Yes, they are that good. After checking out their reworking of AC/DC’s “Night Prowler,” you undoubtedly will agree. The video is particularly gripping, while a bit whimsical, showing the depth of Tom and Frank’s talent. Sometimes you even may hear a cigar box guitar floating underneath the lead vocals. Make no mistake; they are the real deal.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Tom and Frank for an interview where they discuss sound quality, recording production, song selection, future plans and more.

Interview with Tom and Frank

Can you give us a rundown of who sings and what instruments you both play? The sound quality of your recordings is outstanding. Who produces your music? How about the videos?

Tom: Well, thank you very much. We produce everything ourselves, both the music and the videos. I do all of the vocals, drums, guitars and production, while Frank also does most of the guitars including the riffs. He also handles the band’s promotion and marketing. We both play the bass and cigar box guitars.

How did the duo of Tom and Frank start?

Tom: We’ve played together, more or less, for about 12 years in different bands, non-successful. So we decided it was about time we did something completely different, producing unique versions of famous songs and making the accompanying videos for YouTube. We’ve been doing this now since late October, about four months or so.

You typically feature classic rock, metal and even country covers, but with a hardcore vibe. How do you decide on song selection?

Frank: Yeah, that`s a good question. Well, we kind of think there are two types of music. There is good music and bad music, regardless of the genre. When choosing a song, it`s typically one that we highly respect and want to pay tribute to, but with a different sound and from a different aspect, if you know what I mean. Sometimes we create a nice riff and then try to find a song to fit it. We also receive requests from fans on YouTube and Facebook. That’s something we really appreciate.

Your cover of AC/DC’s “Night Prowler” offers a fresh take on the original. The video is great. What motivated you to record the song?

Frank: Well, thank you. We`re both huge AC/DC fans and have been since about the age of six, or maybe seven. But to tell you the truth, the chorus riff came out of a jam session in our studio. We really liked it, so my job was to find another way to play the verse. Luckily, it came out as a pretty respectful version. I think Tom sings extremely well on this track.

What’s next for Tom and Frank?

Tom: These four months have been more interesting and exciting than the rest of our 12 year career. We will continue to produce new songs and videos and then release them on YouTube every Thursday. Hopefully we’ll get some more followers on our YouTube channel. We also plan on playing some festivals here in Norway this summer. We are really looking forward to that. And we’ll see what happens.