Featured Photo Credit: Henry Kornaros
We’ve all heard the stories—Once upon a time, there was the unforgiving saga of a fifth Beatle. An unknown bassist who played with the band primarily during their days as a club act in Hamburg, West Germany. Fast forward a few decades later, fans find another gifted apple under the Jonas Brother tree who is simply trying to carve out a space for his music; and they unfairly designated him the Bonus Jonas. That was until Franklin Jonas stood up with his well-deserved angst, spoke out, and came to his own defense. With the debut of his new EP Sewer Rat, Franklin Jonas proves that he is not a symbol of someone else’s story. Nor is he a spin-off or wanna-be of his older brothers. Franklin owns his technical precision and prowess that make Sewer Rat the kind of music fans can really sink their teeth into.
It’s a great thing when the summer kicks off with new music, especially from someone like Franklin Jonas. He’s got a unique vibe that no one can kill, delivering a mix of toned-down grunge and early No Doubt. Sewer Rat is a five-track dance party that straight-up sizzles. While “Grow Up” sounds like something out of a Cameron Crowe rom-com, “New Girl” has a special funk, and “Cocaine” booms like an Elvis single that was recently discovered.
Though Franklin’s Hollywood career launched at the age of 7 with his appearance in a handful of Disney Channel hit shows and movies, his solo musical journey began when he started experimenting with beat-making in college, crafting samples directly from vinyl. Franklin eventually graduated with a degree in audio engineering in 2019 from Blackbird Academy in Nashville.
After posting several songs on SoundCloud, Frankie released his debut single, “Cocaine,” in February 2023 and followed up with his second single, “Hoboken” that April. Though he’s only been on this earth for twenty-two years, there is a maturity to his musical storytelling and the uplifting voice that comes with it.
You can tell Franklin is having fun and loves his job. Sewer Rat is a celebration of originality and coming into your own. If there were expectations for Franklin to live up to the talent of his older brothers, he has met them like a head-on collision. Sewer Rat proves that Franklin Jonas is ready to set records and break many molds.