The Go Ahead Punk Original Music Project and the ‘Punkly’ Brand…
First, meet “Punkly”, the loveable, heart-shaped punk rocker character that epitomizes and represents the essence of the punk-rock writings, and the overall personality of songwriter, drummer and performer Frank Sardella… me!
Punkly started as just a “made-up” character but, as I continued to write for this project and produce songs and demos, I realized that Punkly’s emanation of love, angst, punk rock and personal, deep love and conviction in the expression of musical inspiration, was more than a character, but a caricature! The very, hand-drawn character I made was, actually, a self-caricature, an autobiographical icon if you will of all I am about. And we look a little alike too! (lol)
The Album Demos from the Go Ahead Punk Project
The album demos, in order, start with the freshman effort “Whining and Pining” and continue with my “coming of age” in modern punk rock writing, “First Prize Idiot“, then naturally progressing into the third in the sequence, “Opening Act“. As if that weren’t enough, a new level of writing was reached in 2023 with a record to follow, “It’s Showtime, Baby“, one of my catchphrases before each show I play on stage behind the drums. (Something I, confessedly, lifted from another musician in 2004 of his similar statement at the beginning of his wedding video.)
And, naturally progressing further into an entirely new level of inspiration and “digging deeper” with far less effort, 2024 quickly saw the formation of a 5th album entitled, “Oohs, Ahs and Nah Nah Nahs” which was my original title before my first record demo spilled over its 12-song watermark with songs that embody the “ooh-ah” spirit of the genre!
Further descriptions of each album can be found on each album’s page along with a player and lyrics too! (Click on each album cover above or select the album title from the ‘Album Demos’ tab in the main menu)
As a bonus, the one Christmas song I’ve written, “What Christmas Means to Me” (no relation or connection to the popular Christmas standard of the same title) was included in a collection called “Have a Punkly, Dunkly Christmas“, an ironic “Christmas EP” of three songs, two of which are only metaphorically related to Christmas and attested respectively “not a Christmas song” in their titles, included on the first and second albums. These two are “Taking Down Christmas (Not a Christmas Song)” and “My Christmas Eve (Also Not a Christmas Song)”
In order to hear the evolution of development, it is recommended to listen to these albums in their order of future release, (1) Whining and Pining, (2) First Prize Idiot, (3) Opening Act (4) It’s Showtime, Baby! and (5) Oohs, Ahs and Nah Nah Nahs. The order of the songs on each album has also been diligently planned so it is best to simply “press play” on each player and let the album play in order, following the lyrics for each song as you scroll down.
Who Is the Real ‘Punkly’? It’s Me!
I’m Frank Sardella. I’ve been a drummer all my life. I’ve been a songwriter for almost as long.
For decades, I’ve had songs I’ve needed to get out. Not just “out there” but out of my head and, quite literally at times, out of my dreams and into the hands of anyone who would listen! My song ideas and inspiration come from everywhere in life and every moment of every day, even while I sleep. I often wake up with the idea for the next great song and write it, full-length, within hours.
But, my songs are not just from my own experiences. So many stories surround me in life. I’m keenly aware of what’s going on around me, happening in real-time, on-screen, on TV and everywhere I look, watch and listen.
I love telling stories using music, rhyme, rhythm and melody, with words, plays on words, dualities of meaning and all-around, metaphoric “horseplay” in the genre that drives Go Ahead Punk. These are demos of the albums I am creating as part of this project, a collection I am proud to present.
Despite all odds against it, being an advanced drummer at a young age who yet wished for more, that someday I would overcome the impossibility of being a songwriter despite not knowing any other instruments or music theory beyond rhythm, finally, I’m able to communicate to the world through music! I even play guitar and bass and sing leads and harmonies too!