Frankie Orella
11 min read ⭑
“Life is hard, and it’s too short to not write honest music that normalizes, not minimizes, the human experience. Getting to tell my story through this vintage pop lens and engage with those who identify with it is my favorite thing I’ve ever done. ”
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
Nashville has thousands of amazing food options ... but there is one place that I go back to over and over again. It’s a local hole-in-the-wall burrito place called Baja Burrito that nestled in South Nashville in 2001. I grew up in a different part of the city, so I didn’t go much until my husband and I moved to this side of town in 2016. We’ve been loyal customers ever since.
It’s a casual, colorful, order-at-the-counter place and the food is incredible. Quick dinner dates. Lunch meetings. I’m there at least once a week. If we have people over for dinner, it’s a 50-50 toss-up if we’re going to cook or just pick up Baja to go. And anytime we have out-of-town friends and family in Nashville, there’s at least one Baja visit.
It’s crazy to think about, but there might not be another place outside of my home where I’ve had more conversations than Baja Burrito. I’m a very nostalgic person, so the idea that I’ve been going somewhere long enough to remember being a teenager to now taking my 1-year-old for his first restaurant meal is really special. It feels like an extension of my own home.
I love this quote from their website that summarizes Baja Burrito so well:
“No matter how bad a case of seasonal affective disorder you are suffering, there is no way you can walk out of Baja Burrito without a smile on your face.” —Kay West, Nashville Scene
Bruno Nascimento; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?
No matter what the season is, I absolutely have to find time outside. Since I was a kid, I’ve always been drawn to trees, creeks and trails. Regardless of what life looks like at any given moment, any time I step foot outside, I’m immediately reminded of how small I am and how massive this world is.
For most of my life, I’ve struggled with knowing how little control I really have. And sometimes, if I’m in a room or a smaller space in general, the problems I’m facing feel suffocating. If I can just get outside, I’m instantly reminded of the magnitude of God and the created world that I have no control over. Recognizing that lack of control becomes comforting when I’m outside.
Sometimes, being outside is not enough, though. When I was in seventh grade, I decided I wanted to run track. I was a kid who always loved to run, and the idea of racing people sounded kind of fun. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was an anxious kid, and running like that was the most therapeutic thing I could do.
I still remember feeling the wind on my face, feeling my heart rate increase, hearing it in my ears — my body knew what to do. Races were the brief moments I forgot about all of the things I was afraid of, and it was just me and my body. I still remember the feeling of my legs just going. It’s like I wasn’t even in control of them. And that ... that was a freeing feeling.
It wasn’t until adulthood that I understood more of how the body and mind connect. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was literally running off my anxious energy and resetting my system.
Running is still something I enjoy. It brings balance and renewal to my mind, spirit and body.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
I mentioned this already, but I have struggled with anxiety for years. I didn’t have the language for it, but the symptoms were real and started really young. Terrible stomach aches, poor sleep, hyper-fixations on situations and other family members’ safety or heath. It was a lot to carry. It was understandably heightened by my mom being diagnosed with cancer when I was 13 and passing away when I was 17. This didn’t help my already-fearful heart.
It wasn’t until I was 23 and newly married that my anxiety turned into frequent panic attacks and sleepless nights. It’s ironic that something that brought me a lot of comfort and safety — in my case, my marriage relationship — also made me more anxious. An old counselor told me that was because I finally felt safe enough to feel what I’d been keeping in for years.
But relief wasn’t immediate, and on many days, it was difficult even to leave our apartment. I lived in constant fear that I was dying or that my new husband was going to die.
With the help of therapy and an antidepressant, things became manageable. That was seven years ago, and at this point in my life, I don’t believe in trying to hide anything, although most people have no idea I struggle with anxiety unless I tell them.
I present as a happy and fun person, which is real, but there’s always some anxiety simmering under the surface, and while it’s nothing like it was, I think some experiences in life cause battle scars that don’t really fade with time. We just try to learn to cope with them.
Being open about anxious days and intruding thoughts has been really healing for me, and I hope more people feel the freedom to do the same. It’s exhausting trying to hide. I find more often than not a resounding “me too” when I share how I’m feeling.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
Oh, I love this question. I’ve had a relatively unusual career path, and I love getting to talk to people about it.
Here’s a quick summary.
I moved out of my house at 18 after losing my mom, and a friend was kind enough to let me move in with her. I led worship at a local church (something I had done since I was 12), did some vocal session work, worked at an ice cream store and cleaned lots of houses to make ends meet.
College wasn’t an option, and I had been involved in music and loved it since I was a kid. It’s what I ultimately wanted, but sadly, paying bills had to come first, and songwriting had to take the back burner.
Fast forward to 2015, I was a newlywed with a more stable life, and I started writing songs again and also took a role as a worship director at a new Nashville church. I was there until 2019 when I decided to pursue being a musician, songwriter, and artist full time. I made a lot of great relationships in the songwriting community that eventually led to me signing a publishing deal in March 2021.
So much of my time now is spent writing songs — both for church music and commercial work for TV and film. Songwriting is so good for me, and I think it has helped me feel more confident in pursuing my own artistry.
Over time, I’ve formed some personal convictions about not building an artist brand as a worship leader. I enjoy writing songs for the church and leading worship, but it felt disingenuous (for me) to make that a brand. So I started the shift to releasing more alternative/indie pop music under my name and am so excited to be releasing music this year that feels like what I’ve wanted to create for a long time. (Visit my website for more information!)
Growing up, I was influenced by older artists like The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, but I also love modern pop songwriting and orchestral sounds often heard in music by Lana Del Rey, Harry Styles and Katy Perry. I wanted to release music that felt like a combination of modern pop with a hint of vintage.
The songs I’ve written recently are about anxiety, relationships, fear, discontent, abandonment, grief and loss. My goal in all of that is to give people words. To give words to what they can’t easily express. To be the friend who sees you, is with you, and makes you feel safe to say, “Me too.”
Life is hard, and it’s too short to not write honest music that normalizes, not minimizes, the human experience.
Getting to tell my story through this vintage pop lens and engage with those who identify with it is my favorite thing I’ve ever done.
Consider this your personal invitation to jump in — it’s safe here.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
As a songwriter, I’ve always believed there is something far bigger than me and my abilities that come into play when I walk into a room to do work.
When writing songs for this EP, it felt like some of the easiest songwriting I’ve ever experienced. For a couple of these songs, the words and melodies just came. It felt easy, and it flowed. That’s not always the case, but sometimes, I think when we are our most open in whatever our craft is, we leave space for something bigger than us to come in, and we simply become a vessel to the work. I’ve done a lot of work around my own story via counseling, mentors, journaling, meditation and medication, and I think doing that work has allowed me to become open to inspiration beyond myself.
For me, I know it’s God when I don’t feel the familiar mental block of trying to get the words in my heart onto paper, and it comes out easily, but I also feel God’s grace on the hard days when work is a burden and feels hopeless. I believe in a God that is present in both of those feelings.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?
The past year has been different than any other in regards to traditional spiritual practice. I became a mom in May of 2021, and with that came all sorts of thoughts, feelings, changes and wonderings. Even typing that, I am met with the immediate thought of Excuses, excuses. But I’m not going to own that, and I think it’s actually a lie at this moment in my life.
I grew up in the church and was always being asked if I was having quiet time, how it was going, what God was teaching me, what revelations I was having and so on. And for the first time in my life this past year, I decided to embrace the lack of traditional spiritual practice — at least for a season.
Hear me out. I think it’s easy to forget about God in the mundane when we’re constantly trying to do the next church thing. I’ve had seasons of obsessively trying to schedule a quiet time, reading the books, the devotionals and attending the small groups, and in all of that, I had completely forgotten about God’s existence in the mundane moments of my life. In my work, washing the dishes, changing diapers, exercising, having coffee with a friend, driving. I had limited God’s presence to a corner of a couch, a room, a book or a group of people, and it was killing me. I had never felt further from God.
So my spiritual practice right now? Noticing. Being present and thoughtful in everything I’m doing. As my awareness of God in everyday life has grown, so has my gratitude. I’m increasingly grateful for my family’s health, our home, groceries, the community where we live and a job that has, at times, made me so angry. I’m becoming more in awe that something I love so much ever turned into a job.
Different moments in life call for different practices, and this is the one that feels most appropriate until it’s time for something else.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three resources that have impacted you?
“Every Moment Holy.” This book totally goes with where I am right now — liturgies in the mundane. It’s been a gift over the years.
“The Chronicles of Narnia.” This timeless series still brings me to tears.
“Jesus and John Wayne.” This is a great read that explores Christianity in America over the years. It’s very insightful regarding politics, Christian subculture and the American church.
We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.
I know this probably isn’t a “resource,” but being known by people (i.e., community) has been indispensable this year.
I know that sounds really simple, but having people I can talk to openly and honestly has been how I’ve “survived” and “thrived” bringing a baby into the world and all the transition that comes with that. It changes so many dynamics in marriage, work and lifestyle, and it’s something no one can really prepare you for. Being known by people who also know what you’re walking through is such a gift.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
More songs! My journey as an artist up until this point has had so many twists and turns as I’ve tried to find what feels most authentic to who I am as a person and an artist. I think I found it. The songs I’m releasing right now feel the most “like me” than anything I’ve ever done, and that feels really exciting.
As a songwriter, there are so many songs that just sit on a shelf, but it’s fun to have so many to choose from so that hopefully the best I have to offer is what gets put out in the world. I realize we are always growing and changing, especially as artists, but I am excited and proud of the music I’m releasing, and that’s a really good feeling.
When was the last time you were aware of God’s presence in the mundane? While folding laundry or mowing the lawn or paying your bills?
It’s so easy to forget that Jesus truly is with us “always, to the very end of the age” as he told his disciples in Matthew 28:20. Scripture tells us in many different ways the same truth — he’s with us when we’re doing chores, finishing up homework and driving to work just as much as he is when we’re worshiping with other believers and sharing the gospel.
He is with us always. So what does that look like for you? Where can you grow in becoming aware of Jesus’ abiding presence throughout the day?
As a Nashville native, Frankie Orella has been around music her entire life. At a young age, she was performing with her father and learning The Beatles’ discography on guitar. In 2020, Orella worked with Steven Wilson to create a concept EP on the 5 Stages of Grief, which received critical acclaim for its honest reflection on grief and mental health. She’s releasing her second EP in 2022. Frankie uses familiar melodies wrapped inside chords that feel like they don’t always belong, instrumentation that feels tense yet comforting, and words that share our honest, deepest thoughts.
