A Dirty Dozen with FRANK ZOO from ALLBROOK STATION – August 2025

According to a recent press release: “Rising pop rock trailblazers ALLBROOK STATION have officially released their bold new single, “SHARPSHOOTER,” available now on all streaming platforms via SAMSA/Create Music Group. The explosive track is from the band’s highly anticipated album All We Have Is Pain, set for release in 2026. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Burke Louis, the band is completed by bassist Jessie Gomez, drummer Nate Smeding,  producer / guitarist Randy Slaugh, and DJ Frank Zoo. Together, they’ve crafted a sound that’s equal parts chaos and clarity. With industry eyes watching and a growing cult following behind them, Allbrook Station is carving their lane in the next wave of rock.” We get DJ Frank to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I think the biggest thing that will go over peoples heads in “Sharpshooter” is the line “ I don’t miss you anymore, im a sharpshooter”. Naturally you take that line at face value and think its simple and its just a statement that im a sharpshooter now, but really what is being said is that, like a sharpshooter who doesn’t miss their target, I also don’t MISS you. It’s a nice little play on words but after a couple of listens, you figure it out. Kudos to Burke and Jessie for making a simple line have much deeper meaning!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I can’t remember off the top of my head what band it was but I do remember there was a sitcom where they brought on musical guests and me and my brothers immediately thought, yeah this is amazing we need to write our own songs and that’s what got the ball rolling. Something about seeing someone perform and watching how the audience reacted gave us goosebumps. I just learned that it’s called frisson by the way. I want to say the show was like Full House with the Beach Boys or something. I just remember thinking man there probably isn’t a better feeling in the world then having someone commit to memory the lyrics of your song because they love it so much.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

When I was really young I was mostly into hiphop and rap music so that was the only world I knew. To this day I still listen to songs off Illmatic but the record that really opened me up to other genres was Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory. I think this album has had a monumental impact on everyone in the band truth be told. I just remember thinking to myself how cool it was to take elements from different genres and blend them in a unique way. That album was like a gateway drug into rock music for me. It helped me see that there is a lot of amazing art in the world, you just have to go look for it.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

The first person that comes to mind would be Dave Grohl. I think having him and Burke on a song together would be wild just because of their vocal textures. Dave is an OG in Rock and his accolades speak for themselves but he seems like he would be amazing to work with. Everything he does comes from a center of love and passion for the art of music and it permeates from him. Those are the types of vibes that we are also trying to convey through our songs. Makes me think we could make some really cool stuff if our worlds ever collided.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

I hope the eyes don’t roll too much but there are two things that I think most of us in the band do to unwind and that’s 1. Binge tv shows (anime included) and 2. Play video games. Sometimes filling your mind with other creative forms of media fuels you up for the next song or project. As a band, we find ourselves always talking about both of these things and recommending stuff to each other.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

If I had to describe our songs thematically it would be that our songs will always give you a sense that you can overcome. It doesn’t matter about your past or trials but using the experience itself to be happy and be stronger. Sonically, we are very much a rock band that’s pop adjacent. I like to use the word anthemic when describing our music because some songs just sound so big like it should be played in a stadium. We have a good mix of different sounds with our project so it’s hard to compare it to other artists and with each single we always get someone new they say we sound like. Ultimately, we hope people are just thinking, oh that’s the Allbrook station sound.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Burke is probably the first to start playing songs on the guitar that aren’t our songs. Jessie is very much so the quick witted one of the group that will always come up with puns or jokes based off of the conversation. Randy is easily the one who gets the drinks in first. He is always on the hunt for a good drink for sure. Nate is the calming presence of the group so he is always just taking life in so he just goes with the flow most of the time. I am the resident vibes guy of the band so anything we decide to do, I just try to make sure everyone is having a good time.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Ben Affleck. I was in London at the museum and he was walking around with his daughter and I wanted to say something but I got nervous and just kept walking past him. Eventually we crossed paths again and I ended up just telling him “Go Celtics” and he laughed and nodded his head.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part of being a musician is the feeling you get when you create something new from scratch that never existed before and it only exists because of you. I don’t think there is a better feeling in the world than that. It starts out as an idea in your head and then you shape it into something beautiful that only you can create. If music wasn’t an option anymore, I think I would either be a game developer or an illustrator for a tv show. It still would be creative in nature.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

The question I always wanted to be asked is “If you could create an album from scratch, who would be the top 5 producers you would want on it?” If I had to answer this question as Frank Zoo and it was a hiphop album, I would say… Kanye, Timbaland, Pharrell, 9th wonder & Dr. Dre. The question we always get asked is, “where did the name Allbrook Station come from?” I know it’s a question that has to get answered, but man it gets asked everytime.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I don’t think it’s a misstep because everything happens for a reason but I would have loved to have rolled out some of our singles earlier and rolled out the band maybe a year or two ago. It would have given us more time to build things up but at the same time, things are fantastic right now and we have had an incredible reaction from our fans since we started. I only label this as a misstep because selfishly I want to have more time as a band.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

The record would be “Yesterday” by the Beatles. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall just to see how they created the song and the directions the song took when it got to the recording phase. It would have also been amazing to see their reaction when they heard the song finished for the first time. This record is a masterpiece to me and anytime I am in a rut or feel overwhelmed, its my go to song. Even when i’m feeling uninspired by music and want to take a break from music, I can out this song in the background and it always hits the spot.

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Category: Interviews