Frank Iero discusses new album: “I can’t hide from fear of what people may think”

Demoralising, destructive; pain is often a driving force behind creativity. For Frank Iero, the former guitarist of My Chemical Romance, if it weren’t for a debilitating illness his debut solo album probably wouldn’t exist. A longtime sufferer of digestive issues, the guitarist had a severe turn for the worse in 2012, as his former project was winding down to a close. He soon turned to music to help, after his doctor recommended writing a diary to chronicle each of his episodes. Before he knew it, he had instinctively begun work on first solo offering with his incredibly personal - and aptly-titled - ‘stomachaches’.

“This sounds so terrible,” begins Frank, who will release his full-length under the guise of frnkiero and the cellebration, “but there was a part of me that really thought I might actually be dying so, I need to kind of leave something behind almost… That sounds terrible and morbid, but it was, for some reason, where my head went.” No stranger to hard work, ‘stomachaches’ might mark his first official solo effort, but it’s not his first foray outside of the bounds of My Chemical Romance. Joining the New Jersey five-piece from the now-defunct Pencey Prep, he embarked upon another side project in 2009, Leathermouth, before showcasing his first solo material in 2013.

However, his condition soon pushed for other creative outlets. Setting up a makeshift studio in the basement of his family home, he began working during the night as a means of simply trying to overcome the pain. Unsurprisingly then, Frank is more than a little nervous about unveiling it to the world. “It’s a very personal creation so when it comes time for other people to hear it, or see it, or experience it, there’s this natural reaction to pull it back and not let anyone have it. I try to fight through that because I feel like if I’m gonna do this, and if I’m gonna be honest, I can’t hide from fear of what people may think. I feel like that’s the point. The idea was that, if I went through all that pain, I might as well put it out there.”

Taken from the August issue of DIY, out now. frnkiero and the cellebration’s debut album ‘stomacheaches’ will be released on 25th August via Hassle Records.