From Chart Champs To ‘The Most Annoying Band’: Angie Hart Reflects On Frente! Backlash

It doesn’t take much for the Australian public to turn, but when they do, they can turn hard. That’s what indie pop band Frente! discovered in 1992-93 when they went from flavour of the month, with hits like Ordinary Angels (from the Clunk EP) and Accidently Kelly Street, to “the most annoying band”, as singer Angie Hart describes it in the new episode of podcast A Journey Through Aussie Pop.

Hart reflects on the parody of Accidently Kelly Street by ABC sketch comedy show The Late Show, and the impact it had on public opinion and her frame of mind at the time, saying that the backlash was “palpable” and that “it was just a horrible feeling for me”.

“I had a very thin skin at the time and I didn’t take it well,” admits Hart about the send-up, adding, “I love it now.”

Also in the episode, Hart discusses transforming New Order’s synthpop anthem Bizarre Love Triangle into an acoustic tune, recording the band’s less commercially successful but artistically satisfying second album, Shape, and moonlighting from Frente on 1995 single Tingly by Pop!

Amy Flower from Pop! recalls tracking Hart down to record the guest vocal and reveals how the record company stood in the way of Tingly becoming a hit.

“They wouldn’t give it any promotional budget beyond some different coloured balloons that said Pop! on them,” she says. “They refused to make a video.”

That was despite the fact the ’60s-influenced track was getting played by both triple j – it ended up in that year’s Hottest 100 – and Triple M.

As well as reflecting on that collaboration, Hart and Flower also discuss their musical reunion on 2021’s sequel single, Waiting.

Listen to A Journey Through Aussie Pop on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all major podcast platforms or at chartbeats.com.au/aussie