A New York City band is paying homage to its late member with the release of a new album featuring their last vocal tracks.
The FMs is a queer band with a synth-punk sound that aims to transcend genres. The band was formed back in 2016 by high school friends Matte Namer (she/they) and Frankie Rex (he/they), bonding over their trans identities and shared love of synthesizers, and forged a spot in New York City’s music scene.
“We also incorporate a lot of influences from the goth industrial universe, a lot of influences from the indie pop universe as well,” said Namer. “We’re always really into 90s music, so we also bring a lot of that into our stuff.”
On May 11, 2022, Rex tragically passed away from a fentanyl overdose. Rex’s death came right before the band was supposed to release their sophomore album PINK + BLACK, which was put on hold and later released in 2024.
Namer reformed The FMs in Ithaca, NY, with trans musicians Bubba Crumrine (guitars), Basim Hussain (synths, keys), and Nick Scollard (drums). The band paid homage to Rex with the first-ever Frankie Fest, which raised money for the Chosen Family Law Center. But there was more work to be done.
The FMs upcoming album “51122” has been a work in progress for a few years, with many of the tracks being worked on during the COVID lockdowns. Now that it is completed, the album is a tribute to Rex, with the name correlating with the date of Rex’s death.
“It was really a lot of stuff that Frankie and I were working on during lockdown when we weren’t doing any live shows and spending a lot of time recording together,” said Namer. “Frankie passed away before really we could release this music. We did release a couple of songs as singles, but ultimately, it’s a tribute to Frankie. It’s probably the last recorded music that will have their voice on it.”
Produced by David Werner, “51122” features ten tracks, including a cover of Rex’s favorite song by Joy Division, “A Means to an End.” Each track showcases some of Rex’s final vocal performances, fully embodying the joy the Rex had for singing.
For Namer, it was tough knowing that Rex would never hear the final product that is “51122,” but sees it as a special experience to showcase Rex’s last tracks.
“It’s been a very surreal experience to have them pass away and then be the sort of steward of all of this music where they put down all these incredible vocal tracks,” said Namer. “It’s really been a journey and a big responsibility to get it all out there and really just have it’s time to shine because it’s some really brilliant stuff. They are just a really unique singer, one of the best rock singers I truly believe I’ve ever heard. It was just really special to get to finish this album with all of their material.”
Namer is looking forward to the world hearing the album when it is released and is ready for this next chapter for The FMs.
“I’m excited. I feel some pride and also just a lot of relief. It is both sad, but also kind of a relief to be sending the last music of Frankie’s the out into the world,” said Namer. “For me personally, I will now be in a new chapter in terms of what I’m releasing. It’s both an incredible gift to get to release all this music with Frankie’s voice on it, and also a certain type of shadow. I think creatively, I’m also excited to work on things that are separate from that legacy.”
“51122” will be released on Nov. 22. The FMs will be hosting a record release show at Berlin, located at 25 Avenue A, on Saturday, Nov. 23. Click here to purchase tickets.
For more information about The FMs, visit www.thefmsmusic.com or follow them on Instagram @thefms. You can stream The FMs on Spotify, iTunes and Spotify.
