Sam DeFrank Talks ‘cherimoya LUV’ EP Album Art
Sam DeFrank discusses the creative process for the new keni can fly EP and the importance of album art in the streaming age.
‘cherimoya LUV EP’ Album Art by Sam DeFrank for keni can fly
We chatted with Sam DeFrank, self proclaimed “dream manufacturer,” graphic designer, and cover artist who has done work for artists such as Fitz and the Tantrums and Jordana, to discuss his work on the ‘cherimoya LUV’ EP album art.
How did you get into designing album art?
“I first got into designing album art when I was approached by Brandon Gomes from Siesta Key MTV in 2020. His team really liked my work and asked me to workshop covers for his music releases. From there, I've been lucky to work with talented artists such as Two Friends, Jordana, Mod Sun, and many others.”
How would you describe your style of work?
“My main work is surrealist collage pieces. Always enjoy getting weird and wild. And always work within pastel color palettes because it heightens that sense of surrealism.”
An early draft of the cover (left) and the final cut (right).
What was keni’s vision for this cover and how did you see that through?
“He was focused on creating an image that features himself in the past and present. I thought putting young Keni in the toy car and his current self in a Mercedes coupe displayed an image of growth. And Keni jumped on that idea. Instead of featuring the cars in a parking lot or side street, he wanted to put them in a flower field. The blooming flowers emphasize that image of growth.”
What mediums were used in the creation of the cover?
“I always start with an original photo that plays into the concept. To start, Keni sat on a stool in front of a green screen, and a photographer took his portrait. In Photoshop, I composited Keni on a still of a Mercedes coupe and blended him into a photo of a flower field. Once I was done compositing, I flattened the entire art piece into a JPG and colored it in Lightroom. The Lightroom adjustments give the work a surrealist color palette.”
Why do you believe that album art is important to the overall success of an album?
“Album art is part of the identity of any single, EP, LP, or full-length album. In the streaming age, it's a thumbnail that a listener taps on every time they queue up an artist's music. They identify the colors with the song. The image becomes interlocked with the music. It's an extension of the artist.”
