BIO

At a mere five years into their career, teenage sibling power trio Gold Frankincense & Myrrh have rapidly established themselves as a rising force in both the Christian and mainstream punk scenes. At the helm of GFM is CJ English on guitar, backed by her sisters Maggie on bass and Lulu on drums, with all three shouldering vocal duties. The band’s distinct sound and personality have cultivated a rabid fan base in and outside their native Jacksonville since the release of their debut album Identity Crisis in 2016. Now with several national tours and European gigs under their collective belt and a new EP forthcoming, GFM is poised to rise to even greater heights in the future.

Read our Q&A with CJ and check GFM’s upcoming tour dates below!

5 MINUTES WITH CJ ENGLISH

PRS: Gold Frankincense & Myrrh are pioneers of the of the “BeautyCore” sub-genre. Could you briefly describe the tenets of this movement for the uninitiated?

CJ: Beautycore is a genre that we as GFM have created. Initially, it was a joke between us sisters because we didn’t feel like we belonged in any genre out there. We had people telling us we weren’t metal or rock or whatever, so we decided to jokingly make our own genre, so we didn’t have to follow any “rules.” Now, with more publicity, it has become GFM’s slogan. It means that women can hold their ground in the rock industry. It supports women-led and women-filled bands. It’s becoming this movement of bringing more girls and women into the music industry.

PRS: While growing up and taking music lessons with your sisters, was the idea always there that you would eventually form a band together or did that come later?

CJ: Honestly, it came later. Our parents wanted us to take lessons when we turned 5, and they said we could quit after 2 years if we hated it. We ended up loving music but branching off to our own instruments. Our dad was a big 80s hairband fan, so when he saw all of us playing different instruments, he immediately wanted us to start a band. At first it was just cover songs, but then we started to take on the band as our own and wrote our own music, and it’s just snowballed from there.

PRS: You are rarely seen performing without your trusty neon-green crackle S2 Custom 24, are there any other PRS models you have had your eye on?

CJ: I would really love a custom 24 with a crazy Lisa Frank design on the body with glitter, cupcakes, cheetah print, and the GFM logo! I love super out-of-the-box prints!

PRS: When it comes to your live rig, are you a “keep it simple” player, or are you in the “more the merrier” camp?

CJ: Our live shows are very chaotic and, in your face, so I love having my live rig simple. I recently added a Kemper to my Mesa Boogie rig, so now my set up is even easier. This gives me the liberty to run into the crowd and all over stage without worrying about pressing pedal effects. It keeps the show both looking and sounding great!

PRS: What are GFM’s plans for the immediate future?

CJ: We are on a summer tour right now! You can find tour dates on www.thegfmband.com! August dates are still being booked, so if you want to bring GFM to your state or venue you can email [email protected]! We also have a lot of festival dates lined up for the fall, and we have some international touring scheduled as well! We’re always releasing music and videos and livestreams, so you just have to follow @thegfmband to be in the know!

2021 GFM TOUR DATES

SAT Jul 10 - Lifest - Oshkosh, WI

THU Jul 15 - Rock Fest - Cadott, WI

SAT Jul 17 - Joystix Rockade - Keokuk, IA

FRI Jul 23 - Rockstar Lounge - Fort Wayne, IN

THU Jul 29 - Lifest - Music City Bon Aqua, TN

FRI Jul 30 - Thunder Valley Tavern - Bristol, TN

SAT Aug 07 - Brat Days, Kiwanis Park - Sheboygan, WI

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www.thegfmband.com