Frank Futility: Reno’s Shoegaze-Adjacent Band
- Lauren Juillerat
- Oct 27, 2025
- 3 min read
By Caydie Tampac
Photos By Ellyn Pillers
It’s a starlit night at The Holland, Reno’s adored all-ages art and performance venue. Dozens of heads whip around, stunned as they’re suddenly drawn into a swirling cloud of heavenly reverbed distortion. What is this siren-like sound luring you in?
“Shoe-gaze adjacent? Because it’s not wrong, but then it doesn’t feel like it puts us in a box.” This is how lead vocalist, Gina Hoàng, describes Frank Futility.
The enigmatic alliteration of the name itself rolls off the tongue in a way that reflects the enthralling, silvery vocals juxtaposed against harshly melodic instrumentals that comprise the discography of Frank Futility. The history behind the name, however, isn’t more complex than “I felt like what I was doing was ‘frankly.’”
The vision that Hoàng had when she began her project was not entirely clear, but she was certain that she wanted to create something with purpose and find fulfillment in doing what she’s in love with – music.
Frank Futility was firstly formed by Hoàng, writing and composing her own songs, including the entirety of her first released album, “Wicked Habits, Wasted Heart.” She had performed solo with several people weaving in and out of the band, until it landed with Brandon Nguyen on drums, Jack Little, Luke Merlino and Wyatt Ziegler on guitar.
They’re known throughout the local Reno music scene as a shoegaze band – which isn’t entirely false. Surprisingly, Frank Futility did not originate with the intention of falling into the shoegaze genre.
Ziegler begins, “Someone told us we were shoegaze, and we were, like…”
“That’s actually true,” Nguyen finishes.
Shoegaze is an alternative rock subgenre that surfaced in the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Many describe it as otherworldly with an ethereal voice supported by spellbinding, heavy instrumentals. This sound was achieved by amplifying reverb, distortion, and other auditory elements, often with pedal effects. The continuous use of pedals and intense focus of the artists makes it seem to the audience as if they’re gazing at their shoes, which is how shoegaze came to be.
While she agrees that they do fall under the umbrella of shoegaze and carry influences from the genre, Hoàng clarifies that Frank Futility is not limited to only shoegaze.
“Shoe-gaze adjacent,” Ziegler defines their sound.
Frank Futility not only transports their audience into rhythmical reveries, but holds a close-knit friendship with one another in a way that they recognize and value each other: not only as band members, but as respected peers.
For women in the music scene, there are often times where they endure disdain and belittlement in a male-dominated environment: but Hoàng has found herself to be surrounded by nothing but uplifting, supportive band members.
“I’ve never felt belittled by anyone in this band and they always respect what I want.”
It goes without saying that Frank Futility doesn’t hold ownership to one single person, but it’s a work of art that belongs to all of them.
“Everyone here brings something so special to this band,” Hoàng expresses. “We have a lot of trust in each other to write music that represents all of us and us individually as owners of each of our instruments.”
There are a countless number of bands who have played, fought, and broken up, all within a couple months or so that feign their image for the fruit of fame. Hoàng, however, views Frank Futility as more than just a band; cherished friends that she feels nothing but gratitude towards.
As for Nguyen, nothing could make him feel better than “doing music with my homies.”
With two singles and an album, Frank Futility can only grow every time they meet, with new ideas sparking each and every time. It’s been hinted that their latest project in the works is “pretty radically different from our first album,” according to Nguyen.
Ziegler adds, “I think it’s an evolution.”
A promising future lies in wait for Frank Futility as they wish to soon go on a tour, optimistically out of the country one day, to perform for the world and link with others that carry their same passion for music while discovering new sounds themselves.
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