Photo Credit: Balint Marjai
If we’ve learned anything from the movies, it’s that moving to a new place can open doors you never knew existed. For FRANÇOIS, it was packing his bags and heading towards Liverpool. The change in scenery offered more than he could have bargained for. Now we’re getting to wreak the benefits of the move. He ended 2018 with this alternative take on synthpop with “Hearted” and has more than enough in the works to make 2019 his.
Kendra: Synthpop isn’t usually a genre people initially get into right off the bat. Was that the case for you? Were you interested in pursuing a different genre when you realized music was what you wanted to do?
FRANÇOIS: I have always been drawn towards synthpop but I originally started playing in guitar driven indie bands. I was and still am obsessed with Foals and I still can’t help put that influence across in guitar parts. Moving from making music in indie bands to this happened really naturally, so I suppose it’s always been there in the back of my mind.
Kendra: You dropped “Hearted” at the end of 2018 and it was a new look for you sonically. You were presenting the more sultry side of yourself. Was that a step you were only taking in your music or was it a representation of your life as a whole?
FRANÇOIS: It’s definitely a step in my music and I hope that will come across in the next couple of singles.
Kendra: You noted in a recent interview that moving to Liverpool has been great for you due to the chilled atmosphere. Have you been able to create more often than not since the move?
FRANÇOIS: Definitely. I have a lot more free time in the north as there are much less financial pressures in comparison with living in Brighton.
Kendra: Your music often deals with two commonalities of the human experience, love, and trust. Of course, you cannot have one without the other but if you had to have a little bit more of one over the other to have a successful relationship with yourself?
FRANÇOIS: Definitely trust. Love can be there but without trust, love breaks down. That’s where a lot of the lyrics stem from in “Hearted”. How by loving someone so much you break your trust.
Kendra: Will “Hearted” be making its way onto an album soon?
FRANÇOIS: I can’t say that for definite. I’m working towards another couple of singles for early 2019. I think releasing an album can be really personal and I want it to be the right moment.
Kendra: It’s safe to say that synthpop’s grandparents came from the New Wave craze of the ’80s. Had you been an artist then, who do you feel you would have toured with?
FRANÇOIS: It would have to be New Order because “Blue Monday” is a banger!
Kendra: If you had to compare your stage presence when you’re performing to a slice of pizza from Nightcrawler, what would it be and why?
FRANÇOIS: Omg this is a hard one. But it would have to be Louie Louie. Come see me live to see why.
Kendra: Speaking of, will you be heading out in the first half of the year?
FRANÇOIS: I will be doing a show to launch my next single, and I hope to venture to London for a couple of shows. Keep an eye peeled.
Kendra: What else should we be on the lookout from you in 2019?
FRANÇOIS: Look out for my announcement for the fourth single.
