- 2022-07-05
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MUSIC
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FRANSIS Releases Debut EP “Honeymoon”: Streaming
London-based alt-rock band FRANSIS, consisting of Emma Withers (vocals), Alex Scott (guitar), Stefan Kotlarz (guitar) and Craig Rattray (bass), released their debut EP “Honeymoon” on July 1, 2022.
Formerly known as Emma & the Idles, the band have been hailed as “Jessie J meets Joan Jett”.
The EP comprises 5-track produced by Dave Holmes. Each song will smack you in the face in a slightly different way, and whilst they float between genres of rock, indie, pop, soul and blues; they show an unrelenting penchant for dramatic, powerful and meaningful music.
The band frontwoman Emma Withers told The Bucket Playlist, “There are a lot of different factors and influences in there, it's unpredictable. Our guitarist described it as “everything and nothing you've ever heard”, it's about stuff you can relate to but it takes a turn.”
Also, she shared on social media, “I'm so excited for this to be out in the world, this collection of songs was carefully crafted with the journey of womanhood in mind, I hope you love this as much as I do, it's from the heart, soul and shoes.”
She continued, “Btw the girls in the artwork are my Nan (left) and her best friend aged 17, I've always loved this pic and I think it sums up the story behind this EP so well a full circle generational womanhood, and no matter what circumstances in life we go through or generation we're born into; we all go through the process of life in a similar way x”- Emma Withers explained of some tracks for the EP.
“Honeymoon”
“It's nice to have an uplifting sense of appreciation for my own personal experiences which have moulded me even if they didn't seem so poignant or great at the time, how we know not what we have until it's gone. With that being said there is nothing melancholy about this narrative, I have such a tenderness and affection for my teen self, an enjoyment to revisit her and a continuation of personal growth and one day looking back at myself now with a similar fondness.”
“Pin Me Down”
“This song is vulnerable and real, I wanted to focus on the self-destruction, the brokenness, the confusion, the anger, and then finally the release which is supported by the music constantly, and as the song intensifies we hit an explosive finale and an emotional release which was incredibly satisfying to perform in the studio. I did like 8 takes of this to get the raw emotion out of me. This is bonded with the mammoth eruption of epic guitar lines and pure power from the band.”
“Long Old Road” via The Bucket Playlist
“The producer fell in love with it, we tracked it live. It slows down at the end and comes back in. The song is tongue-in-cheek, lyrically, it's quite sporadic. It's about the journey in life, pushing through obstacles and being determined. It's about being an artist and what that means – being stereotyped as a woman but trying to keep the authenticity within yourself. It's got better but it's still much harder to be a woman in this industry. I try to keep as savvy as I can but there are certain things that have happened, things that wouldn't have been said if I wasn't a woman.”
“Hold Onto Water” via The Bucket Playlist
“It absolutely is very cinematic. It's about that woman scorned kind of thing, when I felt I wasn't being listened to. We wanted to make it like that with those army drum rolls, it's more tense. It doesn't have a verse chorus verse sort of structure, there are just two sections, it keeps you on your toes!” - source : Apple Music
