FRANCES On Writing For Herself And Not Shying Away From The Word 'Pop'

Amy Overd

Based in Bath and constantly travelling to Bristol, Amy Overd is a music journalist with an unfading love of that feeling you can only get at a good gig. Also sometimes found making indie/folk music, singing in a funk band and trying to finish her Masters.

With her new single out now, we chatted with FRANCES on her fresh start and determination to not be pulled down by the doubt of others

FRANCES is exactly what I didn’t realise I was missing through my childhood: playful, classic rock star energy paired with this celebration of powerful feminine energy that you just can’t help but root for.

On a day when the sun was so bright it kept chasing us to around the table, FRANCES wore a genuine smile, relaxed but self-assured, and yet unshakeably enthusiastic.

We spoke first of her head-bopping new single ‘Seaside Town’, a summery celebration of new love; the product of equal parts practice and allowing yourself to let go. “I’ve been working hard at [writing], because it doesn’t always come naturally to me. I’ll beat myself up a million times before I even step foot in a rehearsal room”

“(Seaside Town) was the first song where I broke away from the idea of writing for what my band wanted. I just locked myself away, took my guitar out and genuinely enjoyed the process. It was the first time I validated myself that something I’d written was good. It’s why I always have it first on my setlist”

The song is a heartfelt tale of how far you’d go for a crush, wrapped in its own jovial, 2000s indie pop-rock thing. “I think it’s a such powerful thing, having something written about genuine happy feelings”. And it really does erupt live.

If you need some more fun in your life, seeing FRANCES is the perfect start. Her female guitarists shred as she bounces around the stage, deservedly confident. Her vocals are strong, characteristically rich and low, and she commands the crowd with ease, even managing to tempt me into a mosh from the mainstage of Bath’s Komedia. She wouldn’t be out of place on a bill with FLETCHER, or even Paramore.

Her live output is unquestionably a rocky affair, but the single itself definitely has something a little more light-handed pop-punk about it. “I used to try and avoid the whole pop music thing, but it’s popular music for a reason!” Her lyrics remind me of my days as a One Direction fangirl, joyfully unambiguous and sing-along. “I proudly love pop. And what about it?” she offered with a smile and playful shrug.

As a frontwoman, FRANCES is more than aware of the struggles artists can still face in the industry. “It’s so rare to see (bands in my genre) with female leads. And there’s this thing, it feels like we’re in competition almost, like people are battling to be the best”

When it still sometimes feels like promoters just want one female name on their rock/indie line-up so they can feel confident in their inclusivity efforts, it’s no surprise artists like FRANCES have noticed some resistance: “I feel like women have to be stronger. Over time I think you build up a tougher skin from people constantly not believing in you.”

But it doesn’t have to be a fight for the scraps. “I think finding your community and uplifting each other is so important.” Her band is a powerful example of this in practice, with her and her two guitarists sharing the solos, all impressive in their own right, and happily sharing the spotlight.

While this isn’t the first music released by FRANCES, she very much views it as a fresh start to a new musical project, separate from her earlier work: “How was I supposed to know at 17?”, she laughed.

But it’s this previous experience that has steeled her for a second go. “I have dealt with some racism, obviously. But I’m more excited about all this than scared…When I released music when I was younger, I had a friend, who’s also Asian, whose little sister found the song. They wanted to just have the instrumentals so they could do karaoke, and there’s this amazing video of her just singing her heart out.”

You can really tell how much this meant to FRANCES. The power of representation should never be underestimated.

“Whether it’s down to being not white, or my upbringing, or being a woman, I feel like I’m constantly fighting to be taken seriously. Especially in the studio, I found people would speak down to me, or just do everything for me. So, I started going to the studio on my own every day, not to prove anything, just to do it myself. I realised I had to just shut up and do it, and my work will be shown later.”

And now is that time. From playing festivals to the Komedia mainstage, FRANCES is only at the start and the crowds keep getting bigger. Her debut single ‘Seaside Town’ is out now.

Listen to ‘Seaside Town’ here: