Francis Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 2nd 2010 11:26AM by A. B. Cascio
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Back in 2004, Petra Mases, lead singer of Swedish foursome Francis, had a pocketful of songs and the desire to bring together some trusted childhood friends to start a band. Hailing from the harsh, wintry terrain that is Dalarna, Sweden, the band formed as a creative outlet to help survive the bitterest months. Spinner spoke with guitarist Jerker Henriksson about the band and its forthcoming appearance at SXSW.

Describe your sound.

It's hard to put your own music into words. So much goes into creating the music that we would be reluctant to ruin the experience for the listener by telling them what they should be feeling. But if we were forced to come up with something, it would probably be something like "intrusive and brittle."

What are your musical influences?

We have many different kinds of musical influences in the band. I have a lot of old 78's [that] I love, including great works by Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. I think I can say everyone in the band is a fan of Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday. We listen to contemporary music as well, but it's a little harder to nail down, as our tastes tend to vary.

How did you come up with your band name?

There was a girl named Francis that we knew. She was a wonderful woman who had a great heart. We named the band after her to remind us to try and aim for her high standards.

Have you had the chance to tour in the US before?

No. We have played in the States before, but nothing you would consider an official tour. We played a small venue in Brooklyn[, New York,] this past October, and we have been to the CMJ festival. Not as an official band of the festival. Instead, we were part of a separate Swedish showcase.

Is this your first year attending the SXSW festival?

Yes, we are very excited to be playing the festival this year. Having been to Austin before, I'm personally very taken with the Tex-Mex atmosphere -- not to mention the wonderful fish tacos!

You guys recently recorded a new album.

Yes, we recorded it in October in our home city, with our friend Jakob Grundtman, an engineer and producer. We are very satisfied with the album, and we are currently looking for someone who can help us get the album out to the world. Right now there is one song that is available on our homepage -- francisishere.com -- for free download.

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