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Artist
Fran Smith
12+ albums
thea gilmoreacousticfemale vocalistsinger-songwriterlyrical
about
Fran Smith is a singer, pianist, and a writer of extremely witty, sometimes caustic, always deeply heartfelt songs. Her eponymous début EP was self-released in 2012 – without a record label or marketing budget – and has gone on to receive an impressive amount of national airplay on BBC Radio 2, Radio 4 and 6 Music, generating a fantastic response from listeners up and down the country. Born in Hull and raised in Wakefield, Fran comes from a close, music-loving family – one, she wryly notes, full of “strong, opinionated Yorkshire women.” She shares a birthday with Virginia Woolf and a birthplace with ground-breaking folk music heroine Norma Waterson, neither of which coincidences would be lost on the closer observers of her blossoming career… Fran’s lyrics are poetic, intelligent, and passionately delivered. Her soulful Northern tones have their roots in English folk, but musically Fran will transport you somewhere else entirely. Her intimate, piano-based songs feel contemporary yet timeless in spirit, and reference the likes of Antony and the Johnsons or Joanna Newsom in their dark, almost baroque quirkiness. Ultimately, she will leave you feeling like you’ve stumbled upon a completely new, unique talent, who transcends lazy comparisons. As a live performer, Fran is “phenomenal by any standard” (Paul Fenn, Asgard). She has been personally invited to play many high profile support slots for the likes of Martha Wainwright, Athlete, Thea Gilmore, Karine Polwart, Birds of Chi
