Track Of The Day: Francis Of Delirium – ‘Equality Song’

**TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT**

A candid, necessary dismantling of the ingrained sexism and toxic masculinity that permeates society, Luxembourg-based, Canadian-American duo Francis Of Delirium have shared their latest single ‘Equality Song’. Funded by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Equality to celebrate 100 years of women’s right to vote, vocalist & guitarist Jana Bahrich penned the poignant track in the wake of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.

“Sometimes it feels like a fact of life / You’re born, get your period and you’ll get raped some time,” Bahrich states in the song’s cutting opening lyrics. Her message is made all the more startling by the strength and sincerity in her vocals, highlighting the systems that are “hindering our change” when it comes to openly discussing the inequality that women face on a daily basis.

“The song was written mainly out of anger, at how absurd it is that sexual abuse is so normalised, and the systems that are in place just essentially shit on anyone that comes forward with their story”, explains the 19 year old songwriter. “The Brett Kavanaugh hearings had just happened and then every week it felt like another story came out and it seemed like no-one cared. You grow up learning to be sceptical of other people and spend a lot of time in fear of the people around you. So, the song is meant to be lashing out about how broken structures and systems are”.

Bahrich’s anger is underscored by a desire to support those who speak up about abuse, which is why all proceeds generated from the first week of downloads of the single on Francis Of Delirium’s bandcamp page will go to Femmes en Detresse, a Luxembourg domestic abuse charity that provides protection and therapy.

Listen to ‘Equality Song’ below and follow Francis Of Delirium on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Lynn Theisen

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate Crudgington1 Comment

FIVE FAVOURITES: Francis Of Delirium

Formed of 18 year old songwriter Jana Bahrich and collaborator Chris Hewett, Francis of Delirium create swirling guitar tunes that centre around Bahrich’s personal experiences. The Canadian-American duo recently released their new EP, All Change, via Dalliance Recordings and it’s full of fuzzed up, cathartic guitar sounds.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Jana to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that inspired her song-writing techniques. Check out her choices below, and scroll down to listen to Francis Of Delirium’s new EP at the end of this post.

 

1. Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
I can pinpoint the exact moment I heard ‘River Man’ for the first time. That song is so special, everything about Nick Drake is really special. It legitimately made me feel like my soul was lifting out of my body. His voice, the chord progressions, the string arrangements, everything adds so much. It might’ve affected me so much because it’s this singer-songwriter but it feels presented in a way that is completely new and so grounded in the earth. Both Chris and I have a special love for Nick Drake. We played this kind of brutal show and then came into the studio the next day and watched a Nick Drake documentary so there’s something comforting about him and his music, in particular this whole album.

2. Caroline Polachek – Pang
I think this is just an excellent pop record. The vocal melodies she’s choosing are so angular and unexpected but accompanied with really emotional and lush production. She has such control of her voice. There’s a KEXP session she did that was just her and a piano and I had to keep pausing the video every few seconds because I was so overwhelmed by how insane her voice is. It sounds out of this world.

3. Solange – When I Get Home
As a listener it feels like there’s so much intent with everything Solange does, maybe I’m cheating because there is literally an interlude on the album that says “do nothing without intention”. Both visually and in an auditory sense. She did a performance that was a medley of songs from When I Get Home on Jimmy Fallon and that was really important to me. I love choreography and shows that are big and planned but have a way of maintaining intimacy. I think that’s really hard to pull off. It’s something I think about a lot for our live shows. Obviously venues we play are pretty small, so it feels important to keep a closeness between the performer and the audience but I would like to incorporate something theatrical without alienating the audience so it doesn’t feel like I’m not there with them anymore. To me, Solange achieved that with her performance on Jimmy Fallon and the album is great.

4. The Microphones – The Glow pt.2
Phil Elverum’s music always centres me. It reminds me why I like Chris and I figuring out how to record music on our own and how getting it wrong but it still feeling right and ultimately that being what matters the most is really important. Phil always creates such a wonderful sense of space which makes me feel like I belong in the album he’s making, in particular this one, there’s this sense of home. Whenever I listen to him I want to go and try new recording techniques and try new things, listening to his music is like instant inspiration for me.

5. James Taylor – Greatest Hits
We grew up with a lot of “best of” albums around the house, which I never really realized until a bit recently. We had the R.E.M CD with the hand on it, the Nirvana black album, the wings best of, The Beatles one album so I really grew up on bangers only. Sometimes I want to do these huge ambitious orchestral albums and I still want to make a musical but James Taylor always reminds me, if you have something simple and pure and honest it can be just as arresting as anything else. He makes it seem a lot easier than it is and always reminds me to really check and double check if what I’m adding is serving the song.

Thanks to Jana for sharing her favourites with us! Listen to Francis Of Delirium’s EP below.

Photo Credit: Patricia Marets

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Francis of Delirium – ‘Ashamed’

A hectic blend of grungy guitar riffs and insecure thoughts; Francis of Delirium have shared their latest single, ‘Ashamed’. Released via Dalliance Recordings, the track is lifted from the Canadian-American duo’s upcoming EP, All Change, which is set for release on 19th June.

Formed of 18 year old songwriter Jana Bahrich and collaborator Chris Hewett, Francis of Delirium create swirling guitar tunes that centre around Bahrich’s personal experiences. “‘Ashamed’ is about navigating how much of yourself you should be giving out to other people and then second guessing yourself, feeling like what you’re giving out isn’t enough, feeling inadequate, being ashamed of that” Bahrich explains. It’s this sensitivity that makes ‘Ashamed’ feel so relatable. With its indecisive lyrics – “I still stopped short of what I wanted” – and frenzied guitars, the track rushes through moments of concern in search of moments of clarity.

The single is accompanied by a colourful video, created by Bahrich during self-isolation. She explains the themes and ideas behind the visuals further: “There’s one moment where I hit my head and a red circle followed by white rings appears. It’s a visual representation of both the mental self-harm that the narrator is experiencing, and a mirroring of the Talking Heads’ video, ‘Once in a Lifetime’. I’ve always interpreted the song to be about achieving commonly accepted societal goals – the beautiful house, the beautiful wife etc. – and in ‘Ashamed’ I’m beating myself up for failing to achieve that idealised version of success”.

Watch the video for ‘Ashamed’ below, and follow Francis Of Delirium on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Lynn Theisen

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Francis Of Delirium – ‘Circles’

A swirling guitar tune exploring the ever-evolving nature of human emotion; Luxembourg-based duo Francis Of Delirium have shared their latest single, ‘Circles’. Lifted from their debut EP All Change, which is set for release on 22nd May via Dalliance Recordings, the track is a lo-fi, grungy earworm.

“It’s all a circle to me now”, sings Jana Bahrich, as she navigates her way through feelings left behind by the breakdown of a relationship. “On a personal level it felt like every aspect of my life was giving into this circle”, Bahrich explains about the track. “It’s about the first time you really like someone and then it ends, and you don’t know if that sadness will ever go away because you’ve never experienced it before. By the end of the song there’s this light, and desperate claw at trying to pull yourself back and out of the circle.”

It’s this emotional resilience and determined spirit that makes ‘Circles’ such a relatable listen. Together, Bahrich and collaborator Chris Hewett have a knack for crafting atmospheric tunes, and we’re excited to hear more of them on their upcoming EP. Listen to ‘Circles’ below, and follow Francis Of Delirium on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Patricia Marets

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment