It’s always a pleasure discovering great new artists, and Freddy & Francine currently top my list. There is a palpable chemistry between these musicians — their vocals blend like milk and honey, forming a sound they coin as “Americana soul.” It is no wonder these two hit it off both on- and off-stage. Apparently, the two drifted apart for three years before returning to the stage together for the first time last May at L.A.’s Genghis Cohen. (Be sure to check out the video below of the duo’s reunion performance, their first after their three-year break.)
But first, I had the pleasure of catching up with Freddy & Francine prior to their upcoming Hotel Cafe residency in LA (playing Jan. 17, 24, and 31 at 9pm). As with most relationships, this pair had their ups and downs. Read on to learn why they split up and how they reunited for music, and what they plan in the year ahead.
Americana Lady: I understand that Freddy & Francine are your stage names. How did this come about?
Freddy: At the first gig we ever played in LA, we played a tune called “Over and Over,” and it has this real “prom rock,” retro kind of feel. So, before we played the tune, we asked the audience to pick slow dancing partners and choose ’50s-’60s sounding names. I said, “I’ll be Freddy,” and Bianca said “I’ll be Francine.” By the end of the show people were shouting “Freddy and Francine! Freddy and Francine!” It just stuck.
I understand you are performing for the next three Saturdays at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. Is this your favorite venue to perform in? What are other venues where you have had the best reception from fans?
We love playing Hotel Cafe for many reasons. The sound is great and it’s a true listening room with a reputation for consistently bringing in solid acts. Its definitely one of our favorite rooms to play in LA. We also have had great reception at Mid-City Music Lounge because of its “living room”-like quality. Its a super intimate space where people come to listen. McCabe’s guitar shop is also a room that we have loved playing in the past. All the guitars up on the walls and the history of the amazing acts that have played there give it a very special vibe.
Describe your songwriting process. Do you co-write each song or does one of you do more of the songwriting or lyric writing?
Sometimes we sit down with an idea that one of us has started and wants help with. Most of the time, though, Bianca sits at her computer writing out lyrical ideas as I improvise a guitar part and we both collaborate in the moment to give input on the melody, chords and lyrics. We also do vocal arrangements simultaneously, so that we have a strong idea of how we want to perform it by the time the writing process is complete.
Your Hotel Cafe residency comes after a three-year hiatus. What caused the break for so long and what brought you back together?
We were together as a band for 3 years prior to the breakup. We began writing our 2nd full-length record, The Forest and the Sea, from a very autobiographical standpoint and this brought us very close, ultimately leading to our romantic involvement. The stress of making the record, performing, touring, and keeping a romantic relationship together began to wear heavily on the two of us. I left the band shortly after the release of The Forest and the Sea in order to distance myself from the stresses involved in keeping the band afloat. During the 3 1/2 year hiatus, there wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t think about the musical connection we had. I missed it immensely. Eventually I found myself comfortable enough to reach out to Bianca. Our musical connection is stronger now than it has ever been.
How did your fans respond after you breaking up? And how has the reception been after your reunion?
I remember I would get phone calls from friends the first year after we split up, expressing a lot of disappointment over our breakup. People on Facebook would reach out and ask when we were touring again and strangers would say things like “I walked down the aisle to your song ‘Hold Me!’” We even had a playwright contact us to write a musical with our music, based on the story of our band. When we reunited, the response from our fans was overwhelming. It was as if we had never broken up. People showed such a genuine enthusiasm for us playing together again that it lit a fire under us to recommit ourselves to playing.
Do you find your songwriting and/or performances have changed at all after the three-year pause?
We both have matured a lot in these three years. We both have had major creative projects that have shaped our experiences artistically and as people. This inevitably comes through in the new music we are writing. We have new influences and artistic interests we have found while apart that we are able to bring to the table now.
Lee (Freddy), you had toured with the musical Million Dollar Quartet during your break from F&F. How does that experience of playing a songwriter on stage (Carl Perkins) compare to you performing as F&F and singing your own songs? Do you have a preference for either one?
Playing Carl Perkins was a great honor and life changing experience in so many ways, but ultimately I am a songwriter with my own view of the world and my own need to express this view. Regardless of the tremendous value the opportunity to play electric guitar and sing in 500 performances of a Broadway musical gave me, there was always something missing. There are many constraints in live theater i.e. other actors’ reliance on you or reading the audience’s laughter/applause for your next cue, etc. There is a freedom and joy I experience when performing my own music that is unequaled in any other area of my life. It has its own life that only we direct. The satisfaction I experience when Bianca and I sing together is very rare and special to me. There is nothing I would rather fully devote myself to.
What are your plans for touring this year? Any big shows that your fans should be aware of?
The residency is pretty big. We’re excited about that. We’re also heading through the Southwest in February and through Bianca’s hometown of Austin, TX and ending up at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City. We are super excited for a long weekend of meeting other bands and artists and sharing our music. We’re planning another tour through the east coast in the spring and we’re working on going back through Pacific Northwest soon as well. We’re also hoping to tour through Colorado in the Summer. Lots of plans!
Freddy & Francine perform at Hotel Cafe at 1623 North Cahuenga Blvd. in Los Angeles on January 17, 24 and 31 at 9pm. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/freddyandfrancine
