She’s not the ‘new’ anyone. Meet Frances, a singer you need to hear

SINGAPORE – There are many things to love, discover, and marvel at in the British singer Frances’ distinct and full voice. But what stood out to me was the way she would hold certain notes held just a little longer in her songs, which one can fully hear in one of her first hits, “Grow.”

It’s indicative of wonderful vocal control, and I’m sure music experts would be able to elaborate on more technical aspects. Viscerally, I felt most connected to those notes. They are full of color and texture. They explore shades of sadness. It sometimes feels like a kind of melodic keening. 

Some months ago, I attended one of her small private shows in Singapore, a tiny showcase of what’s to come from this singer. It was her first show in Asia. Sometimes, I still wonder if I imagined it all – the dreamy setting, the dim bar, the powerful performance from Frances, just a few feet away.

But I and the audience, transfixed for the duration of her brief (too brief!) set of 4 songs, know that the moments she created were real. On a rooftop bar at the National Gallery of Singapore, we watched the sun set behind Frances at piano, and she played us gently into the night. 

“Grow” is a delight. It is a must-listen and is among her defining pieces. There is a fearlessness in her performance – she barrels into the verses and balances lightly before launching into the chorus. The words take flight.

“I’ve left you a white page by the door / There’s no need to ask me what it’s for / I wait by the front step for your return / And hear every story of what you’ve learned,” she sings. The words are simple, but rooted in that slow and certain performance. They’re words of comfort delivered with layers of understanding and sincerity. The song is a gift, best slowly unwrapped. 

“Borrowed Time” is another gem – her first in that memorable 4-song set, and the only song I was allowed to stream live on Rappler Entertainment. 

It is tempting to compare her to artists like Adele, with a similar wide range, whose voices tell stories beyond the words sung. Of this fact, Frances, 23, from Berkshire in the UK, is aware. 

“No, it doesn’t annoy me at all. I think they’re the females who have come out in the UK who have done the best job at amazing ballads and writing heartfelt songs, and have been incredibly successful, so to be compared to them is an amazing thing,” she told Idolator. 

“Oh my God, it’s amazing. But then, you just have think, ‘Well, maybe one day they’ll be like, ‘Oh, she’s the new Frances,’ or whatever.’ You just have to think about it that way, and just be encouraged by it.”

She says many of her songs were written in her London apartment, a tiny space she describes as holding no more than her bed, desk, keyboard, and speakers. A standout in her body of work, “Let It Out,” was written here. 

The studio versions of her music are polished and lovely. But her live performances are where she shines the most. As she plays, you are her friend. She might be playing you a song from her London flat. 

Though she just went on her first UK headlining tour in 2015, playing smaller and more intimate venues, she’s already working with some very big names. “Say It Again,” another song she played in her small Singapore show, was written with Greg Kurstin, who also co-wrote “Hello” with Adele. 

And a release from Frances’ management says that Sam Smith was spotted at one of her shows – and she’s also played US shows with another star, James Bay. “Borrowed Time” was written with Howard Lawrence, one half of Disclosure. 

But talk of Frances being “the next Adele,” the comparisons to artists like Sam Smith, fade away when she plays. It’s about her and her own creations. And her fans come away from these shows understanding that Francis isn’t the “new” anyone. She’s Frances, and that is wonderful, indeed. She is Frances, and that is enough. – Rappler.com

Listen to Frances’ music on YouTube and check out her music on iTunes and visit her website here.