Artists // Dan Francia

Dan Francia is figuring out how to deal. In a world that’s less than ideal, he’s pushing forward and forming his path toward “being okay.” The musical polymath made a name for himself as bassist/vocalist but he’s played and worked with everyone from The Feelies to gobbinjr and has released a string of unconventional solo records, from gorgeous solo bass recordings to EPs that mix originals, covers, and field recordings in a collage of the spirit that radiates from within Francia. He dreams big and his world and ideals have never been more evident on Come Back To Life, his full length debut. Set for release on January 25th via Exploding In Sound Records, the album finds Francia collaborating with a cavalcade of talented peers, includes members of Frankie Cosmos, Big Ups, Palberta, gobbinjr, Human People, The Cradle, Ava Luna, Told Slant, Ovlov, The Feelies, Maneka, Lost Boy ?, Bueno, Water From Your Eyes, and beyond. Inspired by Mike Watt’s solo debut, it’s a veritable who’s who of the DIY community that Francia has long become a fixture of, with each musician adding their own distinctive stroke to Francia’s masterful painting.

Written while working at The Noguchi Museum, Francia would walk around the beautiful spaces, writing the album in his head, and recording voice memo ideas. On the second floor of the museum was a biographical film on Noguchi that played in repetition, in which at one point the narrator states, "Returning to New York, he turned away from message laden work." This idea fascinated Francia who decided to make music that was less obvious or had no discernable objective or narrative. Noguchi also preferred art with a purpose though, and Francia found that purpose in things both pleasant and beautiful. As the album continued to take shape, the conceptual element grew in a natural way, stemming from both inspiration and depression.

Come Back To Life deals with the idea of not being happy but deciding to keep on going anyway. It’s a record to help people see that there are still beautiful things, people, ideas in this world... “so maybe I'll be okay." Additionally, Francia’s album carries a theme of togetherness and people coming together. Speaking about it, he shared, “That's how you feel better, you hang out, you call your family and friends. There are 37 guest artists on the album. The two "songs" where no guests play with me are probably the most disturbing on the record. That's what it's like being alone sometimes.”

Come Back To Life is an exploration of all it means to truly be alive, both light and dark, free of restrictions, and open minded in every way.