Dark-pop artist Frannie B is a new discovery of mine, captivating me with her new EP, Wonderland. It’s a fantastic pop record full of differing elements from across the entire genre spectrum, making it a must listen! You can find out more about Frannie below!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released an EP titled Wonderland. What can you tell us about the EP?
This EP is a collection of moments from the last year or so of my life. Each song is very personal and feels like a wander round my world. I grew up listening to Jessie J and loved how diverse her first album was, so in the back of my mind I always wanted to replicate that in my own way.
How has the reception to Wonderland been so far, and where can the song be purchased?
So far people have had lovely things to say about the EP which I’m really grateful for, especially after spending so long on it! It’s out right now on all streaming services worldwide (so hopefully isn’t too hard to find haha).
Do you plan to release any singles from the album?
Yes, I have already done quite a waterfall release for this EP, and I released In Too Deep, Lose You and Too Young to be This Sad as singles before I released the title track Wonderland with the remaining songs.
Have you started writing for a full-length album?
Absolutely, I have got a LOT of songs that I’m sitting on at the moment and I’ve finished writing enough for a couple of albums, so I’ll need to be selective… But I’ve got a lot of new music already lined-up and ready to go for next year!
Did the pandemic hinder your work much?
Luckily for me, I found the pandemic gave me more time to sit down and make a lot more music. I worked and wrote with people over Zoom and connected with artists and producers from around the globe, which I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. I tried to see it as an opportunity to try something different rather than dwell on all the things I couldn’t do.
Your music contains elements of the alt-pop and dark-pop genres. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
Yeah, in my writing I like to take influence from whatever I’m into at the time, which currently are artists like Max Drazen and Tate McRae. I think a lot of my dark pop influences come from r&b elements as I used to listen to a lot of Sinead Harnett, Gallant and Khalid (who mixes that pop and r&b feel). It might sound weird but I don’t generally listen to music that’s similar to mine, so I actually love listening to musical theatre in my free time, I’m currently still obsessed with the Tick, Tick… Boom! soundtrack because I think Jonathan Larson was a genius and I also love a bit of Bo Burnham.
What is the writing and recording process like for you?
I tend to start the process on my own. I’ll write the whole rough song idea and produce some rough production guidelines, before then working with other artists and producers to bring fresh ideas and sounds to the track.
Where are you based? What is the music scene like in your part of the world?
I’m actually based in the middle of nowhere so there isn’t a huge local music scene in the winter months but some really fun festivals to play in the summer. Luckily, I do live near London, so I can just hop on a bus and go and join the London scene for an evening which always has everything going on!
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
No fixed ones yet, but I’m in the process of booking some for 2023.
Any last words for the fans?
Hey guys, here is some sage advice from me to you: live your life at your own pace, be present in the good times and drink lots of water. Have a lovely day!