Biography

Drawing on the deep well of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Folk, and Country, John Francis conjures the spirits of his eloquent brand of songwriting. His live shows range in dynamism from pin-drop intimacy to all the spitfire of a raucous chicken-wire barroom and a big-tent revival all rolled up in one.

John Francis has just finished his 2nd full-length record, “The Better Angels”. The album was produced by 5-time Grammy winning producer John Carter Cash, and recorded in the historic Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, TN. There, Johnny and June recorded much of their last several masterpieces. John Carter Cash has produced material for Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristoff erson, Willie Nelson, George Jones, John Prine, Emmy Lou Harris, Roseanne Cash, June Carter Cash, and he worked alongside Rick Rubin as associate producer of his father’s “American Recordings”. John Carter Cash pulled together some the best players Nashville (and the world) has to offer. Among them there is Kenny Vaughn, longtime Lucinda Williams and Marty Stuart guitarist on lead. Also, Ken Coomer, original Uncle Tupelo and Wilco drummer, and Robby Turner, pedal steel player for the Highwaymen and the Dixie Chicks. Rachael Yamagata is also featured on vocals. These players,and several more Nashville legends contributed in making ‘The Better Angels” the musical achievement that it is.

“The Better Angels” spans the landscape of the human heart, and the heart of America. Much like the title, taken from a line of Lincoln’s inaugural speech, these songs are rooted in rich American soil. The characters and themes are fiction and nonfiction, lovers and the lovesick, rebels and wanderers, patriots and fallen soldiers, saints and drunkards, the beautiful and the broken, but each profoundly real and human. Plumbing the ‘heart of the heartland’, Francis keeps the folk/country tradition of storytelling alive, but charges it with a new bolt of lightning. It’s the kind of lightning that strikes so rarely in this modern “guy with guitar” wasteland. Potent and prophetic, the songs on “Th e Better Angels”...like Francis’ otherworldly voice... simply can not be denied.

Raised in a Pennsylvania farming town, Francis started to show his musical gifts at an early age. The Gospel and Folk music of his upbringing happened on Sunday mornings in the choir, and at home gathered around the family piano. The son of musicians and ministers, Francis grew up playing music with his parents in that little country church. As a young child, he was entranced by his father’s Elvis 45’s, and his mother’s Neil Young, Dylan, and Johnny Cash. John Francis would croon along as if his soul depended on it, and he still sings that way. At 12, Francis started writing, recording, and performing. At 18, he enrolled as a literature major in an undergrad program. There he immersed himself in the classics of poetry and prose, honing his craft as a songwriter. It is easy to see Francis’ literary background in his songs. One concert review described him as an “Inspired Lyricist”.

In October of 2005, Francis independently released the critically acclaimed “Strong Wine & Spirits”, with the single, “Heavy, Heavy Love”. The record garnered extensive radio play in the North East. Early in 2006, the song was in the top ten most played on Philadelphia’s WXPN for three months. The regional success of ‘Strong Wine...’ paved the way for Francis’ feature story on ABC News, and a featured performance on XM’s ‘Live from the Loft’ in New York City. This led to several sold out shows at well-known venues, “Tin Angel”, and “World Café Live”.

Francis was honored by ASCAP as the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Sammy Cahn Lyricist of the Year Award. Previous winners include John Mayer, Josh Ritter, and Lori McKenna. Francis has played upon invitation for the United Nations, as well as listening rooms all over the U.S., Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland. He performed with his band on the main stage of the “2008 Philadelphia Folk Fest”, and solo at SXSW, and the
WXPN “All About the Music Fest”.