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Dan Francia Announces New Album “Come Back To Life” + Shares “Stereotype” feat. mems of Shea Stadium, gobbinjr, Ovlov, Fits, Bueno, and more

January 3, 2019
photo courtesy of Julia Leiby

DAN FRANCIA ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM “COME BACK TO LIFE”

DUE OUT JANUARY 25TH VIA EXPLODING IN SOUND RECORDS’ TAPE CLUB

PHLUFF PREMIERES FIRST SINGLE “STEREOTYPE” FEAT. NORA DABDOUB (SHEA STADIUM), EMMA WITMER (GOBBINJR), STEVE HARTLETT (OVLOV/STOVE), ERIC HARM (LOST BOY ?/TITUS ANDRONICUS) AND MORE

Dan Francia will release his full length debut Come Back To Life on January 25th via Exploding In Sound Records. As a bassist heavily inspired by Mike Watt, his new solo album features an enormous cast of musicians and friends from Brooklyn’s DIY scene (some making their recorded debuts). It’s an album about the struggles of day to day life but the ultimate realization that its a life worth living. Lead single “Stereotype” features Shea Stadium head honcho Nora Dabdoub on lead vocals, with an experimental groove and an incredibly unique structure. The song opens with a radiant pop keyboard melody and bounces and pops its way into its own world of strange but well-orchestrated bliss.

Phluff shared, “This collage-like buffet of instruments, recording styles and artistic visions renders “Stereotype” a fun, eclectic and pleasantly unconventional track.”

Speaking about the single, Francia offered:

“One night I decided to play around with my roommate’s keyboard she had recently acquired. I ended up writing three tracks for the album that night, all on the keyboard (“Stereotype,” “Come Back To Life,” and “I’m Ready For Death”). I recorded a demo for each on my phone. The original iPhone voice memo I recorded of me playing “Stereotype” is used in the “studio” version. It reminded me of a Lou Reed song from the 80s. Deceptively cool, because it sounds sorta cheesy at first. It’s just fun. Then, Nora Dabdoub [Shea Stadium] made her musical debut on it and made it a banger.”

“Stereotype” credits:

Dan Francia – EBow guitar, keyboard – bass
Eric Harm – drums at Shea Stadium
Nora Dabdoub – vocals
Karla Nath – vocals
Madeleine Rojas – vocals, tambourine
Emma Witmer – keyboard
Steve Hartlett – guitar
Mikey Gagliardi – guitar
Steve Mahedy – guitar
Brian Orante – vibraslap
Isabella Mingione – keyboard

The band will celebrate the album’s release on January 25th at Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn with Human People, Anna Altman, and Shifty Thrifters (mems of Bueno and Lost Boy ?)
DAN FRANCIA
COME BACK TO LIFE
OUT JANUARY 25TH (CS/MP3)
PRE-ORDER


1. Planet in Transit
2. Stereotype
3. Come Back To Life
4. Pass it On
5. I’m Not Insane
6. Ghost Stories
7. I’m Ready For Death
8. No Matter What
9. Walking in Heaven
10. Can’t Forget
11. Sometimes You Don’t Know You’re Blessed
BIO:
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 in Brooklyn’s much beloved Flagland, 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.

FOLLOW DAN FRANCIA ON FACEBOOK

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