Finding unique, diverse inspiration was something Francesca Blanchard never had to seek out. She was born into a multi-cultural family who traversed the world doing humanitarian work. Her home base, for her first 10 years, was southern France, and the pointed influence of those delicate years can be heard very directly in her musical style. Her intimate lyrics express a surreal wanderlust, as her need to discover new worlds feels innate and unwavering. Music does not seem like a choice for Blanchard, nor a mere passion, it is her fire, her connection to the great unknown. With her debut full length album Deux Visions having just been released on boutique label vis-à-vis, which is distributed by acclaimed world music label Cumbancha, Blanchard is poised to break through to bigger audiences. With a west coast tour later this month opening for Malaysian pop star Yuna, things are certainly on the upswing for Francesca Blanchard.
Before we get to the music, I wanted to ask about the photography on your album – particularly the cover and the inside “eye” shots – what was the official vision for this?
I am so proud of the artwork for this album. I went in not really knowing what I wanted, I just had a vision of duality in mind…something that would inspire and evoke the feeling of being split between two worlds. I collaborated with a great team: Sarah Kjelleren (a VT native, now Brooklyn resident) took the photos, and Solidarity Of Unbridled Labor (Burlington-based graphic design company) came up with the design of placing my eyes into the tiny polaroid frames (among other great things). I was so ecstatic when I first saw it, it was so exciting to see an idea that I had only vaguely sketched out for myself in my mind come to life in such a beautiful and subtle way. I really lucked out with this team.
I think the first thing people will be struck by is that seamless transition between French and English on Deux Visions – do you foresee your music always being communicated this way or was this something that kind of came about with these songs?
I’m so glad you feel the transitions are seamless – that’s what I want to hear. This album is not about being French or English, it’s not about language (which is difficult to convey to an American audience, because so much of what music is for people, especially for my generation, is words, lyrics, meaning, understanding…and don’t get me wrong, I get it! I love understanding the words to songs too, lyrics are of utmost importance!) Language is not all there is…the music part, the melody, the sweaping chord progressions in songs…those can be just as moving and understandable as language, and in some ways enlighten a listener to notice more because the words are not in the way. Music is its own language, if you allow it to be. If you listen beyond what you think you “comprehend”.
What type of record would you describe Deux Visons as? What records from your listening past would you also categorize in a similar way and what do you hope the listener to get out of this record?
This album happens to be in French and English, because I have the amazing privilege of being able to speak and write in both. Who knows what my future albums will entail. I certainly hope to keep writing in French and including French songs in my repertoire. I don’t know if I’ll do another 50/50 split album again. All I know is every song is written the way it is for a reason.
Deux Visions is a little journey. I describe its sounds as folky soundtrack, a landscape of sorts. It holds different moods, different characteristics, a variety of directions…its hard to pin these songs down as a collective, which is why I’m so proud of it. You shouldn’t have to categorize everything into understandable, cohesive “blocks”. It’s ever-changing, like people. Influences for this record range from all over the place. I grew up listening to every style of music, just by nature of my parents’ eclectic tastes. I most fondly connect to intimate female voices, to the likes of Eva Cassidy, Nora Jones, Tracy Chapman, Diana Krall, Francoise Hardy, Carla Bruni…women baring their souls into a microphone and letting their voices carry the story of their songs. My album and these songs aren’t particularly influenced by any specific records or artists, but my aesthetic as a musician was most definitely assisted and shaped by these women.
As a songwriter – what makes an ideal song for you and does it come more easily in times of distress or anxiety?
What a great question. God…moments of distress and anxiety for creative minds are double-edged swords, aren’t they? They can be pure gold if you let yourself be patient and sit with the feeling. It’s also very difficult to be creatively productive in moments of heavy self-doubt. It all depends on so many different things. Personally, the real crux of my songwriting comes from moments of loneliness and fear, but only once I’ve overcome those humps do the songs become whole and functional. I have to go back and give it the boost it needs. And then other songs about prostitutes in Paris (“Pas D’sa Faute”) will come out randomly at 3 AM while waiting for a plane to land at Heathrow…the process changes with each song!
What songs on the new album came together the quickest (how long?) and which ones did you labor over the most?
The quickest were the ones with the simplest instrumentation, obviously. The simpler ones, slower and to the point (The Sea, Papa..Pere). We struggled the most getting “Wanderer” and “Empty House” to a happy place; both are quite complex in their own ways, Wanderer can be repetitive if not treated with the right textures, and “Empty House” is unlike the rest on the album in that it sounds the most “poppy”. It took a little longer to get them to “that place”, but we finally did, with the help of a great producer and mixer. And I’m just as proud of them.
Can you talk about your connection with Vermont and how the area influenced you as an artist? What venues and cafes did you find most comfortable in getting you your start?
Vermont can be a beautiful place for an artist. There are such beautiful landscapes to be inspired from, the earth is literally yours to interpret. The sunsets here are awe-inspiring, the change in season, the vast and ominous Lake Champlain…it’s a poet’s feast. In this sense, melancholy and nostalgia can be easily unearthed from these surroundings, which is always wonderful material for musicians and artists alike. Burlington is such a kind and enriching musical community. Venues that have marked me musically have been most notably the Radio Bean and Light Club Lamp Shop; the smaller, more intimate spaces that call for immediate performer-to-audience connections.
You recently played some shows during August in the New York area and in between – how do you feel those shows went and what were some of the highlights?
I love playing in NYC, and look forward to going more. It’s always a kind of culture shock, coming from the country to the busy, ever-so-hectic city. Performing in that city toughens my performer skin, it’s a needed trip. It’s a whole different challenge capturing an audience’s attention there. I always love performing at the Rockwood Music Hall. I’ve only performed there twice, but every experience I have there is wonderful. There is a built-in audience of active-listening New Yorkers that is so refreshing and forgiving. Its like “Wow, this city isn’t as scary after all!” Of course, not all venues are like Rockwood. I look forward to performing more in NY.
How have you grown as a performer from your earliest days and what still is most challenging for you in terms of presenting your songs to a live audience?
I have grown over the years as a performer by being more myself on stage, not letting the nerves become such an obstacle. Owning the fact that I deserve to be on stage at this very moment and the people in this room would be missing out if they didn’t listen to me right now. Still to this day, however, nerves remain my biggest challenge. Finding ways to channel them in a useful way. Those lovely butterflies that creep in when they’re most unwanted. It is so important, especially with intimate music like mine, to find ways to connect to my audiences. It’s difficult to do when I’m nervous. The dream would be that the second I start playing and singing, everyone in the audience stops what they’re doing and is immediately entranced. But it doesn’t always happen like that of course…what to do when that’s not the case? The challenge is finding new and different ways of getting the audience “on my side”. And that can’t only come from the music.
What other bands are you enjoying right now or have seen this year that have really caught your ear?
I’m a huge fan of Lake Street Dive, and actually just saw them live for the first time last month when they came to Higher Ground. I got to talk to Rachel Price for a quick second and have my picture taken with her. I geeked out a bit, of course as she is such an inspirational vocalist. Other recent bands I’ve been listening to include Rubblebucket, Lucius, Tuneyards, Alabama Shakes, First Aid Kit…also a shamelessly big fan of Sam Smith and Lana Del Rey. And of course the list could go on and on.
TOUR DATES
NOV 13 FRI
The Skinny Pancake
Burlington, VT
NOV 14 SAT
Nectar’s
Burlington, VT
NOV 16 MON
Higher Ground (opening for The von Trapps)
South Burlington, VT
NOV 18 WED
Tractor Tavern (opening for Yuna)
Seattle, WA
NOV 19 THU
Doug Fir Lounge (opening for Yuna)
Portland, OR
NOV 21 SAT
Slim’s (opening for Yuna)
San Francisco, CA
NOV 22 SUN
Troubadour (opening for Yuna)
Los Angeles, CA
NOV 24 TUE
The Casbah (opening for Yuna)
San Diego, CA
DEC 4 FRI
Hotel VT
Burlington, VT
DEC 6 SUN
New City Galerie
Burlington, VT
DEC 11 FRI
Hotel VT
Burlington, VT
DEC 18 FRI
Hotel VT
Burlington, VT
DEC 31 THU
First Night (Unitarian Universalist Church)
Burlington, VT
FEB 4 THU
Sears Recital Hall
Dayton, OH
MAR 11 FRI
Brick Church Music Series
Williston, VT
