Francesca Louise’s latest single Out of Sight (Out of Mind) showcased sincerity, reliance on love, and the dread of losing one’s beloved after getting close in their relationship. In this interview with Louise, she talked about her music evolution and the life experiences that molded her tracks. She will be releasing her debut EP entitled Melancholic Antidote in the future.
Originally from the North West of the United Kingdom, she grew up with music at home. Louise’s mother is a professional pianist and her father has a knack for songwriting and poetry. “I am now based in London, though I am a country girl at heart still. You’ll find me watching foreign TV, making things, growing things, reading or doing yoga…when I don’t have a guitar on my lap.”
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Influenced by Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Lucy Rose, the singer is currently working with folk, folk/pop and singer-songwriter material. In the future, she would love to do more cinematic and indie writing. When Louise writes songs, the process varies depending on the instrument she chooses. According to her, the lyrics start to flow once she starts to understand what she is trying to say with her chords.
“With the piano, the melody comes first and then I find chords on the piano to enhance that melody — it always feels more natural and less manufactured this way,” she says. “With the guitar, I tend to play through some chords first — depending on my mood or what’s happening during that period of my life.”
The idea of her single Out of Sight (Out of Mind) emerged from personal experience. Louise states that the chords came first, bringing a feeling she has ignored and was scared to reveal: “I have had some listeners explain how the song made them confront something that happened to them in the past or present. It almost allowed themselves to move forward no matter how tiny those forward steps are.”
After hearing the final version of the track, Louise felt emotional. According to her, the most important words in the song are “It’s a funny feeling when you feel you have control / But can’t sleep alone / Oh you’re conflicted. This lyric perfectly explains the headspace I was in whilst writing the song…a constant head versus heart battle. Maybe for some listeners, this song can be a little too naked with regards to emotional exposure.”
Louise says that Out of Sight (Out of Mind) connects with teens because they often find it very difficult to speak up these days. Confrontation and a one-to-one conversation have become less common since social media became domineering. “We hide behind a screen, and our ability to communicate has rapidly deteriorated,” she comments. “This was my issue, but luckily, I was able to channel my feelings into a song. Others may not have that privilege.”
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Louise’s upcoming EP entitled Melancholic Antidote has a consistent lyrical style. If I’m Wrong and Seasons Change follow an interpretive response for listeners to reflect upon, bearing in mind that they weren’t written in a deliberate writing technique.
“I stand firmly by the idea that my creativity and art form should be as organically produced as possible. Out of Sight (Out of Mind), for example, is very much of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of song. There is not much room for interpretation because the story behind it seems pretty transparent.”
Louise states that all of her songs are from her point-of-view. She writes to reflect upon her own life and personal events; thus, her anticipated EP will feel quite autobiographical in this sense: “The importance of songwriting is to not intrude on the listener’s interpretation of the songs so that they can come to their own conclusion of events and maybe use the song as an antidote to their own life experiences/pain.”
In the next five years, Louise hopes to have an album out, to release more singles, and to go on tour around the United Kingdom and other areas of the world. “I love supporting artists in the industry as I find gigs so inspiring,” she says, “so I hope to do more of these soon after COVID-19. I cannot wait for the festival season next year. Hopefully, I will secure a few slots for 2021.”
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Louise’s most unforgettable gig was supporting Echobelly at St Pancras Old Church. She aspired to play in that venue when she moved to London: “Playing it was a step up in my career and a goal I didn’t know I was going to achieve so soon! The crowd was so warm, attentive and welcoming. I met so many beautiful souls at the merch stand after the show.”
The Out of Sight (Out of Mind) singer urges aspiring singers to not let anyone else influence the way they make music, to not create music for “commercial success” and to stay true oneself.
“Don’t stop striving to achieve your goals and work hard. Nothing comes easy.”
Follow Francesca Louise on social media:
https://www.francescalouisemusic.com/
http://instagram.com/francesca.louise.music
https://twitter.com/FLouiseMusic
http://instagram.com/francesca.louise.music
Featured Image courtesy of Francesca Louise
