Francis Henson, Before He Reinvented His Artist Career

Francis and I unpack the journey up to the point of his third solo album, Boy Pacific.

Francis Henson, Before He Reinvented His Artist Career
Photo: Steph Townsend

On the Rhythm Changes Podcast, Francis Henson and I unpack the journey of creating his third solo album Boy Pacific, which he released in January 2021.

We talked about:

  • The meaning of Francis’ phrase “how to be earnest, but also slick”
  • How he feels about jazz now
  • Getting hit in the gut vs. in the mind
  • When he starts writing a song, how much of the final sound he has in mind already
  • The differences between making a record by yourself and doing it with many collaborators?
  • The difference between “DIY” and “independent” musicians
  • The production whiteboard at 12TH ST Sound with Anthony Cenerini for making the album
  • Tracking the live horn arrangements with Dean Thiessen, Thomas Houlden, Luis Melgar, and Evan Taylor
  • Which venues would suit the album
  • Significance of the lyric, “Someday I’m gonna be someone” in the song “New Kid” and the year 2015 as a track title
  • Francis’ first-ever band in 2012 that won a student music video contest, wrote originals, and covered songs
  • Francis and I discuss our experiences of having a regular duo partner with whom we made music in high school (for him, Taryn McMaster)
  • Collaborating with his brother
  • How he’s come into your own way of managing the different jobs?
  • A mistake that Francis would want other artists to avoid