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.
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.
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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