Francis Farewell Starlite

Francis Farewell Starlite
Starlite performing with Francis and the Lights at Webster Hall in New York City on October 12, 2010
Background information
Born (1981-06-14) June 14, 1981
Oakland, California, United States
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Musician, record producer, singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active 1999–present
Labels KTTF Music
Website farewellstarlite.com

Francis Farewell Starlite is an American musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, and the founder and lead singer of the pop project Francis and the Lights. He is primarily a vocalist and pianist. He often uses his band's name, Francis and the Lights, when crediting his solo work and contributions. Starlite has said, "There are no "members" of Francis and the Lights. It is me and whomever else is involved. Including you."[1]

Starlite became more well known when he contributed to the writing and production of Canadian rapper Drake's song "Karaoke" from his 2010 debut album Thank Me Later. He has since become a friend of and frequent collaborator with Kanye West, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and Chance the Rapper.

Biography

Early life and education

Starlite was born on June 14, 1981 in Oakland, California.[2] He was raised in Berkeley, California, and attended Berkeley High School, where he befriended future collaborators and Francis and the Lights members Rene Solomon and Jake Schreier. In 1999, Starlite enrolled at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.

Musical career

Starlite befriended future Francis and the Lights collaborator Jake Rabinbach while a student at Wesleyan.[3] Starlite attended Wesleyan from 1999 before ultimately dropping out in 2002.[4] While there, Starlite and Rabinach were schoolmates of MGMT's members Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser, whom they have since toured with.[5] Starlite began traveling across the United States by train in an effort to find where he was going to take his life. While on a train traveling from Elkhart, Indiana to New Orleans, Starlite came to the decision that he was going to pursue his passion for music as a career path. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2010, he said, "I had played music and loved it my entire life, but hadn’t fully committed to it. And there was a moment when I wrote down the different things I could do. And then I wrote down, "I think I’ll give the band a go."[4] Shortly afterwards, Starlite returned to his birthplace of Oakland, California, where he lived and worked in a rehearsal space at Soundwave Studios and wrote songs for close to a year. He subsequently drove across the U.S. in a decommissioned postal truck to New York City, where he then formed Francis and the Lights. The band rehearsed for an entire year before starting to perform through a series of invitation-only shows at a white fabric-draped warehouse space.

In 2007, Francis and the Lights self-released their debut EP, Striking.

Their second self-released EP, A Modern Promise, came out in August 2008.

On 3 November, 2008, Starlite incorporated Francis and the Lights, LLC, as a limited liability company, as an alternative to signing a record deal.[6] This was followed by an investment of $100,000 from the Normative Music Company, giving Francis and the Lights, LLC a valuation of $1 million.[7] Normative's president, Jake Lodwick, a fan of Francis and the Lights, said, "Francis Starlite is an uncompromising musician and a strong leader. I believe he will bring Francis and the Lights to international stardom. The spectacular live shows, beautiful recordings, and his relentless character back me up."[8]

On 20 July 2010, Francis and the Lights released their third EP, It'll Be Better, through Cantora Records. It was produced by Francis Farewell Starlite and Jake Schreier.[9]

In 2010, Francis and the Lights toured with Drake, MGMT, Ke$ha, and La Roux.[10]

Their fourth EP, Like a Dream, came out in 2013.

In 2016, Francis and the Lights were featured on Chance the Rapper's "Summer Friends" from his third mixtape, Coloring Book. The band served as the opening act on the North American tour dates of Chance the Rapper's Magnificent Coloring World Tour, which ran between September 2016 and October 2016.[11]

On 15 May, 2016, Starlite released a solo piano song entitled "Thank You," which was recorded on a phone in Justin Vernon's living room.[12][13][14] Vernon later said on Twitter, "This man. I can't say enough words. Recorded right in my living room. I cried then. I love you Fran."[12]

On 7 July, 2016, Francis and the Lights released a music video for their new song "Friends", featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West.[15]

On 13 August, 2016, Francis and the Lights premiered their debut studio album Farewell, Starlite! during their performance at the Eaux Claires music festival.[16] The album was released on 24 September, 2016.[17]

The band's sophomore album, Just for Us, came out in 2017.

Personal life

Starlite legally changed his name to Francis Farewell Starlite. When asked in an interview with Entertainment Weekly why he had changed his name, he answered:[4]

Let me think about how I want to answer that question. Let me think for a moment. [One minute passes] It’s very difficult because I’m very proud of the fact that I changed my name. It has meaning to me. I believe that people change, and that you are what you make of yourself. And that that is true. That’s true … I don’t want to, I don’t want to … The problem is that I feel like when I start talking about these things, I start to say things that I wouldn’t necessarily want to read myself saying. They might be too easily misinterpreted. So I think I’ll just leave it at that. I’m proud of the fact that I changed my name. I am what I make of myself.

Discography

with Francis and the Lights

Albums

EPs

  • Striking (2007)
  • A Modern Promise (2008)
  • It'll Be Better (2010)
  • Like a Dream (2013)

Singles

Compilation Appearances

Appearances/Production/Writing Credits

Film Scores

Solo

Singles

  • "Thank You" (2016)

Production

Writing

Performance

References

  1. ↑ "Francis on Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. ↑ https://valsdaily.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/francisproof.jpg
  3. ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (25 February 2009). "The Excess and Eccentricity of Francis and the Lights". villagevoice.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Wete, Brad (2010-04-26). "Drake tourmate Francis Farewell Starlite: A Music Mix Q&A". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  5. ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (2010-08-05). "Artist of the Week: Francis and the Lights". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  6. ↑ Bychawski, Adam (2008-11-04). "Indie band turns itself into company instead of signing record deal". NME. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  7. ↑ Allen, Dustin (2008-11-04). "Indie Band Goes Venture Capitalist". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  8. ↑ "Francis and the Lights Incorporates With $1 Million Valuation". The Normatist. Normative Music Company. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Francis And The Lights - It'll Be Better (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  10. ↑ "Francis & the Lights Gigography". Songkick. Retrieved 1 Jan 2011.
  11. ↑ Kaye, Ben (2016-08-14). "Chance the Rapper recruits Francis and the Lights to open Magnificent Coloring Book Tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  12. 1 2 "Francis and the Lights Resurfaces with "Thank You"". pigeonsandplanes.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Listen: Francis and the Lights - Thank You". huhmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  14. ↑ "Francis And The Lights Returns With New Track, "Thank You"". thefader.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (2016-07-07). "Watch Kanye, Bon Iver, and Francis and the Lights Team Up for New Video "Friends"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  16. ↑ Tanzer, Myles (2016-08-14). "Francis And The Lights Debuts New Album Farewell, Starlite! At Eaux Claires Festival". The Fader. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  17. ↑ http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/09/francis-and-the-lights-release-new-album-farewell-starlite/
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