Introducing: Francisco

Meet Francisco—a genre-defying artist with roots as deep as his vision is bold. Born in Argentina and raised in the UK, his work is a kaleidoscope of global influences, blending the electric grooves of 80s funk, the introspection of 90s alternative, and the passion of Argentine tango. In 2023, Francisco’s releases garnered over 45,000 Spotify streams, landed him in official playlists like Fresh Finds UK and Latin, and earned him BBC Radio 1 airplay.

With a debut album, The Psychopathology of Frankie Suavé, on the horizon, Francisco is fearlessly exploring raw themes like lust, addiction, and reinvention. “Do Bad,” his latest single, kicks off this journey with Britney-inspired energy and unrelenting honesty. Francisco’s music dares to provoke, inspire, and resonate—evoking nostalgia while redefining creative boundaries.

1. You describe having a deep connection to your Argentine roots despite growing up in the UK. How does this duality influence your creative process and the themes you explore in your music?

I think growing up in Northampton and experiencing the racism and prejudice that I did, meant that I felt like I was forced into choosing between separation or assimilation. I realised early on that it didn’t matter how hard I tried, i’d never achieve the acceptance that most people just seemed to have. I grew up in a predominately South Asian community and saw it with the friends I had there. Lots of those boys were born in England, used anglicised versions of their names and proudly supported the English national team… but they were still racially abused. So I think I went the other way, I figured that if I’m going to be treated differently because of my name or my skin colour, then there is no reason to be anything or anyone else. So that’s what I try and do in my music. Where it feels right, I sing in Spanish. I integrate Latin American instruments and melodic motifs in my music because in some way it makes me feel closer to my roots, to my mother land. The duality is actually in accepting the fact that I am Latin American and English. It’s my Englishness, which I’ve always tried to suppress and reject, that I've always had a problem with. I started to explore it in this record, especially in the way I sing, by trying to decouple from that American accent that I seemed to default to from a young age and sing more in my real accent. It sounds unusual, or maybe unimportant, but I think it's because my accent is the only thing that is immediately or obviously "English". So I think I subconsciously wanted to separate myself from that but now I'm actively trying to accept it. I can't hide it. It's who I am and I need to love it just as much as everything else that makes up who I am. I'm hoping to interrogate that more in my next record, musically and thematically, because it’s too big a topic for me and I’ve not done enough personal reflection to do it intelligently through music, but there is definitely more water in the well, but it starts in this record and definitely in this song. 

2. Your musical style draws from a fascinating blend of influences, from the raw emotion of Alanis Morissette to the tango legacy of Astor Piazzolla. What aspects of these artists resonate with you, and how do they shape your sound?

Alanis is one of my favourite songwriters. The story telling, the unique melodic choices she makes, it’s what I aspire to. Jagged Little Pill was and will always be a big influence. With Piazzolla it’s more tonally. I just kept coming back to tracks like Libertango and Milonga Del Angel because of their darkness and richness. What draws me to his work is how poetic it sounds. It’s pure tension and release. Gotan Project are all over my music too. I’m a proper proper thief, honestly.

3. The character "Frankie Suavé" plays a prominent role in your upcoming album, 'The Psychopathology of Frankie Suavé.' Can you tell us more about this persona and how it helps you channel themes of insecurity, anger, and transformation?

I’ve been doing IFS (internal family system) therapy for over a year now, but when I started back in September 2023 I had written half the album in a sort of psychographic way. I think authors call it automatic writing. Meaning I honestly can’t really remember the genesis of the songs that are on the first half of this record, apart from Over Under (which is coming out in January). At the time it felt like I was making music just to stay alive. Then through therapy I realised that it wasn’t me in these songs, it was a part of me that I’d long ignored communicating, a part of me that I wasn't listening too. A part that was both negative and positive, because whilst it was angry and vengeful, it was also protective and confident. I’d lost ALL of my confidence and it seemed to all be in this part of me, under all the crap. So this part, which I later named Frankie Suave, reared it's ugly head (like my own personal version of Tyler Durden, from Fight Club!) and it made me realise that if I was going to survive I needed to deal with the bad and the ugly to make room for the good and the beautiful. So that’s what this record is, it's 12 songs, performed by francisco, with music and lyrics by Frankie Suavé.

4. "Do Bad" touches on complex themes of self-destruction and redemption, split into two parts. What inspired this narrative approach, and how do you hope listeners connect with these inner struggles?

The inspiration was really the internal conflict I was having, which I think has always been there, between being a good person or a bad person. I think mostly, in a general day-to-day sense, we all are and want to be "good", but life hits hard and tests your resilience. For me it was getting older, realising I hadn't and was likely never going to amount to the things I thought could bring me happiness, and being unemployed for most of my early 30s. I then realised when writing the song that in the first half of it I'd managed to confront the dark stuff but it was missing any consequence and hope, so as to make it a more well rounded story, so to speak. So i wrote a big and bright ending, something to dance to and you know, "I want to be something better, I want to be something..." - it's kinda on the nose, but it was as honest as I could be at the time.

5. After facing significant personal and professional challenges, you’re channeling your journey into your debut album. How has this experience influenced your music, and what message do you hope your album conveys to your audience?

Well, being fired but getting paid off for wrongful dismissal meant I was able to take around a year out of full time employment to write and record the bulk of this record. So  in a practical sense, the experience was integral to the output. In an artistic sense, which I've only realised now as I slowly release the songs and distance myself from the storm, these songs were my ports. So I'm hoping they can act as that for anyone who hears them. I'm also hoping that they help people blow off a little steam, you know? Especially with the next single, Ways to Kill.