Interview: Neal Francis
If you need some quality dance music, Neal Francis is your guy.
The Chicago-based keyboardist and singer/songwriter has consistently crafted catchy, upbeat tunes, first in The Heard and for most of the past decade as a solo artist. That prowess is in full effect on his March 14 release, Return to Zero, which starts off with the disco/funk blast of “Need You Again” and never lets up.
On the road in New England before winding his way back to The Orange Peel on Thursday, April 3, Francis spoke with Asheville Stages about the art of album sequencing, finding his place in the recording industry, and using music as protest.
Edwin Arnaudin: I’m really happy that you're coming back to Asheville — you've been so generous to us over the years. It seems like you're coming here on just about every tour. Is there anything about the crowds here that you feel is distinct from other places that you play?
Neal Francis: it’s just a great music town. It just seems like there's a really solid fan base for me. Every time we've played there, I can count on people showing up and having a good time. And I appreciate — like, that's not everywhere, you know? And I just love Asheville for its surroundings, too. And the town itself, I really enjoy being there. I hope what happened with the hurricane wasn't too hard on you, in particular, and [my heart] goes out to the people of Asheville. It's a huge tragedy.
EA: For sure. Thanks for saying that. I was going to ask about that because I know this is your first time coming to the area since [Tropical Storm] Helene, and there's still a lot of destruction that you'll probably see if if you go driving around even, like, within a mile or two of The Orange Peel. Do you remember when and how you first heard about it?
NF: I think it was pretty much as soon as it happened. I don't remember what the primary source was for me. There was a friend who reached out — I know several people who live in Asheville. But yeah, I became aware of it pretty soon after everything went down.
EA: And it seems like Asheville and LA have an interesting connection — there are some artists that bounce back and forth, and I knew several that went back to LA [after Helene] and then the fires, of course, hit there. I'm guessing you probably have a lot of connections over there, too. With these twin tragedies, are there any kind of pipelines that you've seen for help and aid that have really stood out to you?
NF: Yes. I definitely noticed the music scene having benefit concerts and their initiatives — particularly for the wildfire relief that was, like, contribute signed photographs for this, or something of that nature. We were actually there while the fires were still happening for the [Jimmy] Kimmel [Live!] performance.
EA: I didn't realize that.
NF: Yeah.
EA: So, I guess it was a little over two years ago, you shared a bill [at Asheville Music Hall] with one of my good Asheville music buddies, Andrew Scotchie.
NF: Yeah!
EA: He says, “What's up?” And he also wants to know what inspired you to make the title track of Return to Zero a brief instrumental track to close things out.
NF: So, I had another track that was supposed to be the title track. [What became “Return to Zero”] was supposed to be the outro for “What’s Left of Me” I had a different sequence but I made a compromise with our record label, ATO, with regards to the sequence — which I was happy to do at the end of the day, since they contribute the resources they do.
But if I had it my way, that would've been right after “What’s Left of Me” at the very end of the record. So, it would've felt like an outro or a reprise. And seeing as I couldn't do that, I just slapped it on the end of the record. I had a track with vocals that didn't make the record that was called “Return to Zero,” and so I was like, “Well, I'm just gonna call this little instrumental thing ‘Return to Zero’ now since it's no longer physically joined to ‘What's Left of Me.’”
EA: That makes sense. And then hopping back to the start of the album, you kick it off with these three consecutive collabos with She She She. How did that connection come about?
NF: I’ve been a fan of them for a long time. We share a producer, Sergio Rios. He plays in She She She and I've gotten to know the girls [Piya Malik, Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown]. They’re good friends at this point, and I know all the guys from Orgone who are on those records and play live with them.
EA: Were you tempted to do a full album with them or did you start thinking about maybe future collaborations on a bigger scale?
NF: I’d love to do that. This record — I don't wanna pretend like it was a premeditated concept. This record was cobbled together off of what I was able to write while I was touring in the last four or five years. And I still don't really feel like it has a lot of cohesion — and that's just the way it goes. That's why it's called Return to Zero, because it's just like, “I did this. It exists. It's fine. And I get to do it again, hopefully.” Like, what a gift to be able to do it at all and just start over! So, it's kind of where I'm at now.
EA: I mean, it feels more connected than that from a listener standpoint. But maybe that's more post[-production] or something — tricks to link it all together. But yeah, it's always interesting to hear how things come together.
NF: I appreciate that it sounds cohesive. [laughs] I guess the sonic aspect of it is always gonna have some sort of cohesion because it was all basically myself and Sergio producing, you know, more or less the same — the workflow, that is. So, yeah, I think that in that way, it's cohesive.
Photo by Jack Karnatz
EA: And I feel like it kind of fits in — there's been a few albums in recent years, like this one and Lucius' Second Nature, where I listen and I'm like, “Yeah, disco is back!” But has it ever really left?
NF: No, it hasn't. There’s been great disco records for 50 years. It’s just a style, and I think I'll do more dance music, whether it resembles disco or not. I dunno. I’ve got a lot of stuff in the keg that’s, like, drum machines and sequencers and even leaning more into the analog synthesis side of things, and I'm excited to break into it all.
EA: And kind of on that note, I feel like your music is rooted in a lot of rich traditions — a lot of different dance music — but it does feel like you've developed your own distinct sound. Do you consciously seek a balance of retro and innovation or is it more of a natural extension?
NF: I appreciate you saying that. It's very nice for me to hear. I was reading this passage from — I don't even actually know what it's called because it's just like an excerpt that my sound guy left in the van. And [the author] was basically talking about exactly that: like, “He takes a little bit from Clyde Stubblefield and a little bit from Bernard Purdie and Jabo [Starks]” or whatever. I pretty much aim directly at whatever I'm trying to go for, and just by virtue of it being me, creating it, it ends somewhere else.
And I will say that it sometimes is like a stew I’m making, where it’s like if Jeff Lynne and George Clinton made something, you know? I wish I could do something that was truly original, but I just can’t. I don't think that's really the vibe.
EA: Yeah, I guess it's that “everything's a remix” concept, which is not a bad thing. It just shows that you're paying attention and you're connected to music history.
NF: I’m definitely into music history and I definitely listen to a lot of things — some more contemporary than my music. I’m interested in electronic music and ambient music and hip-hop of a certain strain, and my ears are always open. I feel like I have maybe a more atypical path to discovery than most people that,
EA: “Unusual crate digging,” if you will.
NF: Yeah, there's some crate digging. But there's also just experiencing a song in an environment like a restaurant or in the van. My drummer has great taste in music and he's always playing music that I've never heard before. There's seven guys in the van, so I'm always hearing stuff I've never heard before. I just got turned on to Chris Cohen, and oh my gosh! Every record he's made is so incredible. I went through a phase of listening to his records pretty obsessively recently. There's another — this Belarusian band. Have you ever heard of Molchat Doma?
EA: Yeah! They played The Orange Peel in the last year or two.
NF: What’d you think of their show? Did you go?
EA: I didn’t. I had another writer go to that one. But they were very pleased.
NF: Oh good! I really loved — I dunno, it just sounds like New Order and Depeche Mode and all this other — wow! This is so cool. Somebody's creating this. Because that's sort of what gave me the courage to take my own whack at it. I was pretty disheartened. I don't really like what’s on the radio these days. [I used to think,] “Maybe it's not gonna be possible for me to make the music I want.”
And then, you know, Sharon Jones and Daptone [Records] came along and, just being a kid, I wasn't aware of all the cool shit going on. But that's why ending up on Coalmine [Records] was a perfect thing too, because Durand Jones & The Indications and The Black Pumas — it's like, “OK, yeah. There is a place for that music. There is an audience for this.” And I think that that music has gotten less mannerist since that time.
But in 2025, I should not be trying to reverse engineer anything based on what's gonna be popular. That is a folly, especially for a 36-year-old man. I'm gonna look really stupid if I try to release, like, a mumblecore album or something.
EA: Thanks for those insights. I love hearing what's inspiring artists, so thanks for Going down that path.
NF: I'll go on tangents if you let me. So if you need me to reel it in, let me know.
EA: Well, I wanted to close things out with — I think you're the first artist I've talked with that's traveled internationally recently. You're between Toronto and Boston shows, right?
NF: Yeah, I just left Canada today. Thank God, back in the land of the free. [laughs]
EA: [laughs] How did it feel? How different was it than past trips you’ve had to Canada?
NF: It's my favorite trip to Canada so far because we had a sold-out show at the biggest venue we’ve played in Toronto. The crowd was great. The staff was great. Toronto's a beautiful city and I had a day off yesterday to explore in a more extensive way than I ever have.
I was asked that same question by my friend earlier today. I think Canadians are just kind, very well-educated people, so they are totally able to divorce an American from American policies. I did see someone wearing a sticker that said — it was “51” with a red slash through it. They didn't wanna become the 51st state of the United States.
I'm just trying to focus on what's in front of me and be of service through my music. And I think that's the way that I'm going to help this time. I realize I have a limited control over [the current administration’s policies]. I don't agree with it and I think it’s abhorrent, but I need to focus on what's happening in my community and get to know the people around me and then connect with the audiences we play for. That's my protest, is doing exactly what the fuck I want on stage every night.
So, you know, fuck those people big time. [laughs] I just wanna make that clear.
IF YOU GO
Who: Neal Francis with Improvement Movement
When: Thursday, April 4, 8 p.m.
Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., theorangepeel.net
Tickets: $33
(Photo by Jack Karnatz)
