Interview with Singer-Songwriter Gillian Frances

               A multi-instrumentalist and poet from Portland Oregon, Gillian Frances sets gloomy daze to electric guitar. Her new EP, Born Yesterday, described as faery folk, has a distinctly slow, simmering sound, reminiscent of a mid-90's Cat Power. Having spent a year playing in the indie band This Is The Kit, an experience which she says taught her a lot about what it takes to be a musician and a bandleader, she is now forging her own solo career as well as playing in two other bands Hex Vision & Sufer Rosie. Here she talks about the importance of being politically creative and aware as a musician, especially given the current moment that we are in, and also about growing up with two parents who were actively involved in the 90's DIY scene in Portland, and how the music and ethos of that era continue to inspire her.


AHC: What has this journey, this life in music, so far, been like for you, the highs and the lows, and what life lessons do you feel you've picked up along the way?

 
Gillian: Music has been a defining aspect of my life since I was a child. My best friends, my past romantic partners, and my personal interests have all been influenced in one way or another by the existence of music in my life and community. I don’t really think about my musical ‘highs’ and ‘lows’, but rather how it has healed, challenged and guided me. In regards to the social aspect, music has taught me how to communicate, how to compromise and collaborate.  And in terms of my personal growth with music, I have learned to appreciate subtlety, patience and above all, humility.
 
 
AHC: What first drew you to music and what was your early musical environment like growing up? Were there pivotal songs for you then that just floored you the moment you heard them?
 
Gillian: I was raised by folks who were actively involved with the DIY grunge/rock scene in the 90’s in Portland. My dad is a drummer and always had a drum kit set up in our living room, so I learned how to play drums at an early age. Music was always playing when I was a child, it was usually The Pixies, Liz Phair or the Smashing Pumpkins. I remember listening to those bands before I knew how to talk—and when I listen to them now I feel a strong sense of nostalgia.  I started playing violin when I was ten, and also began attending the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp For Girls, which is where I really began to grow and gain confidence as a musician. I was involved with that camp for about ten years—as a camper, an intern and then a music instructor and band coach. It was there that I learned about the misrepresentation of women, queer people and people of color in the music industry. I began learning about sexism, feminism, and the power behind protest music. 
 
 
AHC: Do you remember the first song that you ever wrote?
 
Gillian: Yes, it was about my sister. My mom was in the kitchen and I was in the living room and my mom asked me what my sister Isabel was doing. I was holding a guitar and started strumming it and singing, “Isabel is laying on the couch, Isabel is laying on the couch and her feet are up,” etc. I was in a band in high school called Like Lemons and we used that song to sing about our respective sisters. 
 

AHC: Who are some of your musical inspirations? Which musicians have you learned the most from?
 
Gillian: I’ve learned the most about music from people who I’ve been lucky enough to encounter outside of the digital world. When I was eighteen I played in a band for a year called This Is The Kit, and I learned a lot from the folks in that band. Not only do they make amazing, ethereal, honest music, but they are also wonderful, gracious, politically-aware and thrifty people. My experience playing in This Is The Kit taught me a lot about what it is like to be a bandleader, and of the tireless amount of work that being a musician requires. Some other excellent musicians that I’ve been listening to a lot lately are Heather Woods Broderick, Marika Hackman, Sea Oleena and Marisa Anderson. 
 
 
AHC: What do you think makes for a good song, as you're writing and composing, is there a sudden moment when you know you've found the right mix, that perfect angle of light, so to speak?
 
Gillian: Most of my songs have been written in very different ways, so I can’t really say that I experience a specific feeling or moment every time I finish a song. I’ve written songs on the streets, in buses, on my bike and in my bed.  I often send the songs that I’m working on a few trusted friends or family for feedback before deciding that it is done. What makes for good songwriting, in my experience, is honesty and personal growth. I try to come up with melodies and sing in vocal ranges that are new to me, and I try to write lyrics that stick as closely as possible to a stream-of-consciousness sort of thing, because that style always feels the most genuine and vulnerable.
 

AHC: How has your music evolved since you first began playing?
 
Gillian: I started playing music when I was so young, and there are so many ways that my relationship with music has evolved since I first picked up an instrument. I’ve expanded my musical horizons in probably every direction, and continue to do so as much as I can.  
 

AHC: Do you consider music to be a type of healing art, the perfect vehicle through which to translate a feeling, a state of rupture, hope lost and regained? Does the writing and creating of the song save you in the kinds of ways that it saves us, the listener?
 
Gillian: I guess so, but I also think that there is such a vast spectrum of intention behind music, so it doesn’t really serve one purpose. I like music because there are so many reasons to play it. Sometimes it is healing and cathartic, sometimes I vocalize emotions that I could never do in a sentence. But I also like to play music because it is fun, or because I’m with friends and we’re sitting on the porch in the summer. Sometimes playing music does absolutely nothing for me and I need to stop or else I will end up getting more frustrated. The music that I find to be the most healing is often music that addresses political and social inequalities that exist in society, and considering who our new president-elect is and how much turmoil our country is undergoing, I am pushing myself to write songs that reflect that distress. I’m feeling pretty helpless and powerless at this moment, and in this time it is so important to recognize the power and the voice that lives behind musical expression, and that recognition can be healing in itself.  
 

AHC: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? On-tour, on-the-road?
 
Gillian: My fondest memories of music are probably touring. I miss being on the road, driving for hours on end and pulling up at a random venue in a random city to play a show that was, more often than not, to a room of ten people or less. I’ve always loved looking out of windows and visiting new places, so touring offers plenty of opportunities for me to do both.
 
 
AHC: What would be your dream gig, if you were asked to go on tour and open up for one of your musical heroes or heroines? 
 
Gillian: I dream of opening for Sharon Van Etten, in a small, candle-lit venue. I would probably cry the whole time, and it wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve cried on stage.
 

AHC: Do you have any words of advice for other musicians and singer-songwriters out there who are just starting out and trying to find their voice and their way in this world?
 
Gillian: Don’t doubt yourself, it is pointless. Humility is important but there is a difference between being consistently self-critical and acknowledging hard work and passion that other people have for their art. I love music because it is a safe space, it can be as private and/or ephemeral as I’d like.  Considering the political climate that we are living in today, creating music and art is so so important. I do not think that any words or messages are too simple or redundant—if they resonate with you as the writer, they will resonate with many others. 
 
AHC: Do you have any new projects in the works you'd like to tell people about?

Gillian: Yeah! I’m playing bass and singing in a project called Hex Vision. We’re based in Portland and you can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehexvision Halloween has unfortunately passed, but for that wonderful holiday I was also in a Pixies Cover band with my other band Surfer Rosie. 




​For more information visit gillianfrances.bandcamp.com/releases