ABOUT JULIA
My name is Julia Francis, and my journey of creative expression and spiritual awakening has always been guided by my voice.
For over 30 years I have been a disciple of the vocal and expressive arts, performing on national stages, touring my multiple albums of original songs, and teaching others how to bring authenticity and empowerment to their own expression.
I have gained wisdom and direction from visiting many ancient sacred sites on this planet. I draw from my Celtic heritage, as well as my intensive study with shamanic practitioners and sound healers across the globe to help others understand and perceive the power of the unseen sonic world through song.
As a singer-songwriter and recording artist, I often received feedback from audiences that my voice transformed them in some way. This reaction made me hungry to share my journey, and teach others what I had learned - that our voices can heal us.
The first time I sang with crystal singing bowls, I knew that I had found my most powerful sonic partners. I had, and still have, the experience of being completely in touch with every cell of my body while at the same time, being connected to everything and everyone across time and space.
Our breath is sacred, our vibrations are medicine. We heal each other by sharing our songs. I am honored to share my music with you. I also support the exquisite uniqueness of your own voice. This life can be a glorious jam session if we allow it!
SINGER-SONGWRITER BIO
A born singer, Julia Francis during her time has moved through the worlds of classical choral works and musical theater to jazz, blues and rock and roll. A professionally trained actor and author (her novel Victory Garden garnered grants and awards including a month residency at the vaunted Vermont Studio Center), Francis fell into corporate marketing by accident after college and discovered a way to support herself and fund her art. The ear-trained, self-taught guitarist produced and toured two albums nationally: Five Challenges to Flight (2005) and Lucky Penny (2008) featuring Vinnie Colaiuta (Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes), Ben Smith and Andy Stoller (Heart).
A change in priorities led Francis to focus on family, leaving the bright lights temporarily behind. Someone born with music in their soul never really walks away, and she continued to write and arrange in her home studio. In 2017 Francis returned to live music, building a band that wins over crowds with their in-the-pocket, authentic blues-rock every time they step on stage.
Her 2020 EP, When You Get What You Want was written in her home studio in South Seattle. When the time came to track the record, Francis turned to acclaimed producer Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Ben Gibbard, Car Seat Headrest) and mastering engineer Rachel Field (Pearl Jam, Thunderpussy). In December 2019 they settled into Seattle’s Avast Recording for a three-day session, playing live in one big room and cutting most of it in single takes. Joining Francis in the studio were Darren Loucas (guitar), Mark Lutwak (keys), Mike Peterson (drums), and Rebecca Young (bass). Carrie Akre (Hammerbox) contributed vocals on “Drawers”, and Tendai ‘Baba’ Maraire (Shabazz Palaces) played congas on the title track. Her first new music following a decade-long hiatus, When You Get What You Want surges and swells, shimmering with the ghosts of Laurel Canyon. A collection of songs that explore the ways we can rid ourselves of the conditioning that keeps us from following our bliss, this is a record that speaks directly to the listener. “I hope these songs make people feel seen”, explains Francis. "My aim is transformation.”
Julia's next musical project came soon after in a full-length live album, released in September 2021. And just like listening to literal thunder and lightning, to hear Julia Francis Live at the Royal Room is to understand a study of dualism. On its face, the raucous record is two halves. The LP’s first five songs come from a session in February 2020 and are played live in front of an audience pre-pandemic. It came in a time when no one really yet knew the words “Corona Virus.” The sonic electricity surges throughout the room. But the LP’s final four songs were recorded on the same stage in September 2020, six months after everyone knew what COVID-19 meant. Francis summons spells to fill the room again. For Francis, rock ‘n’ roll is both a lifestyle and a way to a larger sense of spirituality.
PRESS
“With painterly lyrics, wistful melodies, and that marvelous rich diamond of a voice, Julia had the style and grace to go fearlessly into whatever musical house we were building at the moment. Miss Francis delivers! I know, I was there.” –Victor DeLorenzo, Violent Femmes founding drummer
“Francis’s style of singing, which is deliberate, dynamic, and brandishing a slightly jagged edge similar to 1970s icon Janis Joplin, feels apt, given the very 1970s free-thinking mindset of the music itself.” – American Songwriter
“When I hear Julia Francis sing I can’t help but think of the murky, howling, blistering place of the great old jump singers, like Big Mama Thornton, Bessie Smith, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, colliding with rock and rollers like Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, and Susan Tedeschi. There’s a mind-clearing blow to Julia’s voice that does just what music should: it takes you out of yourself.” –Iaan Hughes, Music Director 91.3 KBCS
“Brassy, bold, and boisterous, Francis thinks of blues as a powerful tool to heal and unite. After a decade-long hiatus to focus on family, she’s back with a blast and authentic blues-rock.” – Elmore Magazine
“The best blues musicians roar most fiercely in a live setting. That live muscle partially explains why “Cinderella”, the blistering new single from Julia Francis, is so damned kick-you-in-the-teeth great.” - Artist Home
“As she “gets intimate in her mind,” Julia Francis radiates confidence, self-love, and truth. Like Janis Joplin, she’s learned to make the feeling work for her.” - Audiofemme
“The sheer force of her voice is quite remarkable, but Francis’ true power comes from her ability to engage and uplift.” - South Seattle Emerald