BUDDY J FRANCIS JUST RELEASED A NEW TRACK AND WE'RE PRETTY NOSEY OVER HERE AT WIZARD WATER, WE THOUGHT WE'D DIVE RIGHT IN.
SINGLE NAME IS - BREATHE- LISTEN HERE
Buddy J Francis is a solo multi-instrumentalist from Adelaide/Kaurna land, known for his eclectic blend of psych rock, hip hop, and folk, all laced with a touch of tongue-in-cheek humour. In the studio, Buddy operates like a one-man band, meticulously tracking each instrument himself, drawing comparisons to artists like Mac DeMarco and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. His live performances are a theatrical experience, akin to Tash Sultana, utilising a loop pedal and performing as various characters, each with their own distinct costumes and personalities. With a dedication to his craft that sees each track taking months to perfect, Buddy J Francis delivers a unique and captivating musical journey that resonates with a diverse audience.
Let's dive in!
TRACK REVIEW
“Breathe” by Buddy J Francis immediately immerses you in a thrilling sonic journey, as if you’ve jumped onto a rogue train where King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Mac DeMarco are battling for supremacy. This track is a masterful blend of futuristic psychedelic rock, punctuated with hypnotic chants and a pumping bass-line that keeps the energy high throughout.
The song is a dynamic landscape of beautiful peaks and valleys, expertly navigating the fine line between maintaining interest and avoiding repetition, a challenge often faced in this genre. Buddy J Francis has crafted a structure that feels fresh and engaging, with each section flowing seamlessly into the next.
The meticulous production, where Buddy tracks each instrument himself, shines through, drawing comparisons to the likes of Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. This attention to detail and dedication to his craft are evident in the layers and textures of the song, creating a rich and immersive listening experience.
Your upcoming single and album are highly anticipated. Can you give us a sneak peek into what listeners can expect from these new releases?
Well, I’m not sure they’re highly anticipated – except by a couple of my friend’s dads – but I feel like once they are out people will accept me as their new god, or a god-like being. I’m determined to get to 37,000 followers on Instagram and I’m really close (only 36,779 followers short) and pretty confident we’ll get there by the end of the year.
The new single is called ‘Havin’ a Beer’ and it was inspired by a friend of mine who once had a beer at 1 in the afternoon but is also a commentary on post-modernism. The album is yet to be officially named but it is a bit of a half-half album – the first half is fairly serious and the second half is much less so. It’s pretty hard rock with a strong psychedelic flavour – some Thee Oh Sees and early Tame Impala influence in there and, as always, Frank Zappa.
As a solo multi-instrumentalist, what is your process like when you're recording new music? How do you decide which instruments and sounds to use for each track?
Most of the time I start with drums. I usually have a drumbeat in mind but sometimes I simply set up the mics, hit record and see what happens. Then I piece it together on the go – deciding if certain drumbeats sound like a verse or a chorus or a bridge. After, I’ll listen back to the drums and try a few things out on an instrument (usually bass) until I get something I like. Then I’ll add guitars, keys or whatever. Then, finally, I’ll think about lyrics and vocals.It's a lot of experimentation and a lot of ‘wasted’ time where you get really depressed and wonder why you ever thought you could make music. But then it comes around and you get a breakthrough! And getting that breakthrough is probably the most exciting part of the whole process.
Other times, I’ll have a bit more of a plan going in but 90% of the time I do the above method. When I do have a plan going in, I usually change it a lot anyway – so there was not much point in having a plan anyway!
Your music blends psych rock with genres like hip hop and folk, and even includes some comedic elements. How do you manage to seamlessly integrate such diverse influences into your sound?
I don’t really think about integration – I just get an idea and run with it. I don’t really think about creating a coherent sound because I’m not a coherent music listener. I can go from listening to hip hop to folk to metal without really thinking much about it because it’s all just music to me.
You’ve been compared to Mac DeMarco and Kevin Parker in your recording process. How do these artists influence your work, and what sets your approach apart?
When Innerspeaker first came out I thrashed the ever-living fuck out of it. During that time, I discovered that Tame Impala was not a full band but it was just one guy doing all of it. Around the same time I had just got some recording gear that I was planning to use for some singer-songwriter folky stuff – and I decided to just try recording some drums to see what it sounded like. It was a passable sound (to me) and I went off the deep end and never stopped.
I don’t really know too much about their exact approach, apart from the fact they do it all themselves, so I’m not really sure how my approach is different. As far as I’m aware, I’m the only one to have used a vegemite jar as a percussion instrument.
Your live performances are known for being theatrical and dynamic, much like Tash Sultana’s. What inspired you to incorporate multiple characters and costumes into your shows, and how do you develop these personas?
I don’t exactly know where the inspiration came from – but you get all sorts of weird ideas when you’re alone in a room making music for hours on end. I have been playing in bands since Shakespearean times so I guess it comes from all the different people I’ve played with and met. There are all sorts of weirdos in music – it’s great.
With each track taking months to perfect, what is the most challenging part of the recording process for you, and how do you stay motivated throughout?
The most challenging part is mixing (and trying not to cover my ears when I hear my singing voice). Every time you find something you don’t like about your mix – you go in there to fix it and end up creating a new ‘problem’. Sometimes you have to decide which is the ‘problem’ you’re more comfortable having. This album is probably the first time where I’ve been overall pretty happy with the mix. Drums give me a lot of headaches and this album I recorded single hits for the kick, snare, toms and cymbals – then I copied and pasted them over all the original recordings. I worked out that across the whole album it was about 7,000 hits, which took for-fucking-ever! Worth it though.
I tend to work on multiple songs at once – tinkering away at little bits of them – so if I’m struggling with one I can just pick up another and hopefully have more luck. It keeps things fresh(ish) and helps motivation-wise.
Your music is deeply rooted in the cultural landscape of Adelaide/Kaurna land. How does your environment influence your songwriting and creative process?
I honestly have no idea how it influences it. I’m sure it does someway, somehow but I genuinely don’t know. I’m a Port supporter so I generally tend to be more productive when they have just lost so I can take my mind off it. Does that count?
Can you share a bit about the themes and stories behind your upcoming album? What messages or emotions are you hoping to convey to your audience?
I tend to keep my lyrics fairly vague when writing serious stuff so people can take what they will from it. So hopefully people can take a whole bunch of things out of it. There should be some laughs for people in the second half of the album.
How do you balance the technical aspects of using a loop pedal and multiple instruments with the performance side of adopting different characters on stage?
The loop pedal is handy because I can set a loop, then go off and change costumes and come back without the audience getting too bored. Playing guitar and drums and singing at the same time is a challenge but you just have to practice it to the point where it’s second nature and you don’t think much about it.
What has been the most rewarding moment in your musical career so far, and what are you most looking forward to with the release of your new single and album?
Probably the time when a lady I was vibin’ said she liked my new song.
I’m most looking forward to that happening again with the new song and album. And if other people like it also then that will be a bonus. It’s been about two years I’ve been working on all these songs so I’m just glad to finally put it out there and be done with it!
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