Chicago singer, songwriter, and pianist Neal Francis releases his second song from his soon-to-be-released album. “Alameda Apartments” is available now at all DSPs, and a companion video filmed in the church in which Francis lived as well as wrote and recorded the album is streaming on YouTube. “Alameda Apartments” is the opening song on In Plain Sight, mixed by the Grammy-winning producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT) and out via ATO Records on November 5. The song makes for a majestic introduction to the album’s unveiling of Francis’s inner demons.
“I started writing that song maybe six years ago, before I got sober,” Francis says. “I was going through another breakup and getting kicked out of my place, and I had a nightmare about moving into an art-deco apartment that was haunted, where the walls were all shifting around.”
A prime showcase for Francis’s piano work, “Alameda Apartments” simulates that dream state in its untethered melodies, luminous grooves, and lyrics that drift from despair to detached curiosity (e.g., “It remains to be seen if the ghosts are all right”).
“The craziest thing is that I’d never encountered the name ‘Alameda’ at any time in my life prior to that dream,” says Francis. “It’s bizarre that I even remembered it, especially since you don’t dream very often when you’re getting fucked up.”
Last week, Francis shared a live in-studio performance video of In Plain Sight’s first single, “Can’t Stop The Rain.” Recorded at Shirk Studios in Chicago, the clip truly captures Francis’ infectious live-show energy which started the word-of-mouth chatter that’s growing louder every day.
In Plain Sight was heralded last month with the release of the studio version of “Can’t Stop The Rain,” which features the Grammy-winning guitarist Derek Trucks. The song was premiered on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and was #1 Most Added at Triple-A and Non-Comm Radio.
NEAL FRANCIS ON TOUR
* w/ Black Pumas
9/21: Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
9/22: Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
9/25: Americana Music Fest – Nashville, TN
9/30: Union Craft Brewery – Baltimore, MD
10/1: Tuck Fest – Charlotte, NC
10/2: Parks Fest – Evansville, IN
10/7: Railgarten – Memphis, TN
10/8: The Parish Room at House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
10/15: The Sylvee – Madison, WI *
10/16: 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, MI *
10/20: Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
10/21: The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
10/22: Purgatory at The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
10/23: Shaky Knees Festival – Atlanta, GA
10/24: The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
10/27: Bourgie Nights –Wilmington, NC
10/28: The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
10/29: Suwannee Hulaween – Live Oak, FL
10/31: Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
11/4: El Club – Detroit, MI
11/6: Canopy Club – Urbana, IL
11/11: Ballroom at Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
11/12: Kenny’s Westside Pub – Peoria, IL
11/13: The Back Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI
11/18: Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
11/19: Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
11/20: Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
12/8: Antone’s Nightclub – Austin, TX
12/9: Antone’s Nightclub – Austin, TX
12/10: The Heights Theater – Houston, TX
12/11: Stanley’s – Tyler, TX
12/12: The Kessler Theater – Dallas TX
1/5: Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
1/8: Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
1/9: The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
1/12: 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
1/13: High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
1/14: Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
1/17-1/21: Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky – Puerto Aventuras, QR
UK & Europe 2022:
1/23: O2 Academy2 Islington – London, UK
1/25: Merleyn – Nijmegen, NL
1/26: Vera – Groningen, NL
1/27: Bitterzoet – Amsterdam, NL
1/28: Metropool – Hengelo, NL
1/29: TivoliVredenburg – Utrecht, NL
1/30: Bird – Rotterdam, NL
1/31: Haldern Pop Bar – Haldern, DE
2/1: Privatclub – Berlin, DE
2/2: Häkken – Hamburg, DE
2/4: New Morning – Paris, FR
2/5: L’Ouvre Boite – Beauvais, FR
2/6: De Zwerver – Leffinge, BE
