| John Francis | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | December 9, 1977 New York, New York United States |
| Genres | Folk, Alternative Country, Rock, Americana |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instruments | acoustic guitar, electric guitar |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Dualtone |
| Website | www.johnfrancismusic.com |
John Francis Maher (born December 9, 1977), performing as John Francis, is an Irish-American singer-songwriter from Warwick Township, Pennsylvania. Francis dropped his last name (Maher) and adopted his first and middle names as his stage moniker. He won the ASCAP Sammy Cahn lyricist award in 2006,[1] and the Jay Gorney award for socially conscious lyrics in 2010.[2] Francis' debut album The Better Angels was in the top 10 most added to Americana radio stations in 2011, and peaked at #19 on the Americana charts.
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The son of musicians and ministers John and Carol Maher, John Francis grew up playing music with his parents in church. At 12, Francis started writing, recording, and performing. He double-majored in literature and world religions at Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In October 2005, Francis independently released Strong Wine & Spirits, with the single, "Heavy, Heavy Love". The record garnered extensive radio play in the North East. Early in 2006, "Heavy, Heavy Love" was in the top ten most played on Philadelphia’s WXPN for three months. The regional success of the album led to a featured performance on XM radio's ‘Live from the Loft’ in New York City as well as sold out shows in venues such as Tin Angel, and World Café Live.
The Better Angels was released on November 9, 2010 on Dualtone. The album was recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio and produced by John Carter Cash.[3] Musicians featured on the album include: Kenny Vaughan (Lucinda Williams, Marty Stuart), Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco), Michael Rhodes (Sheryl Crowe, J.J. Cale), Robbie Turner (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson) and featuring Rachael Yamagata with a vocal appearance on the song "People On The Edge Of The World."[4]
John Francis performs both as a solo act and with a band. His current band consists of Kenny Vaughan, Dave Roe, and Ken Coomer.
Francis has played upon invitation for the United Nations, as well as across the U.S., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. He performed with his band on the main stage of the 2008 Philadelphia Folk Festival, and solo at SXSW, and the WXPN All About the Music Fest. He has shared the stage with Ray Lamontagne, Jeff Tweedy, Amos Lee, M.Ward, Josh Ritter, Suzanne Vega, Rachael Yamagata, Rickie Lee Jones, Andrew Bird, as well as many others.