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Francis and the Lights

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Francis and the Lights is an American music project created by Francis Farewell Starlite.[1] The term "and the Lights" refers both to the lights on a stage and pixels on a computer screen.[2] Francis Farewell Starlite (born Abe Morre Katz-Milder, June 14, 1981) is an American musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is primarily a vocalist and pianist and is often credited by the Francis and the Lights name for his solo work. He is a frequent collaborator of artists and producers such as Kanye West, Justin Vernon, Cashmere Cat, Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal, Frank Ocean, and Banks.

Francis and the Lights
Francis and the Lights performing in 2007
Francis and the Lights performing in 2007
Background information
OriginOakland, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active2007–present
Labels
MembersFrancis Farewell Starlite
Websitefrancisandthelights.com

His music is characterized by a heavy use of electronically produced beats. During live performances, his vocals are backed by pre-produced tracks with the assistance of a DJ, while Francis uses a synthesizer at times. Past performances have included a live band, as depicted in several older music videos. Francis and the Lights released his debut studio album, Farewell, Starlite!, on September 24, 2016.

Biography

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Francis Farewell Starlite
 
Starlite performing in 2010
Background information
Birth nameAbe Morre Katz-Milder
Also known as
  • Francis Starlite
  • Frank Starlite
Born (1981-06-14) June 14, 1981 (age 43)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • dancer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • synthesizer
Years active1999–present

Early life and education

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Starlite was born Abe Morre Katz-Milder[3] on June 14, 1981, in Oakland, California. He was raised in Berkeley and attended Berkeley High School, where he befriended future collaborators and Francis and the Lights members Rene Solomon and Jake Schreier. In 1999, Starlite enrolled at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he became friends with future collaborator Jake Rabinbach.[4] Starlite ultimately dropped out in 2002.[5] MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser also attended Wesleyan at the same time.[6]

Personal life

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Starlite legally changed his name to Francis Farewell Starlite in 2004.[7] When asked in an interview with Entertainment Weekly why he had done so, he answered:[5]

Let me think about how I want to answer that question. Let me think for a moment. [One minute passes] It's very difficult because I'm very proud of the fact that I changed my name. It has meaning to me. I believe that people change, and that you are what you make of yourself. And that that is true. That's true ... I don't want to, I don't want to ... The problem is that I feel like when I start talking about these things, I start to say things that I wouldn't necessarily want to read myself saying. They might be too easily misinterpreted. So I think I'll just leave it at that. I'm proud of the fact that I changed my name. I am what I make of myself.

Career

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Starlite began traveling across the United States by train in an effort to find what direction he was going to take his life in. On one of these trips, he made the decision to focus on music.[5] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2010, he said, "I had played music and loved it my entire life, but hadn't fully committed to it. And there was a moment when I wrote down the different things I could do. And then I wrote down, 'I think I'll give the band a go.'"[5] Shortly afterwards, Starlite returned to Oakland, where he lived and worked in a rehearsal space at Soundwave Studios and wrote songs for close to a year.[citation needed] He subsequently drove across the U.S. in a decommissioned postal truck to New York City, where he formed Francis and the Lights.[citation needed] The band rehearsed for an entire year before starting to perform through a series of invitation-only shows.[citation needed]

In 2007, Francis and the Lights self-released their debut EP, Striking. Their second EP, A Modern Promise, came out in August 2008.

On November 3, 2008, Starlite incorporated Francis and the Lights, LLC, as a limited liability company, as an alternative to signing a record deal.[8] This was followed by an investment of $100,000 from the Normative Music Company, giving Francis and the Lights a valuation of $1 million.[9] Normative's president, Jake Lodwick, a friend of Starlite and a co-founder of Vimeo, said, "Francis Starlite is an uncompromising musician and a strong leader. I believe he will bring Francis and the Lights to international stardom. The spectacular live shows, beautiful recordings, and his relentless character back me up."[10] In late 2009, Normative Music Company shut down.[11] Starlite and Lodwick have since collaborated on the music app Keezy.[12]

Francis and the Lights were credited as producing the song "Karaoke" for Canadian rapper Drake, from his 2010 debut album, Thank Me Later. In 2010, they toured with Drake, MGMT, Ke$ha, La Roux, and Mark Ronson.[13][14] On July 20, 2010, Francis and the Lights released their third EP, It'll Be Better, through Cantora Records. It was produced by Starlite and Jake Schreier.[15] Schreier, once a supporting musician for Francis and the Lights, has directed most of their music videos, and they provided the score for his feature film debut, Robot & Frank (2012).[16] A fourth EP, Like a Dream, came out in 2013. Drake quoted the 2010 Francis and the Lights track "Get in the Car" on his song "Madonna", from his 2015 mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late. The phrase "Big as Madonna" was later used on a shirt that was worn by Madonna during her appearance in Drake's 2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival headlining set.[17]

Starlite works closely with Muxtape founder Justin Ouellette, who has designed several websites and HTML5 music players for Francis and the Lights releases.[18][19]

In 2016, Francis and the Lights were featured on Chance the Rapper's "Summer Friends", from his third mixtape, Coloring Book. They served as the opening act on the North American tour dates of his Magnificent Coloring World Tour, which ran between September and October 2016.[20] On May 15, 2016, Starlite released a solo piano song titled "Thank You", which was recorded on a phone in Justin Vernon's living room.[21][22][23] On July 7, 2016, Francis and the Lights released a music video for the new song "Friends", featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West.[24] On August 13, the band premiered their debut studio album, Farewell, Starlite!, during a performance at the Eaux Claires music festival.[25] It was released on September 24, 2016. The same year, Francis and the Lights performed a cover of "Dear Theodosia" as a duet with Chance the Rapper on The Hamilton Mixtape.[26] A remix of "May I Have This Dance", featuring Chance the Rapper, was released alongside a music video on May 18, 2017. Just for Us, the band's second full-length album, came out in December 2017.

Francis and the Lights are credited as a producer on the 2018 Kanye West album, ye, for the tracks "I Thought About Killing You", "All Mine", and "Ghost Town". They appear uncredited on the song "I Thought About Killing You," co-written by Starlite, on a loop heard throughout the track.[citation needed] On Kids See Ghosts, a collaboration by West and Kid Cudi under the name Kids See Ghosts, they are also credited as a producer on the song "Feel the Love", which features rapper Pusha T.

The band's third album, Same Night Different Dream, was originally announced for release as Take Me to the Light via a Tumblr post in August 2019.[27] It was subsequently renamed and scheduled for a November 1 issue that was eventually delayed. "Take Me to the Light", featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West, came out as the first single on August 30, 2019.[28][29] As of 2024, the album has not been published.

Starlite is the inventor of a layered vocal effect he refers to as the "Prismizer". It features prominently on many of his productions, including "Close to You" by Frank Ocean and throughout Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper.[30]

Discography

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Studio albums

EPs

  • Striking (2007)
  • A Modern Promise (2008)
  • It'll Be Better (2010)
  • Like a Dream (2013)

Soundtracks

Singles

  • "LIME/WYN" (2008)
  • "Eiffel Tower" / "The Things That I Would Do" (with inc.) (2011)
  • "Friends" (featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West) (2016)
  • "See Her Out (That's Just Life)" (2016)
  • "May I Have This Dance" (remix featuring Chance the Rapper) (2017)
  • "Scream So Loud (Lammer Dance Mix)" (2018)
  • "Try Tho We Might To" (2018)
  • "The Video in the Pool" (2018)
  • "Do U Need Love?" (2019)
  • "Take Me to the Light" (featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West) (2019)
  • "For Days (Sike)" (with Spencer Sike) (2021)

Compilation appearances

Featured appearances

References

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  1. ^ Stuart, Tessa (May 12, 2010). "Turning on Francis and the Lights". East Bay Express. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  2. ^ Bellefleur, Rose (July 9, 2010). "Francis and the Lights Interview". 12thDisciples Magazine. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  3. ^ Ugwu, Reggie (March 12, 2020). "Francis and the Lights, Pop Star Interrupted". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  4. ^ O'Donnell, Kevin (February 25, 2009). "The Excess and Eccentricity of Francis and the Lights". villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Wete, Brad (April 26, 2010). "Drake tourmate Francis Farewell Starlite: A Music Mix Q&A". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  6. ^ O'Donnell, Kevin (August 5, 2010). "Artist of the Week: Francis and the Lights". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  7. ^ Ugwu, Reggie (March 12, 2020). "Francis and the Lights, Pop Star Interrupted". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  8. ^ Bychawski, Adam (November 4, 2008). "Indie band turns itself into company instead of signing record deal". NME. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  9. ^ Allen, Dustin (November 4, 2008). "Indie Band Goes Venture Capitalist". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  10. ^ "Francis and the Lights Incorporates with $1 Million Valuation". The Normatist. Normative Music Company. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ Lodwick, Jake. "Entrepreneur Bio". Jake Lodwick. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
  12. ^ "Keezy Advanced Techniques feat. Francis and the Lights".
  13. ^ "Francis & the Lights Gigography". Songkick. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  14. ^ "Francis and the Lights live at Music Hall of Williamsburg". According2G. October 12, 2010. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016.
  15. ^ "Francis and the Lights – It'll Be Better (CD, Album)". Discogs. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "The Future According to Jake Schreier". Interview Magazine. August 15, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  17. ^ "This Is the Deal with Madonna's Drake Coachella Performance Tank Top". The Hollywood Reporter. April 13, 2015. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "JSTN".
  19. ^ "One on One: Justin Ouellette, Designer of Interfaces for 'Robot & Frank'". July 13, 2012.
  20. ^ Kaye, Ben (August 14, 2016). "Chance the Rapper recruits Francis and the Lights to open Magnificent Coloring Book Tour". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  21. ^ Price, Joe (May 16, 2016). "Francis and the Lights Resurfaces with "Thank You"". Pigeons and Airplanes. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  22. ^ "Listen: Francis and the Lights – Thank You". Hum Magazine. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  23. ^ Kim, Michelle (May 15, 2016). "Francis and the Lights Returns with New Track, "Thank You"". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  24. ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 7, 2016). "Watch Kanye, Bon Iver, and Francis and the Lights Team Up for New Video "Friends"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  25. ^ Tanzer, Myles (August 14, 2016). "Francis and the Lights Debuts New Album Farewell, Starlite! at Eaux Claires Festival". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  26. ^ "Stream 'The Hamilton' Mixtape Featuring Nas, Usher, Miguel, Wiz Khalifa & More". Vibe. December 2, 2016. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  27. ^ "My next album is called "Take me to the Light"". Francis and the Lights. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  28. ^ Rettig, James (September 3, 2019). "Francis and the Lights – "Take Me to the Light" (Feat. Bon Iver & Kanye West)". Stereogum. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  29. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Take Me to the Light". YouTube. August 30, 2019.
  30. ^ "The Sound Engineer Behind Bon Iver's "22, A Million" Clears up Any Confusion About Its Technical Creation". December 19, 2016.
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