Wood for the Trees, the title track on Fran Wyburn’s forthcoming debut album, is released today. It is fragile-sounding and delivered with a precisely sensitive voice. The song was recorded live in one take at Paper Planes Studio by producer Dan Webster (www.danwebster.co.uk). It takes the intimate song-style Fran is known for to another level.
Fran collaborated with artist and filmmaker Ray Kane to create the music video as a quirky, moving visual accompaniment to Wood for the Trees. You can discover more of Ray’s work as an artist and director at: Instagram.com/yeskanecan. Fran tells us that it was a joy to work alongside one of her best friends, performer and theatre director, Joe Gilmour-Rees while filming. “It was a great excuse to spend time cuddling on a cold Friday evening!”
After two successful EP’s (Little Moments, 2014 and Postcards, 2016) produced by Toby Davies (Jorja Smith, Maverick Sabre, Gentlemans Dub Club) of which FOLK RADIO UK said of Postcards a ‘captivating listen and one I could happily lose myself in…’ Fran is releasing her much-anticipated debut album ‘Wood For the Trees’, 2nd March 2018 under her own label Yellow Door Records.
Webster’s production perfectly brings to life the subtlety in the arrangements and the authentic and heartfelt character of Fran’s music. The album takes us on an intimate and emotional journey of personal growth through life experience. Fran is quoted saying she wanted the album to be like ‘listening to a friend, snuggled up under blankets in front a fire and sipping tea’.
The songs are diverse and always offer something new displaying the full breadth of Fran’s writing. As an artist she is unafraid to stand alone with just her voice and guitar, see Me and Me and Sorry Heart. She takes you to extremes with dreamy joyful upbeat songs such as Happy Forever After and Mr Blackbird where the full extent of her playful side is heard as well as offering a contrast in the more pensive and sombre songs like Set Sail and Pass on By where the piano becomes an instrument of harnessing a more darker energy to her music.
The album also offers cleverly and intricately arranged tracks with soaring ethereal multiple harmonies (Rosie Evans) tender cello (Rachel Brown) and sophisticated guitar (George Birkett) such as Snowdrops and Me, Rumi Said and Foolish Sea.
Fran’s musical collaborator George Birkett is an incredible folk guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer and arranger whose guitar plays a central voice to the album. His wonderful finger picking skill and her pure-toned voice weave in and out of each other like an enchanting dance which compliments the striking melodies and curious rhythms inherent in the album.
The album will be available online stores, iTunes and through her website www.franwyburn.com/listen
Photo Credit: Maria Spandafora