Today marks the release of ‘Francis’, a powerful debut single from American singer songwriter and visual artist, Jon Campbell. The track is taken from his forthcoming album Sirens which is due for release in September.
Francis showcases Jon’s subtleties and vulnerability as a songwriter, threading together alt-country and folk with a powerfully honest expression of his homosexuality. For me personally, it was that feeling of deep sincerity that made the biggest impact – it can be heard in his music, in his voice and it’s conveyed in his paintings. The accompanying stop-motion animation was painted and directed by Campbell himself, made over a 6-month period and comprised of over 1,000 photos. His ability to convey his deepest emotions in music and on canvas is quite startling and unforgettable.
“Francis is about duality and reconciliation,” says Berlin-based Campbell. “Between my inner child and higher self, ego and shadow self – it is also about transient identities; how one object can cast many different shadows, depending on the source of light.” He adds “I’ve always felt uncomfortable exhibiting my paintings; frustrated by the incongruence between my own affinity with a painting and the public’s ability to see just the surface. ‘Francis’ is an invitation to go beneath the surface of a painting – to hear what’s underneath it, and to see inside of a song.”
Francis’ is the first single from Jon’s debut album, ‘Sirens’, out September 20.
For more details and to pre-order the album, visit https://www.7lb.studio/