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Spotlight – Flyctory.com meets Frances Darling (September 2024)

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Last week, Frances Darling had a big day in her young career. With the song Flight Risk, the US-American–German artist released her second single overall. I had the opportunity to chat with her about the song, about her career so far – and about her very interesting and diverse bio.

Hope you enjoy my new episode of the Spotlight interviews.

 

Spotlight – Flyctory.com meets Frances Darling

FLYC: Frances, you are just released your sophomore single Flight Risk. What is this song about?

Frances: Yeah, I’m so excited for it to finally be out in the world! Flight Risk is a romantic and vulnerable, but still laid-back song about restlessness and the fear of commitment and overcoming that fear for the right person.

Flight risk is generally used as a term for people who are likely to flee the country before a trial, but for me it means anyone who is likely to run away from their problems, commitments, relationship, or home because they got overwhelmed, or scared or just have that need to keep moving. It also could apply when you meet the right person at the wrong time. You’re trying to focus on yourself and your career, and you can’t be with them in that moment.

In the song the protagonist warns and apologizes that they’re a flight risk because they worry they’ll mess things up even though they don’t want to. And in the end it works out because the love interest is a flight risk too, so they can fight it together or both take the flight.

FLYC: The song comes with very picturesque lyrics. The first lines, for example, are Shake the cherry tree / Cover me in blossoms. How did you write the song?

Frances: I started writing Flight Risk in 2022, in the waiting room of my doctor’s office. I wrote it from a place of restlessness but also from a state of healing, recognizing my bad habits and learning to be better. I also wanted it to be an apology for all the times I’ve run away from situations and people because my flight response got the better of me.

Flight Risk specifically has gone through a few iterations but once I had the general idea, I brought the song to my wonderful producer Koda who brought it all together and created the beautiful arrangement that we have now.

FLYC: I am sure that as a songwriter, you write a lot of songs, save some for later and also stop following certain ideas. What is special about Flight Risk that you chose it as a single release?

Frances: Flight Risk is actually one of the first songs I’ve written that I just loved immediately! It’s just so on brand for me. I knew from the moment I had the title and the concept that it was special and that I would release it someday.
Generally when I pick songs for releases, I tend to follow my instincts rather than think too much about it or look for outside validation. So if the song is right, I just know because it feels right and there’s no feeling of uncertainty.

FLYC: Flight Risk is just your second single release. Before the interview, you told me that you are very busy with promotion for the new song. How is it like as an upcoming artist to get into this part of the music industry?

Frances: Well, as an independent artist, it’s pretty much a one-woman operation. So in addition to writing the songs and then working with a producer to get them ready to be released, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that’s also my responsibility. So on top of being a musician, I need to know about branding and marketing as well as the legal and business aspects.

FLYC: Maybe going a bit further back in your life. You are doing country and Americana songs. What is special about this genre for you?

Frances: I mainly grew up listening to country music. Of course, I listened to and experimented with plenty of other genres but I’ve always been drawn to country music. It just feels like home.
I love the storytelling and the style of writing. There’s always some twist or development where the title takes on a new meaning, like in Deana Carter’s Strawberry Wine or I Got a Car by George Strait. And of course, I will never get tired of hearing pedal steel guitar.

FLYC: Did you have any idols or artists who influenced you along the way?

Frances: Absolutely, I listen to a lot of different genres so my influences are quite varied. Different artists inspire different aspects of my artistry from lyrics and melody to performance and visuals.

Overall, my biggest influences have been Eric Church and Miranda Lambert as well as Larkin Poe and The Cadillac Three. More recently I’ve been very inspired by Sabrina Carpenter, her songs, her music videos and performances are so vibrant and captivating. Her artistry is a great reminder that music should be fun and writing songs doesn’t always have to be so serious.

FLYC: A very interesting fact I saw about your life is that you first studied at the German International School in Washington D.C. and then relocated to Germany for your University time. Could you describe a bit how you are related to the two countries, the USA and Germany?

Frances: Well, I grew up in the US, but my dad is German and my mom is Indian, so I’m the first generation born and raised in the US.

Because my parents wanted me to learn German they sent me to an international school and so I then graduated with both a German Abitur and American High School Diploma which allowed me to study at a German university.

I’ve benefited from growing up in a multicultural household, it impacts the way I view the world and it has helped me grow as a person, since I had to adapt to a new environment as a young adult. I was confronted with my perception of American and German culture, and how that contributes to my identity and the ways I express my feelings and myself.

FLYC: Your Instagram feed shows pictures of your life in Germany as well as pictures from the US. How often do you commute between the two countries?

Frances: Unfortunately, I don’t spend that much time in the US anymore because most of my life is here in Germany and it’s not the easiest commute. But I try to go home once a year for a few weeks to spend as much time as I can with my family and friends.

FLYC: You now moved to Berlin to study songwriting. Why did you go for the German capital?

Frances: I pretty much moved to Berlin just to study songwriting at my university. I wanted to stay in Germany and the options were either the Hamburg or the Berlin campus and Berlin is a vibrant and young city, full of musicians with the same hopes and dreams as me. The kind of environment I would want to be in to create music.

FLYC: We should of course also talk about your debut single, All Talk, which you released in May 2024. What is that song about?

Frances: I like to say it’s a sassy country song about being in denial that you miss someone and trying to convince yourself that you don’t.
Billie Holiday’s I Get Along Without You Very Well was actually part of the inspiration for the concept of the chorus and how I wanted to portray that denial.

FLYC: How was it for you when this song got released? Have you enjoyed getting a lot of reactions?

Frances: Yes it’s been wonderful, I’m so glad that people have been enjoying it! The song definitely had a better reception than I anticipated, which is so heartwarming and encouraging. I can’t wait to keep releasing music and growing my community.

FLYC: I guess that Flight Risk will keep you busy for a while – but are there any plans for what will come afterwards? Do you already have additional songs planned? Or maybe some touring?

Frances: Right now the focus is on Flight Risk and then preparing for my first EP which I plan to release in February 2025.

It’s definitely a dream of mine to go on tour and I am hoping to do some shows for my EP release and then slowly start touring. But since I’m just starting out I know it’s gonna take some time to get there.

FLYC: We talked about idols and influential artists however. Is there any artist you would love to record a song with? Or maybe share the stage with that person?

Frances: Oh wow that is a tough question, there are so many artists I would pick. But at the end of the day, I would love to record a song with Eric Church or Zach Bryan. Even just to write together would be a dream come true.

FLYC: How do you see the German country music scene and the German country music fans, especially with your US-American background?

Frances: I actually had a hard time finding the country scene in Germany, when I lived in Freiburg I used to travel to Munich to see my favorite artists and I’d meet other country fans there but it’s been difficult finding the country scene here.
But then I went to the C2C fest in Berlin this year! It was amazing to see how many country fans showed up and how many had traveled from outside Berlin for country music.

FLYC: Last but not least: As a young person living between the two countries, is there anything you miss about the USA when you are in Germany? And of course, anything you miss about Germany when you are in the United States?

Frances: Obviously I miss my family and friends. I also miss a lot of the landscape and road tripping through the US. I probably miss the food the most! We have some great comfort food back home like mac n cheese and pumpkin pie. I also love going to live music events especially country, or blues acts, which are easier to find in the US.

 

Follow Frances Darling Online

     

 

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