Acclaimed singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis shares “Need You Again,” the second song from his eagerly anticipated third studio album, Return To Zero, arriving Friday, March 14 via ATO Records.
“Need You Again” surfaced from an immediate burst of inspiration after Francis attended a DJ set by Derrick Carter (a Chicago house legend who created a 12-inch remix of “BNYLV” from his second full-length, In Plain Sight). Featuring a guest spot from Grammy-winning guitarist Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) and beguiling backing vocals from Brooklyn-based disco-delic trio Say She She, the result is a glorious entry point into the album’s groove-heavy soundscape which bears influence from George Clinton, Hamilton Bohannon, and other late 70’s proto-house music, unfolding in sinewy riffs and larger-than-life rhythms as Francis narrates a tale of ruinous infatuation.
“My girlfriend and I went out to a queer dance party called Queen! and stayed till about four in the morning, and Derrick played a track that was a big rock riff over a funk beat,” Francis recalls. “The next day I went into the studio on very little sleep and started working on the demo for ‘Need You Again,’ and after I finished, I couldn’t stop listening to it. It’s a song about a love affair, and the experience of projecting magical qualities onto another person and feeling almost addicted or beholden to them,” he reveals.
Francis’ first full-length studio effort in more than three years and most extravagantly realized work so far, Return To Zero sees the Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist creating a beautifully strange entangling of timeless rock ’n’ roll and ’70s-era dance music. Merging supremely heavy guitar riffs with lush and pulsating grooves, Francis constructed the album sans digital programming in keeping with his long-standing devotion to all things analog.
Are you grooving with “Need You Again” from Neal Francis?
