Robert Francis–One By One–Aeronaut Records

Robert Francis recalls the voice of a simpler and more truthful era when people were crazier and sang about shit that mattered. Growing up in Los Angeles as the youngest in a family of musicians, Robert possesses a maturity far beyond his nineteen years. From the time he was born, he was surrounded by music of all genres thanks to his eccentric classical-record-producer and pianist father, a Mexican mother who frequently invited her sisters over to sing Ranchero songs, a Hari Krishna brother, and two older sisters who were in various rock bands that played in clubs all over the city (his sister Juliette Commagere is the singer of L.A. indie band Hello Stranger which Robert played bass in for a stint).

As a child, Robert was allowed by the owners of the above mentioned clubs to sneak in and watch his sisters perform, not to mention sneak in a drink here and there. On one occasion, at Harry Dean Stanton’s birthday at The Mint, the eight year old Robert was caught outside noodling on one of Harry Dean’s guitars by Harry Dean himself. Rather than getting upset, Harry instead invited Robert on stage to play with him on a duet with Chaka Kahn. One could say that Robert started living the life of a rock star when he was only 8 years old.

At this early age Robert displayed a tremendous musical gift. He could play any instrument he picked up, and did so on his record, One by One, playing everything from drums, banjo, bass, piano and mandolin to his most natural instrument, the guitar. Ry Cooder gave him a vintage National when he was only nine, and John Frusciantetook him on as his only student when he was sixteen.

Torn by love and finding it to be, as he simply put it, “surprising and disappointing,” Robert rescued a pit bull and named him Poncho, (an homage to Townes Van Zandt’s “Poncho and Lefty” who is the subject of track one “Mama Don’t Come”) and toured much of the U.S with his sister, her boyfriend and their traveling, guitar slinging fisherman buddy. He traveled to Mexico and stayed in the remote towns where his mother was born and raised, and experienced once again a lot of psychotic, but writing-material-worthy-heart-break.

Writing and producing all his own material, he injects one hundred percent truth and emotion into each of his songs. He is often compared to a young Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle or Neil Young, and with this record, Robert Francis fills a colossal void that has been desperately missing from this generation of musicians.

Robert Francis’ band is composed of Graham Lathrop (pedal steel), Kati O’Toole (keyboard), Kevin Crooks(bass), Damon Kellard (drums) and AJ Smith (drums). Guest apperances on One By One include Joachim Cooder (Buena Vista, Johnny Cash, Dr. John, Hello Stranger)on drums, Wylie Gelberof Simon Dawes on bass accompanied by a solo from Ry Cooder on “Good Hearted Man, Mike Bolger (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jewel) on trumpet and mellophone and Amir Yaghmai (Michael Andrews, Berko) on violin.

To request a copy of the disc please contact me at brooke at piratepirate dot com or 718.274.7283.

http://myspace.com/robertfrancis

DOWNLOAD EDITED MP3 HERE:
http://www.aeronautrecords.com/edit_audio/edit_onebyone.mp3