David Francey to Perform at Irish Fest, 11/10

Former carpenter turned much-lauded songwriter David Francey returns to the US for select tour dates supporting his recent Red House release So Say We All. Born in Scotland and raised in Canada, the three-time Juno Award winner returns to Grammy-winning US indie label Red House for his his first big Stateside album release since 2005's The Waking Hour, which caused critics to call him "Canada's best contemporary songwriter" (Sing Out). So Say We All has just received four Canadian Folk Music Award nominations including Contemporary Album of the Year, English Songwriter of the Year, Solo Artist of the Year and Producer of the Year.

Fourteen years ago at the age of 45, Francey began an astonishing journey from life-long manual laborer to award-winning folk troubadour renowned for writing with heart-wrenching honesty about the struggles of the poor and working class. His latest album reflects his own journey through a period of personal struggle, from dealing with depression to losing important people in his life.

"The lesson learned," he says, "was to celebrate every day spent on this side of the soil and to keep marching no matter what comes our way."

Now 10 albums into his recording career, Francey has demonstrated the kind of consistency as a songwriter that makes even other songwriters shake their head in disbelief. On So Say We All, he shares yet another collection of so-good-they-could-be-traditional numbers marked by the perfectly-stated poetry and stick-in-your-head melodies of the enduring folk song, best exemplified by songs like "Blue Yonder" and "Long Long Road."

That spirit of perseverance bursts from each song on the album, from the opening track "Rain" about the failure and rebirth of love to the bittersweet hymn "So Say We All." Capturing the dark times ("Pandora's Box," "Ordinary Man") as well as life's shining moments ("Satellite," "Blue Skies"), the album is a perfect acoustic showcase of what makes Francey's songwriting so special. Poetic and fearless, Francey draws from his own experiences, delving into his recent depression ("Harm") and singing about his colorful experiences on the road ("Cheap Motel").

These remarkable songs are brought to life by Francey's first-rate touring band - guitarist Mark Westberg, guitarist/banjo-picker Chris Coole and celebrated Maritime multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen. Capturing their raw energy and musicianship, producer Ken Friesen recorded the band live at Signal Path Studio in Almonte, Ontario. Keeping it all close to home, Francey also brought in his son Colin to play drums and invited fellow Ontario artist Tannis Slimmon to sing harmonies.

Beautifully spare and full of instant classics, So Say We All is sure to be a favorite with folk fans of every generation.

David Francey US dates:
TU 11/06 Alexandria, MN - the Basement State @ Carlson's Music Store 7:30 pm
WE 11/06 St. Cloud, MN - Bo Diddley's Pub and Deli 8 pm
FR 11/08 Twin Cities Public Television "Almanac"
SA 11/09 St. Paul, MN - Gingko Coffeehouse
SU 11/10 Milwaukee, WI - Irish Feet Center 4 pm
MO 11/11 Platteville, WI - The Listening Room 7pm
TU 11/12 Chicago, IL - The Red Line Tap 8 pm
WE 11/13 Oak Park, IL - Clark House Concert TBA*
FR 11/15 East Lansing, MI - Ten Pound Fiddle 8 pm

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