R&B Soul Songstress Sydney Franklin Releases Debut EP MAKE IT HURT

In partnership with House Music Group DC, R&B/Soul artist Sydney Franklin has officially released her freshman project, Make It Hurt. The four track EP focuses on Franklin'a self-revelation of being honest with herself, and coming to terms with who she is as an artist and person. Laced with powerhouse vocals reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and Jorja Smith, Make It Hurt effortlessly blends heartfelt lyrics, R&B beats, and synth-pop rhythms. Encompassing Franklin's 4-octave range and retro-sound, Make It Hurt is available now on all digital retailers. Listen to the full EP here.

Make It Hurt opens with the sultry Mac Ayres collaboration, "Forever." The duo's partnership stemmed naturally from their friendship started back in 2014 when they both attended Berklee College of Music.The jazz-inspired track features the lyrics 'feels like forevers got a hold on me...,' from a previously unreleased song of Ayres. The addition blended seamlessly with Franklin's blunt yet poetic lyrics, and were ultimately included as the song's opening hook. While helping to finesse the overall flow of the song, Ayres joined in on keys and vocals as well. Following "Forever" is the tumultuous industry-relationship story told in "Noise." Written off the back of major label meetings out in Los Angeles, Franklin realized that the artistic control the label's wanted her to give up was not something she was interested in. After being turned down by one label in particular, and being told my so many people what she should do next, the writing of "Noise" just poured out. The end result was a powerful, take-control anthem that encouraged her to partner with House Music Group in DC.

"The result of those meetings is the main reason why I'm with House Studios now," explains Franklin. "House allows for the conversation to happen, and for the artist to create on their own terms. They really allow me to be the kind of artist I want to be."

The lead single and title track, "Make It Hurt," came from a studio session at Shifted in Brooklyn with Mike Irish, Mannywellz and Sloane Warner. Having felt heartbroken at the time, the initial creative spark came from the Notes section of Franklin's phone, where she had written, 'I'm gonna hurt you like you did me, it sounds cynical baby, but it's purely physical.' From there Franklin poured raw emotion into the song, showcasing her Winehouse-esque vocals, and a chorus full of soul. Once finished, it was easy to see that "Make It Hurt" best represented the EP as a whole, ultimately being titled as such. Last, but not least, the project finishes with the aptly titled track "Figured Out." Co-written with Dan Strauch of House Studios, Franklin penned the song's verses on a train ride from NY to D.C, and eventually based the sound around the hypnotizing guitar melody created by guitarist Daniel Roberts. With a melody reminiscent of James Bay's "Let It Go," and love triangle themes similar to SZA's "Weekend," Franklin closes out her freshman EP continuing to prove her songwriting prowess and vocal ability.

In addition to the release of Make It Hurt, Franklin is slated to perform at the Jammin' Java this evening in Vienna, VA; as well as shows at Union Stage DC on March 5th; Drexel University in Philadelphia on March 6th; and George Mason University in Virginia on March 8th. Also in her line-up of performances, Franklin will be performing a set at this year's SXSW Music Festival on Sunday, March 11th at Easy Tiger. The show will mark her first appearance at the legendary Conference and Music Festival, held each year in Austin, TX. The annual event sees performances from the who's who of musical talent including past performances by Solange, Banks, Jessie Reyez, Billie Eilish, Bishop Briggs and more.

For more information on Sydney Franklin visit www.sydneyfranklinmusic.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.