“This makes hangovers sound heroic” The Guardian
“Gorgeously jangling, falsetto-led indie-pop” The Times

“Really really love that, really up track, and bad hair days, how many of us have had bad hair days!” Elton John, Apple Music

Manchester singer Francis Lung’s new single Bad Hair Day (and former Guardian track of the week) is a relentlessly catchy—and deceptively upbeat—ode to hangovers and missed connections.

“I’ve been calling on you all night /But I never get through, I just get in the way” Francis laments; “I am a cloud in the sun’s light/Whatever I do, whatever I say.” It’s the first taster from Francis Lung’s new album Miracle out 18 June on Memphis Industries. 

“For me, [Miracle] is about the struggle between my self-destructive side and my problem-solving, constructive side,” says Francis. “I suppose through a lot of these songs I’m dealing with these emotional problems, acknowledging the negative aspects of my behaviour instead of burying them, and providing an alternative point of view for myself”.  Despite its serious subject matter, Miracle is far from austere in sound, marrying the cinematic, dreamlike quality of Francis’s earlier music with the pared-back charm of great singer-songwriters like Judee Sill, Jeff Tweedy and Elliott Smith.

Miracle was produced by Francis in collaboration with Brendan Williams (Dutch Uncles, Matthew Halsall, Kiran Leonard) and Robin Koob (who co-arranged and performed strings). The opportunity to take creative control was one Francis relished. “I’m quite bad at delegating” he admits, noting that he played every instrument except strings on Miracle. The result is a cohesive, deeply personal record, which is as vital as it is vulnerable. “I don’t want to be defined by my anxiety, my depression or any history of substance abuse,” Francis says, “but I do want to reach out to other people who have had similar experiences, especially if it’s in a way that helps them feel a little better. To me, this music is celebrating healing as much as it focuses on the darker sides of the human psyche.”

Francis will be performing a couple of socially distanced shows to celebrate the release of Miracle as follows:

01 Jul – London, Dalston, Victoria

02 Jul – Manchester, Deaf Institute

Tickets from www.francislung.com