Francis Farmer is Heart AF! Combining the grit of the 90s and soul of classic rock with modern sonics, rhythms and themes. New — Yet familiar. All the heavy guitars and passion filled vocals you want from bangin’ rock music, but with beefier bass and drums to make today’s generation bounce.
Originally hailing from Toronto, Canada, this aggressively melodic rock outfit harnesses talent and experience from around the globe. The driving creative force and orchestrator is singer/guitarist, Leonard F. Farmer III. Whether in full band context, or one-off collabs, he continually gathers and arranges the pieces, distilling them down through the musical filter now synonymous with the Francis Farmer sound.
Always raw, authentic and real, the band channels light from the dark, illuminating a mirror full of demons into reflections of song and lyric. Finding balance in duality. Dancing that line. Seeking the Edge.
The release of “Rebirth”, marked the beginning of the new era and sound for Francis Farmer. The debut, “Illusive Dreamscapes”, was notably different, composed in another time and context, as a primarily solo acoustic album. Even then, the hard rock roots and love of the band format were inescapable.
The new album, working title "Reflex", is in progress with two singles released thus far, "Calling on Sunshine" and "Wake Up". As with the Rebirth album, the new songs have been Mastered by world renowned engineer, Matt Colton (Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Flume, Peter Gabriel).
About
Origin and Story
Chapter 1: Francis Farmer is Born
Francis Farmer was founded in 2011 in Toronto, Canada, by singer/guitarist Leonard F. Farmer III. It was created originally as a musical side project, at a time when progress in his former band, and main life focus, The Mindsight, had slowed. Francis Farmer has since become Leonard’s primary band and creative outlet.
Leading up to the time of inception, Leonard had begun performing an abundance of solo acoustic shows to earn a living, alongside his duties as the principle songwriter and founder in The Mindsight. With tensions growing between band members and numerous logistical challenges, things were not driving nearly as quickly as he had wanted. It could be said that the Francis Farmer project was initiated out of an air of impatience and urgency, however, its true birth was actually spawned from a sense of purposeful serendipity.
About a year into gigging regularly as a solo act, both of Leonard’s brothers, as well as another close friend, had suggested that he record an acoustic album. It seemed strangely synchronistic to receive this same message threefold within the span of a week or two. Accordingly, Leonard took it as a sign. He began crafting songs in this newfound style - traveling the inspired path that led to “Illusive Dreamscapes”. And with the release of the debut album, Francis Farmer was officially born.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Musical Contributors
This is a list of the great artists/musicians that Leonard F. Farmer III has collaborated with in the making of Francis Farmer's songs and albums. In general, Leonard brings forth the song skeleton (ie. rhythm guitar and main vocal parts), and these collaborators are the ones who help to take the songs to the next level with their musical skills and creativity.
Drums
Ryan Chalmers - Hate Fuck, Save Me, No More Heart to Waste
Kurtis Dickson - Wake Up
Isaiah Nichols - Deaf, Another One, The Best of Worst Days, Moon and Tide
Joel Ruscinski - Knock Knock
Tim Watson - Rebirth, Wasting Breath, Tired, Misguided Foundation
Bass
Anthony Delle Rose - Deaf, The Best of Worst Days, Knock Knock, Hate Fuck, Another One, Save Me,
No More Heart to Waste, Moon and Tide
Rich Haier - Rebirth, Wasting Breath, Tired, Misguided Foundation
Guitars
Sebastian Biega - Misguided Foundation
Steve Wessel - Rebirth
Cody Johnstone - Knock Knock, Save Me, Moon and Tide
Patrick Delle Rose - Hate Fuck, Wake Up
Rick Burta - Wasting Breath
Additional Vocals
S
Shane Farmer - Wasting Breath
Bryan Fontez - Hate Fuck
Anthony Delle Rose - The Best of Worst Days, Knock Knock, Another One
Joel Ruscinski - The Best of Worst Days
Strings
Samuel Bisson - Illusive Dreamscapes (everywhere they appear on the album)
Percussion
Dustin Anstey - Illusive Dreamscapes
Aimee Johnson - No More Heart to Waste, Save Me
Isaiah Nichols - Misguided Foundation
Additional Arrangements
Dustin Anstey - FS, No More Heart to Waste,
Shane Farmer - (Shedding) Cold Stagnance, Ammunition for the Ignorant, Patient Helpless, Drawn by the Tide