Hannah Frances (b. 1997) is a vocalist, guitarist, composer, dancer and poet. Her work is centered at the intersection of grief and nature, exploring the pathways of healing through cathartic process and land connection.
NPR's Ann Powers calls Frances a stunning vocalist and songwriter, making monumental and mythic freak folk, and she was awarded Pitchfork's Best New Music for her triumphant new album Keeper of the Shepherd, as well as nods for Best Albums of 2024 from Pitchfork, Paste Magazine, and Bandcamp, and a full feature in the Chicago Tribune.
A classically trained vocalist and self-taught guitarist with virtuosic dynamism, there is no singular way Hannah grips us with her complex open-tuned guitar work and storytelling. Through profoundly cutting lyricism, masterful fingerpicked polyrhythms, and a prodigiously poised voice, Frances’ unorthodox sound melds avant-folk, progressive rock, and jazz.
A persistent troubadour, Frances lives in Vermont with roots in Chicago, though she is most often touring internationally and nationally, opening for artists such as Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Hiss Golden Messenger, Billie Marten, Whitney, and Damien Jurado, among others. Whether performing as a solo act or leading her full seven-piece ensemble, her mythology spellbinds with an insistent gravity.
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BEST NEW MUSIC
PITCHFORK
BEST NEW MUSIC PITCHFORK
BEST NEW ALBUM PITCHFORK REVIEW
“Keeper of the Shepherd is an arrival, not only of a transfixing singer-songwriter who has made a stunning record but also of a person realizing they are more than the pain of their past.”
“Hannah Frances is a stunning vocalist and songwriter. You could call her music freak folk but it’s really more monumental than most freak folk.”
MUSIC VIDEOS
live performance
“Hannah Frances sings of land and loss on her new album ‘Keeper of the Shepherd’... An album intricate yet craggy, the stuff of tree bark.”
“Phenomenal Art.”
“Hannah Frances’ fifth album just gets better and better with every single listen. The Chicagoan’s songwriting sticks to you like glue, and songs like “Bronwyn,” “Husk” and “Vacant Intimacies” are so pensive and full of solemn conviction that you’d be remiss to not engage with it at every waking moment.”
“Hannah Frances’ hypnotic new album Keeper of the Shepherd is a master class in sophisticated songwriting and pastoral scene-setting. Frances is adept at crafting elegantly and eloquently poetic lyrics, but they are accompanied by lush, complex, and deeply felt music. On Keeper of the Shepherd, she places herself among eclectic, “complete” artists like Joni Mitchell and Jeff Buckley. ”
“Her latest record finds her once again evoking the progressive and avant-garde strains of folk, crafting tracks that churn with hypnotic acoustics, densely layered arrangements, and a wondrous lyrical voice.”
“She has an unorthodox and enthralling approach to songwriting: her songs oscillate between folk, jazz, and indie rock and unfold in ways that are so distinctly her own. Keeper of the Shepherd is transcendentally good.”
“A stunning vocalist with incredible songwriting skills.”