Frances Opens up About Baring It All On ‘Things I’ve Never Said’

Char Little

“Things I’ve Never Said” might be English singer Frances’s first album, but she’s already a favorite here in the states thanks to singles like “Don’t Worry About Me,” which gave fans a good idea of what they can expect from the debut. Entertainment Voice had the opportunity to speak with the songstress about expressing her vulnerable side on “Things I’ve Never Said,” working with Sam Smith, and why her thoughts on race ended up on the album. “I kind of realized, over a period of time, that I never talked about these things before,” she said of the highly anticipated album’s title. “Maybe things in my relationship I’ve never talked about or things I’ve never discussed. Hopefully other people can relate to it.”

I’m confident that we will – especially since Frances, who was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award at the Brit Awards in 2016, confessed she didn’t hold back when writing this album. It could be safe to say that she’s experienced things that will make her bond with fans even stronger this time around. “There wasn’t anything that I thought, ‘No I can’t possibly share that,’” Frances said. “I just wanted to be as honest I possibly could but also remain comfortable.”

That might hold true for the song “Don’t Worry About Me.” While some might see it as a gloomy song, Frances said she hopes fans will see it as something else. “I was kind of sad when I wrote it – but never really completely sad. I would never want anyone to feel too sad with my song. It’s almost like a reflective song.”

One of the social issues she tackles in her album is that of racial tensions: Frances sings about embracing love and unity in “No Matter,” which is also her latest single. “I wrote ‘No Matter’ when I just moved to London,” she explained. “I basically realized I came from quite a small town… literally all white people. It was the most boring phase. I moved to London and I lived in a tiny flat. I would hear so many languages! I never heard anything like it before. It was so exciting to be surrounded by so many cultures. But even still, there are problems with racism. I just wanted to write a song that reminds us that we’re all doing the same thing.”

Another hit Frances brought the masses is “What Is Love?” Fans might recognize this one from the “50 Shades Darker” film. While she had lots of experience with writing about her personal life, she had an altogether different one when it came to the hit movie. “I’ve always wanted to write a song for a movie since I was a teenager but I never really knew how to go about it. I met the team who was putting the music together for the movie and played them a few songs,” she recalled. “They asked if I wanted to write a song for the movie. I went and wrote some but they didn’t stick until I eventually wrote ‘What Is Love?’ It’s a very different writing process. You have characters, the plot, and all of these different things that inspire you.”

Frances had another memorable writing experience when she teamed up with Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote Adele’s “Hello,” on the song “Say It Again.” “I was so nervous for the session,” Frances admitted. “I didn’t want to muck it up.” She revealed that she wrote the chorus in her hotel room so that she would have something to bring to Kurstin later that morning. “Luckily, he liked it,” Frances said. “We worked together and finished the song. It was really cool.” She added that they wrote another song together that didn’t make it on “Things I’ve Never Said.” But we could be hearing it on another album soon.

Frances is also no stranger when it comes to teaming up with major names in the music industry: she had a writing session with singer Sam Smith for a song that could end up on his next album. “It was amazing!” Frances said about working with Smith. “It was so fun to work together. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while. It was remarkable to be in the studio with him because everything he sings sounds amazing. He’s such an amazing writer as well.”

Frances is doing two dates on this side of the pond in support of “Things I Never Said,” before she heads to Europe. And she has something special planned for concertgoers in Los Angeles: “I’ve never done my own headlines how in LA. I have a rule that when I play in a place for the first time by myself, I have to do it solo with a piano. So hopefully that’ll be a nice, intimate show for everyone.”

“Things I’ve Never Said” is available on Apple Music March 27. Frances plays NYC’s Joe’s Pub on March 27 and L.A. at a secret location March 29.