Interview: Maja Francis

Maja Francis

Interview by: Emily May

Photo credit: Milkdrop Studios.

Swedish songstress Maja Francis is belovedly referred to as the “Emo Dolly Parton”, with a sound that is distinctive, emotional, personal, and the result of a variety of strong sources of inspiration, experiences, and collaborations. Growing up in Sweden, her father owned a record store and she spent many days thereafter school, cultivating her love for music. Although she has a love for all kinds of music, she always gravitated towards female artists and counts Dolly Parton, Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, and Alanis Morissette as musical influences. Starting out as a singer-songwriter, she ventured into the world of pop music, releasing her acclaimed debut EP Come Companion in 2015 and was embraced by both Swedish and international press with major articles in NYLON Magazine, ELLE & Swedish acclaimed magazine DI Weekend. The attention caused her major anxiety, however, and in order to process her feelings and let the fans even closer, Maja’s own struggle with mental illness became the theme for her subsequent releases “Cry Baby pt 1 & 2” in the summer of 2018, where Maja urged to “carry her feelings like a tiara” with the meaning of being proud of vulnerability and strong emotions. “After that, I collapsed in a small pile, dyed my hair blue, and went down to the sea in Skåne where I grew up. I had gotten lost in why I started with music from the beginning, and I stopped feeling things from the inside. It made me sick, and I felt that I needed to stop with the music and with the image I created of myself, to be able to fall in love again.”

She took time out from releasing music in 2018 and went back to her roots and the piano. The resulting songs were more inspired by the childhood idols Dolly Parton and Tori Amos than the modern pop landscape and the desire to write music and how she wanted to write songs came back. 2019 was the year when Maja wrote her recently released debut album, A Pink Soft Mess, without rules and 100% from the heart. “I realized during these years that I had really missed the organic and what I actually started in from the very beginning..... just my voice and at most one instrument and then adorned it instead of the other way around, that my voice had to fight towards a production all the time, or being saved up with an autotune because the melodies did not come completely from me, or because I did not get bogged down in things. A Pink Soft Mess was recorded with and produced by Johannes Runemark and David Wikberg together with Maja Francis and includes the previously released Kate Bush cover “This Woman’s Work”, “Anxious Angel”, known from the final scenes in Netflix’s acclaimed original series “Love & Anarchy” and “Tiny Tornados”-songs that embrace the melancholy and emotional country-pop that. The album also features a collaboration with Johanna and Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit on the track “Mama”. With plans to celebrate Christmas with her family and then head to the studio to write and record new music, make sure to follow Maja Francis via the following links to stay up-to-date on all new music, news, and live dates!

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | SOUNDCLOUD | ITUNES/APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE | DEEZER

You grew up in Sweden and count Dolly Parton and Tori Amos amongst your musical idols.  What can you tell me about growing up in Sweden and discovering your love for music?  In what ways did your father owning a record shop influence you musically?

Maja: I spent many days after school by the counter at my dad's little record store, listening to all sorts of music, but discovered quite early that I had a special love for female voices like Alanis Morisette, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, and as mentioned, Tori Amos and Dolly Parton. My dad tried to get me into his favorite bands like TOTO, Eagles and the Beatles, but I wasn’t at all as interested in the dudes as I was with the ladies. He introduced me to a lot of artists that I think I would never have found if he wasn’t such a music lover and nerd. I’m so thankful for that! 

You have said you are greatly inspired in your songwriting by nature and by taking walks in the forest.  In what ways does being out in nature inspire you?  What are some of your favorite places to go in Sweden to be in nature?

Maja: I’m inspired by nature, for sure. I try to go visit the ocean where my parents live as much as I can and it’s such a luxury to be able to do that. I will never take the ocean for granted, but I know she’s always there for me when I need her. Nature gives me the feeling that I’m something tiny in a bigger picture and I really like that. I need quiet and to get out of my ego to be able to make noise and hang out with my ego again, if that makes any sense. 

You lived and wrote music in Nashville for a bit.  What led you to move there and what was your experience like living there?  What brought you back to Sweden?

Maja: Yes! Back in 2009 I met a musician through “myspace”, fell in love, wrote songs and moved into a silver camper with him. We drove to Nashville and lived there for a while and I really loved it! Music, cowgirls, flea markets, and donuts…my dream life haha! Unfortunately the fairy tale ended and I left Nashville and haven’t been back since. But I’m planning on it!

You started out as a singer-songwriter and ventured into the world of pop music before going back to your roots.  What can you tell me about finding your sound as an artist?

Maja: I dipped my toes in the pop world for a few years and it was fun to try it out and I did get to experience a lot of beautiful moments, but in the end it just wasn’t for me. I still write pop songs I guess but it’s different. This time it’s about my voice and lyrics, without compromise. It’s as if I’ve finally found somewhere I can rest and not push myself all the time, or having to do things in such a rush. I let my voice lead the way and I think that’s what my sound is about for now, but it took a while to get here and it was a process of being quiet first. 

You released your debut EP Come Companion in 2015, but have said that the attention you received left you feeling anxious and questioning if being a singer was what you really wanted.  What can you tell me about being vulnerable with your fans about your depression/mental illness with the release of your double EP Crybaby pt 1 & 2 in 2018?  Do you feel that the process of writing those songs was cathartic?

Maja: It’s quite natural for me to be open about my mental health issues. I’ve had them since I was a teenager, and after releasing my Cry Baby EPs my body said stop. I had panic attacks every other day and went into a deep depression. It's so interesting how I talked about “wearing my feelings as a tiara” in the cry baby era but I didn’t really live my own truth. I think that “a pink soft mess” is actually more honest about my mental health struggles than anything I’ve ever written. And the process of that has definitely been both cleansing and healing.  

You have said that after releasing your double EP, you went down by the sea where you grew up and felt a bit lost. What kind of meaning did singing hold for you in the beginning and in what ways had that changed for you to leave you questioning everything?

Maja: My relationship with music has always been a magical place where I come to rest and to gather energy, but something changed. It got destructive and I started to look at everything too much from the outside. My voice got trapped in this box where I got chopped off with effects and beats and autotune. Also it was something about other people writing my melodies and lyrics, it stopped me from being totally free, even if I was in the room with them. I need to take things slow, and that doesn’t work when you have one day to finish a song surrounded by super talented songwriters but who have a totally different musical language. It’s hard for me not to fall out of my own track and follow someone else's vision. 

During your break in 2018, you went back to your roots and the piano and wrote songs that were more inspired by your childhood musical idols than the modern musical landscape.  What was it like for you to regain your desire to write music how you wanted to, without rules and 100% from the heart?

Maja: I needed to break up with music totally to understand what it actually meant to me, and how I wanted my relationship with music to look like. I listened to my childhood idols on repeat, and realized how healing music can be. And I was like “I want to make someone else somewhere in the world feel what I’m feeling right now when they listen to my songs”. And eventually that spark to write again came back and it felt amazing. 

In 2018, you started writing a diary, which later became a voice memo, and has since become your recently released debut album A Pink Soft Mess.  What can you tell me about the process of writing and recording the songs?  Was there a particular moment in which you decided to turn your writing into an album?

Maja: When I was done sleeping, I slowly heard melodies and words in my head again. At first I didn’t even want to catch them. But then after more sleeping (and a lot of therapy), I did. And with the help from Johannes they became songs that I thought nobody would ever hear. But then I wanted to play the songs for my friends, and one of them was David. So the three of us went into a bubble for almost a year, putting costumes to the songs and finishing them. And there it was…my pink soft mess! 

You have said that your producers, Johannes Runemark and David Wikberg, helped you to feel totally free with your voice.  What was it like for you to find your voice again and to enjoy being in the studio?

Maja: David and Johannes gave me time. Time to heal, time to break down, time to find the right key and tempo, time to understand what I wanted a certain sound to hear like. If my voice got stuck in a vocal take, we just stopped for the day and went outside for a walk or a drink. They never pushed me and I think that’s why I found my way back to my voice, and why I could enjoy being in a studio again (or actually maybe for the first time ever). 

The song “Mama” features a collaboration with Johanna and Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit.  What can you tell me about the song, as well as the lyric video, and about with performing with the sisters? You performed a Christmas concert with them in 2019 and have said that they were very supportive and helped you to get your voice back.  In what ways did they support you and help you get your voice back?

Maja: First time I met Klara and Johanna it was an instant girl crush. It was back in 2015 when we had our first xmas show! Then we became close friends and they invited me to sing with them on all sorts of things during my years of not making my own music. They helped me realize how fun singing can be!! And that I don’t have to be alone in it. When we sing something happens in me that I can’t explain, but it’s an amazing warm fuzzy giggly feeling. Asking them to feature on my debut album felt natural and I’m so happy they said yes! The lyric video for “Mama” was made this summer with our iPhones and our moms. I filmed a lot down by the ocean where I grew up.. 

What’s next for you?

Maja: I’m currently touring in Sweden but dreaming of doing a tour outside of here too! Besides that I’m gonna go celebrate xmas with my parents and my cat (Pony), drink a lot of Glögg (swedish mulled wine), and then go back in the studio and write new songs.