Fran Smith

Fran Smith

Fran Smith is a UK singer-songwriter and pianist from Hull, raised in Wakefield. Born in 1986, she writes and performs songs in a rock and folk-influenced style, with intimate piano-led arrangements and lyrics that are described as poetic, intelligent, witty, sometimes caustic, and deeply heartfelt.

Background and early releases

Smith grows up in a close, music-loving Yorkshire family. Her self-titled debut EP is self-released in 2012 without a record label or marketing budget, and it receives national airplay on BBC Radio 2, Radio 4 and 6 Music.

Style

Her music draws on English folk in its soulful Northern vocal delivery, while her piano-based writing is compared in character to artists such as Antony and the Johnsons and Joanna Newsom for its dark, unusual qualities. She is also known as a live performer with a reputation for strong delivery.

Live work and recognition

Smith is invited to support artists including Martha Wainwright, Athlete, Thea Gilmore, Karine Polwart, Birds of Chicago, Boo Hewerdine, Po’ Girl and John Cooper Clarke. She performs at venues including Union Chapel in London, the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, Sage Gateshead and York Grand Opera House, and also gives shows in Raleigh, North Carolina, her first performances outside the UK. She appears on BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday and BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, and performs on the BBC Introducing stage at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park, where she becomes the festival website’s most shared act.