Frances Quinlan is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and visual artist. They are best known as the leader of the Philadelphia indie rock band Hop Along, and are also a member of Parts Work.

Early life and background

Quinlan is from the United States and is born in 1986. They are raised in North Jersey and in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia. In youth, they are an active reader. They begin writing songs as a teenager with their brother Andrew, who introduces them to women musicians including Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple and Lauryn Hill.

Early recording work

In college at Maryland Institute College of Art, Quinlan starts a solo acoustic project. They use digital audio workstation software to record Songs of the Sea, an EP that helps introduce them to Long Island. They also credit the suburbs’ DIY punk community with helping to affirm their confidence and place in the music industry.

Quinlan records their first solo album, Freshman Year, under the name Hop Along, Queen Ansleis in 2005, between their freshman and sophomore years. The album is distributed on burned CDs. After graduation, their brother Mark joins on drums and the project is renamed Hop Along.

Hop Along

Quinlan is the guitarist and lead singer in Hop Along. The band’s 2015 album Painted Shut draws critical praise for its immediacy and emotional depth, with Quinlan’s voice central to its sound. During the mid-2010s, they live in Philadelphia and write the lyrics for the band’s next album, Bark Your Head Off Dog.

Solo album and visual art

Quinlan’s first solo album under their own name is recorded with Hop Along bandmate Joe Reinhart. It expands beyond the band’s indie guitar sound by adding strings, autoharp and synthesizers, and Quinlan creates the cover art. The album is released by Saddle Creek Records.