Acclaimed singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis returns today with his dance-ready new single, “Back It Up,” available now via ATO Records. An official music video premieres today on YouTube.
Francis’ first new music in almost two years, “Back It Up” sees the Chicago-based singer, songwriter, and prodigious pianist effortlessly gliding along on glossy synth lines and a playfully swaggering riff, imbuing a carefree spirit into the deliberately over-the-top confession of romantic desperation. “That song went through a few different phases before we got to the final iteration,” Francis says. “It took me a while to accept that it’s okay to have fun with the lyrics, instead of making everything so serious all the time.”
LISTEN TO “BACK IT UP”
WATCH “BACK IT UP” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Hailed by SPIN as “a mesmerizing performer,” Francis will celebrate “Back It Up” – and more new music to come – with a series of upcoming headline dates set through an eagerly awaited two-night homecoming stand at Chicago, IL’s historic Thalia Hall on December 13-14. 2025 will then see Francis traveling to Riviera Cancun, Mexico for Bobby Weir’s annual Dead Ahead (January 9-13) followed by a trip Down Under to Byron Bay, Australia for the famed Byron Bay Bluesfest (April 17-20). Additional dates will be announced. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.nealfrancis.com/tour.
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NEAL FRANCIS – TOUR 2024-2025
NOVEMBER
15 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line †
16 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre †
22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation @ The Intersection ^
23 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall ^
DECEMBER
13 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall ^
14 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall + (SOLD OUT)
JANUARY 2025
9-13 – Riviera Cancun, Mexico – Dead Ahead *
APRIL 2025
17-20 – Byron Bay, Australia – Byron Bay Bluesfest *
† w/ Special Guest Wyatt Waddell
^ w/ Special Guest Smushie
+ w/ Special Guest Liam Kazar
* Festival Appearance
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ABOUT NEAL FRANCIS:
Neal Francis’s music is an intoxicating blend of funk, soul, and rock that evokes the glory days of the late 60s and 70s but is undeniably fresh. Francis has been making music at the piano since the age of four, sitting in with countless Chicago bands as a teenager before setting out on his own solo career. His 2019 debut album, Changes, swiftly drew lavish applause, hailed as “the reincarnation of Allen Toussaint” by BBC Radio 6 and lauded by KCRW which raved, “What do Dr. John, Leon Russell and boogie woogie piano have in common? Neal Francis is the answer.”
Francis’s acclaimed second LP, In Plain Sight, followed in 2021, once again earning international praise from such publications as Rolling Stone, which declared the album “a must hear,” and MOJO, which wrote, “Francis digs deep on guileless rock and soul with bold flourishes, ala Lowell George or Randy Newman.”
An equally gifted live performer, Francis has sold out headline shows across the globe, shared the stage with Wilco and members of The Meters, supported the likes of My Morning Jacket, Marcus King, and Black Pumas, appeared at major festivals such as Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock, and Lollapalooza, and even performed at historic venues like Carnegie Hall. The dazzling power of Francis’s energetic live performances was recently captured for posterity with 2023’ double live album and concert film, Francis Comes Alive. which GRAMMY.com noted “could’ve been cut in 1973 or 2023 — as if The Band, The Meters, Wings and Dr. John had become unstuck in time.”
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