The project of singer/songwriter Maria Jacobson, Fran's confessional indie pop draws comparisons to Angel Olsen and Aimee Mann -- and takes inspiration from Sheryl Crow, Arthur Russell, and Jacobson's former career as an actor. On releases like 2019's A Private Picture, she creates characters and emotions that have the ring of truth. Fran's 2023 follow-up, Leaving, was a more philosophical and self-reflective affair.
While growing up, Jacobson took piano lessons and appeared in school musicals. In high school and college, she sang with several bands, but didn't begin writing...