Frances Hope unveils the complexities of unhealthy relationships and being struggling to move on, hoping to be told to ‘Stay’, in her newest single.
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Frances Hope is a lover of music and its craft who left her hometown Edmonton, AB, to pursue her dreams in the industry. Now based in Victoria, BC, and with an EP and three singles in her discography, Frances has been achieving her goals step by step.
With a sound inspired by early Joni Mitchell, Lana Del Rey, Gordon Lightfoot, Brandi Carlile, and the folk music she’s grown up listening to, her music places an emphasis on profound and emotional songwriting that’s accompanied by fitting melodies. Frances grabs her own mental health struggles as a way to advocate and spread awareness while slowly healing from those feelings and events — her opening up and being deeply personal in her songs is one of its main attractors, as it draws in others with similar experiences and wounds.
Stay, her first single since 2020, touches on the diminishing, yet still alive and slowly growing will to overcome the feeling of powerlessness you’ve been consumed by for a while, all while secretly yearning to stay in this state forever. The track was released on the tenth of March, and was produced by Spencer Lilo.
Dreamt up during a personal moment with her piano, Stay presents Frances’ contemplations and hopes of what it’s like to be wanted and needed in a pure way. With an attachment to the past and the moments where disaster was still hiding, the story presented in the single is one of a victim of a toxic relationship battling their thoughts, as the aftermath of what they’ve gone through.
A raw take into the contradicting thoughts of someone who, despite knowing the relationship was dangerous, can’t help but occasionally miss the person responsible for their pain. Stay was made out of the artist’s personal experiences, representing love as an addiction and answering the question “why didn’t you just leave?” that plagues people in these situations.
“I needed to voice the reason we decide to stay in those situations,” Frances began, “so others healing from the same type of heartbreak can take solace in the fact that they are not alone. Stay is a letter to those needing to forgive themselves for what they experienced, and recognizing healing is non-linear and nothing can be gained from a relationship that makes you suffer.”
This sentimental ballad captures the sorrow and brokenness felt by someone who’s been torn apart by the person who’s meant to take care of them, and the track does not hold back on its sadness and painful truth. However, there is an uplifting feel that comes with the rock elements present in the song: at first, it is a persistent drum and at the very end, it’s joined by an electric guitar, that can either be taken as the flames of love that haven’t completely extinguished — or the will to enter a new stage of live, wearing these wounds like a medal from having survived the relationship.
Whether it was being with a narcissist, a manipulator, or a being who uses abuse as a tool, there are a myriad of toxic and unhealthy relationships, and yet in none of those situations, will it be the other party’s fault. Frances hopes to deliver this point across, using her signature “intimate and touching with subtle and emotional insight” music to remind everyone, those who have or haven’t lived through it, that we are all our own stars, and should never put out our own brightness for someone else’s sake.
If you enjoyed Frances Hope’s music and would like to stay updated, be sure to check out her official website. For social media you can follow her Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok accounts. To listen to her music, you can head over to her Spotify profile, Soundcloud, and Youtube channel, or you can purchase their music at Bandcamp.
You can also support the artist by streaming and sharing her music, which can be found in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Chill – Folk – Acoustic, Female Rising Stars, and 12 New Songs This Week.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you should subscribe to Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists we’ve talked about!
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