The long-awaited debut album from Neil Frances, ‘There Is No Neil Frances’ just dropped and marks a significant moment for the duo that’s been working together since 2016. The record was recorded by the duo, comprised of Sydney-born Jordan Feller and Southern California native Marc Gilfry, in their Echo Park studio over the past year and loosely tells the story of an insect aspiring to find its place in a utopian dreamscape. The band explains, “Our new album is about self-realization and becoming the person that you dream of. The concept is that we are insects on earth who ascend into outer space to become divas at a galactic ball.” Feller and Gilfry met in 2012 and formed the group in 2016, having both relocated to LA from London and New York, respectively, in pursuit of new projects. Feller began his music career back home in Australia as a hip-hop obsessed, self-taught electronic music DJ, while Gilfry grew up in a musically-inclined household and played and sang in multiple bands. Putting special emphasis on their live sets and preferring to perform with a multi-piece band, the group has developed a reputation as a must-see stage artist, having performed multiple sold-out shows during their current headlining U.S. tour. “I think there’s a lot of diversity in the people who listen to our songs and come out to our shows, and we feel like that’s the result of something intentional,” Gilfry says. “Jordan and I always wanted to use our music to build a tent big enough for anyone and everyone.” Feller stated, “With an album, you have to be able to zoom out and see the bigger picture, and it gives you the chance to show personality and tell a bit more of a story. We’ve created a journey here. And we know now more than ever what we’re good at and what we love about creating music.”
Jordan and Marc from Neil Frances spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about their early days leading up to the debut album, choosing their band name, live performances and more.
