Fallon Franklin had her first paying gig at 15-years-old. She had performed at school and church events, but after playing that first full show, she knew that being a professional musician is what she was meant to do. Her first full album release was in 2001 and 6 record releases later, she is on a journey to complete her biggest feat yet: an album full of the most personal songs she has ever written.
"Writing and performing is my therapy. I know a lot of musicians say that, but it hasn't just made me 'happy', it's kept me around. From singing background vocals on countless other artists records, being on TV, or singing for 10 people at a dive bar...this is my life and not one moment of singing has been more important than the other." Fallon says about the importance of music in her life.
Her past records have been speckled with personal writing, but a lot of her records have been a means to an end. She has written songs from multiple perspectives, and songs that were meant to fill a place on a record. Her upcoming, yet to be titled release is a direct chronicle of the last year of her life. In over 25 years of performing and releasing albums, this is new for her. "The last year, I have endured things that no person should have to endure. Unmentionable things took place that I said years before would be things I wouldn't be able to get through if they ever happened to me. From the first song on the record, to the last song on the record, there is a progression of the events that took place that is evident in the tracks. Each song is a personal account that archives shock, pain, survival, loss, stumbling through day to day, connections and people that have aided in my healing, and then finally where I am wanting to go and how I am trying to get there."
Fallon says that she believes that music has become so emotionally mainstreamed that people don't have negative or a positive reaction to most music on the radio. Every song is intricately written by a team of writers for a soul purpose of being background music for our daily lives. "Sometimes that isn't a bad thing. We don't need full on emotion from our music every time we listen. Sometimes we need a catchy beat to nod our heads to. I miss the days of hearing a song and being spoken to. That's what I hope listeners get from his record. Everyone connects with pain, loss, and recovery. Why sugar coat that? Why homogenize and tone down a song in order to sell a record? We need to give music listeners more credit. They want to feel strong emotions. They want to connect to a song. Am I nervous to have my diary set to music and my dirty laundry out for everyone to hear? Sure. However, if it makes someone out there not feel so alone and feel like they are the person in the song, I have done my job. Hearing listeners response to the record already has been a part of healing for me. Every "wow, this song really got to me", is a bandaid handed to me." Fallon goes on to add, "it has been healing for me to go back and hear what I wrote during each stage of trying to recover who I am and seeing how far I have come and how much further I have to go. I had lost myself and I'm back. Each song leads up to that discovery."
Fallon is now a single mother that performs up to four shows a week. She hopes to grab the attention of a publishing company through this record that Fallon herself says is her best writing to date. Fallon goes on to add, "Each song on this record is better than anything I have ever written before, and I think that that is due to the fact that each song bleeds the truth. Each song came from such a deep place in me, that the honesty inside of me just wrote the song for me. I was just a hand with a pen".
Fallon will be finishing up this album in the next few weeks and needs your help through her Kickstarter campaign. Help her reach her extended goals today by pre-ordering a cd, requesting a song, or even booking a house concert.
Fallon's Kickstarter Page
Here's a demo cut of Valentine!
