Neal Francis to Release New Album in March; Shares New Power Pop Song

Acclaimed singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis is ringing in the new year with his eagerly anticipated third studio album, Return To Zero, arriving Friday, March 14 via ATO Records. Pre-orders are available now.

Francis’ first full-length studio effort in more than three years and most extravagantly realized work so far, Return To Zero sees the Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist creating a beautifully strange entangling of timeless rock ’n’ roll and ’70s-era dance music. Merging supremely heavy guitar riffs with lush and pulsating grooves, Francis constructed the album sans digital programming in keeping with his long-standing devotion to all things analog.

The album is heralded by the premiere of the gorgeously sprawling power pop anthem, “What’s Left Of Me,” available everywhere now. A piercingly candid reflection on life on the road co-written with chart-topping Nashville-based songwriter Chris Gelbuda (Sabrina Carpenter, Meghan Trainor, Zac Brown Band), the track is accompanied by an official music video streaming now.

“Chris and I are good friends and we got to talking about the challenges of being in a committed relationship while you’re on tour,” says Neal Francis. “A lot of these songs were influenced by Electric Light Orchestra and the way Jeff Lynne synthesizes classical music and pop songwriting, and ‘What’s Left Of Me’ was definitely one where I was going for an ELO vibe.”

Co-produced by Francis alongside frequent collaborator Sergio Rios and recorded live in the studio with members of his touring band, Return To Zero is further highlighted by the playfully swaggering, deliberately over-the-top confession of romantic desperation, “Back It Up,” joined by an official music video directed by Alec Basse and streaming now.

Hailed by SPIN as “a mesmerizing performer,” Francis will celebrate Return To Zero with an epic international tour schedule that will see him traversing the globe through 2025 and beyond, with full details to be announced soon. The first leg of North American headline dates begins March 20th in Cleveland, OH, and continues through mid-April. A pair of Japanese headline shows will be followed by a second US headline run, getting underway May 7 on the West Coast. In addition, Francis will also bring his show-stopping live set to an array of festivals around the world, beginning this weekend at Bobby Weir’s annual Dead Ahead in Riviera Cancun, Mexico (January 9-13), followed by Byron Bay, Australia’s famed Byron Bay Bluesfest (April 17-20), a two-night stand at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival set for New Orleans, LA’s historic Tipitina’s (May 2-3), and Denver, CO’s Outside Festival (May 31). Additional dates will be announced. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.nealfrancis.com/tour.

NEAL FRANCIS – TOUR 2025

JANUARY

9-13 – Riviera Cancun, Mexico – Dead Ahead *

MARCH

20 – Cleveland, OH

21 – Pittsburgh, PA

22 – Toronto, ON

26 – Boston, MA

27 – New York, NY

28 – Philadelphia, PA

29 – Portland, ME

APRIL

1 – Raleigh, NC

2 – Charleston, SC

3 – Asheville, NC

4 – Atlanta, GA

5 – Nashville, TN

8 – Oklahoma City, OK

9 – Kansas City, MO

10 – St. Louis, MO

11 – Louisville, KY

12 – Indianapolis, IN

17-20 – Byron Bay, Australia – Byron Bay Bluesfest *

24 – Tokyo, JP – Shibuya Club Quattro

25 – Osaka, JP – Umeda Shangrila

MAY

2 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival @ Tipitina’s *

3 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival @ Tipitina’s *

7 – Solana Beach, CA

8 – Los Angeles, CA

10 – Stateline, NV

13 – Chico, CA

15 – Bend, OR

16 – Portland, OR

17 – Seattle, WA

31 – Denver, CO – Outside Festival *

* Festival Appearance

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. Highlighted by the top 5 Americana radio favorite, “Can’t Stop The Rain,” the album once again earned international praise from such publications as MOJO, which wrote, “Francis digs deep on guileless rock and soul with bold flourishes, a la Lowell George or Randy Newman.” A wide range of prestigious accolades also followed, including a 2022 Americana Music Honors & Awards nomination for “Emerging Act of the Year” as well as top Libera Awards nominations in both 2022 and 2024.

A remarkably 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, Newport Folk, Bourbon & Beyond, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and Lollapalooza, lit up CBS This Morning with an electrifying three-song “Saturday Sessions,” and even performed at historic venues like Carnegie Hall. The dazzling power of Francis’s energetic live performances was officially captured for posterity with 2023’s 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.”

Photo Credit: Jack Karnatz

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