Francesca Londono
Francesca Londono is an 18 year old singer, songwriter and producer from Miami, Florida. Francesca was classically trained in Opera at the young age of 6. She later started playing classical piano shortly after. Francesca wrote her first song at the age of 10 after her father had passed away. To her It was the greatest moment of her life. Discovering a way that she could deal with her emotions, thoughts, and stories in her head, write them down on paper and turn it into a song. Francesca attended "Idyllwild Arts Academy", an arts boarding high school in Idyllwild, and graduated there with an artistic diploma in songwriting. Francesca has furthered her musical studies at "Berklee College of Music" majoring in Music Production & Engineering. This is where she met and formed her band "Retrograde88", a dream pop band from Boston, MA. Francesca is releasing a new single on December 30th called "Violent Breakfast". Be on the look out for this dreamy tune!
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?!
Melancholic, Euphoric, Dreamy
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
Oh Gosh I can't choose! They are all my favorite parts about being an artist. They all have their own special way that makes me love what I do. Songwriting comes natural to me. I write all the time! On the street, in the middle of the night, whilst in the shower. I just pull up my voice memos and/or notes and record a melody I had stuck in my head or a lyrical idea. I love performing because I get to have an intimate moment with the audience and/or my fans. The atmosphere created in the whole room is such a magical experience that could never be achieved without the audiences touch to it all. It's such a surreal and fun experience to me. Being able to perform my own blood, sweat and tears to a crowd I don't even know.
Recording can somewhat be stressful but it's honestly an environment where the song really comes to life. Elements I can add that I wouldn't be able to do so in a live setting. So many Ideas and changes that come up along the recording process.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
I practically live in the studio or at lest the one I created in my bedroom. It's so convenient having the tools to write and produce a whole song in your room. I typically record the melody or melodies I have first and drench them with reverb. Then I choose a dreamy 80 synth sound and record a progression. I also like to add some electric guitar and put some distortion, reverb, and chorus on it. Then I just play around with sounds and elements to elevate the main melody. I love haunting harmonies, so I record a bunch of them. I also love non western instruments, so I try to add some for the percussion side of the song.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
I love poetry. Shocker right? I love to write poems, short stories, fiction, non fiction. I have all these stories in my head and I love writing my emotions in a very poetic , metaphoric way. I love imagery and putting a lot of importance in each individual line. I also love photography. If I wasn't a musician I'd probably be a photographer. To me everything or at least most things can be aesthetically pleasing to my eye. Fashion is another passion of mine. I love to dress up everyday. I'm very extra when it comes to fashion. My mom was a fashion designer so I get the elaborate outfits from her. I love to play around with different colors and patterns and make it my own. If I have a good outfit, my whole day is good..
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
I admire the diversity nowadays. I find it so cool how every singe genre, as different at they are have a fan base. Theres something for everyone. I also love how supportive the music scene is, I feel like we all have some type of admiration for other artists even if the music they make isn't something we'd typically listen to. It baffles me how connections and knowing the right people can do so much good to you. Every person I have met in the music scene has influenced the artist I am today. Also the fact that you don't have to be signed to a label to have a fan base. All you really need is social media and being consistent on it, and if your account falls into the right hands/crowd, theres no looking back
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
The song I have written that is the most emotional is called "Salt & Pepper Hair". It is about my dad who had passed away when I was 10. He was the reason I wrote my first song. It unlocked my passion for music. The fact that I could write down how I felt and turn it into music is the most therapeutic thing ever. The song is called "Salt & Pepper Hair" because he had salt & pepper hair which he'd always try to cover up because it would show that he was getting old, and he never wanted to get old. "Salt & Pepper Hair" is a song where I talk to my dad. Say all the things I never got the chance to say to him. Express my anger, my sadness, my grief all in one song. I'm singing it to him.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
Yes! I am currently working on many new exciting things. I have a new single coming out on December 30th called "Violent Breakfast". I'm also working on Collaborations, A debut Album and music with my band "Retrograde88". Be on the lookout!
Connect with Francesca on Instagram.
Follow Retrograde88 on Instagram.
Stream on Spotify.