Delicate Steve w/ Fran

“I’ve spent most of my life trying to escape the sound of the electric guitar,” says Steve Marion. That’s a rather surprising confession considering that, under the name Delicate Steve, Marion has spent the better part of the last decade establishing himself as one of the most wildly innovative and widely revered players in the game. He’s recorded with Paul Simon, been sampled by Kanye West, toured in the Black Keys, and released four critically acclaimed albums of genre-bending instrumental music. He’s your favorite musician’s favorite musician, a virtuoso songwriter, producer, and performer who occupies a lane entirely his own in the modern indie landscape, but he’s never liked the sound of the electric guitar? “I’ve tried everything under the sun to get away from it,” he explains. “Until now.”

Fran is the songwriting project of Maria Jacobson. They released their debut record, A Private Picture, on Fire Talk Records in 2019 to critical acclaim. Combining the alt rock of the 90’s with folk and country influences, Fran’s music is, at its core, is about sharing a truth -–telling it, confessing it, yelling it—in the service of human connection. Her songs have been described as “coolly fluid,” (NPR) and “taut, thoughtful songs that are further sharpened by a pristine elegance” (Chicago Reader) that “take listeners on a journey of love and self-discovery” (Bandcamp).