Introducing Maja Francis
Photo by Milkdrop Studio (filter by Squarespace)
Hey Maja, so what’re you up to today?
I’m on a train back home from visiting my parents house in south of Sweden, listening to Lana del Rey’s new album (and loving it!).
Introduce yourself to our campers.
I’m Maja Francis, a pink loving cry baby from Sweden.
You released your debut album A Pink Soft Mess a few weeks ago, what can you tell me about it in two sentences?
This album is about my voice, how it finally found its place and found the courage to lead the way. It’s also kind of like a pink fluffy journal with mascara stains on every page, telling the story of how beauty and pain can live next to each other.
How did the record come together; did you write it all in the same time period or have you collected the songs over time?
Some of the songs are over two years old. And some were finished in the studio while recording. I started writing when I didn’t even think I would ever release music again. I wrote for me, and for my own healing… then after a few months more songs came alive… and then I was like… wait, this is an album! And there it was. My pink soft mess. I couldn't and did not want to keep her only to myself.
In another interview I read you touched on depression and the impact that had on you making music, can you talk about that a bit?
Depression is something I’ve been struggling with on and off since I was a teenager, but in the summer of 2018 I got real sick, it was probably my deepest depression so far... I had burned myself out. My body said stop. So I slept for like three months straight, and in that period I felt a strong need to break up with music. It was like a destructive relationship and it didn’t make me happy anymore. Then after a while I started to write lyrics/journaling, and melodies came to me again. I’ve realized that’s how it is for me. I need silence to hear myself. So slowly I opened up to the idea of maybe I could fall in love with music again. But it took almost a year to even think about actually recording the songs that were written and even longer to think about actually releasing it. It’s a pain in the **** to have these mental health wars, but it has also given me such depth to things that I am so grateful for. I’ve learned how to handle myself with care to avoid falling down too deep. But it’s a life long practice and I’m always a little scared I might fall back.
I think everyone assumes releasing an album is an exciting and joyful thing, but is it also pretty scary? Especially when it’s your first.
Since the journey before the album was kind of a painful ride, I was actually so so happy when the album came out... and I still am. Not to say that there aren't fears and stress coming along with releasing songs again. I’m constantly working on not to run too fast, and not to start looking at myself from the outside again. It’s so hard but when I start doing that I also become too self aware and judgemental. I’m trying to think that the album is now not only mine, and then also the responsibility of her might be shared with everyone who listens... it takes the pressure off a bit.
How did you come to choose ‘Anxious Angel’ as the first song on the album?
It was one of the first songs I wrote for the album after my pause, and one of the first songs we recorded. I don’t really know how it ended up as the first song on the album, but when I put all the songs together trying different orders, it just felt right to have that angel choir intro.
What can you tell me about the song ‘PMS Party’?
I was home alone feeling moody, PMS-ing, drinking wine and started to wander around in the apartment with my guitar in my stay ups singing “I’m having a PMS party”... I wrote the song so fast so I didn’t even know if it was really a song. But I took it to the studio some days after and the boys (Johannes & David, co-producers and co-writers of the album) loved it, 10 minutes later they were both singing “PMS Party” chorus on repeat.
And how was making the video, fun or hard work?
I had so much fun!!! It’s always a lot of work making videos but it’s also such a luxury to dress up and play! Also it’s really special when someone (Milkdrop Studios for this one) takes your seed of an idea and your song and turns it into art.
Talk to me about ‘Emo Butterfly’, what’s the story to that song?
I wrote it one summer when my friend was really sad, I wanted to tell them “you're not alone in this, I can come join you in your cocoon”. I visualized us as two dark blue butterflies flying around, getting stuck in the mud but always helping each other up.
What’s the song on the album that you’ve talked about the least in interviews?
Hmmmm, probably “How Are We Doing” or “Lucky”.
Tell me about your hometown, what was it like growing up for you?
I grew up in the south of Sweden in a tiny village called “Skälderviken” outside of Ängelholm. I’m so so thankful for my childhood and for growing up by the ocean, having friends close by and being able to spend all my days after school in my dad’s record store. It is not the most cultural town though so the older I got I felt the urge to move and be able to find music in more places than my dad’s store. I do love going there to visit my parents whenever I can, to get quiet time and ocean sound and cat cuddles.
If you could recommend one artist to hear this week, who would it be?
I’ve been having Morgan Wade’s album Reckless on repeat!
Finally, how do you take your coffee?
Decaffeinated and foamy.
To find out more about Maja you can check out her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
