David Francey – from carpenter to songwriter. Since leaving the construction business to record the album Torn Screen Door in 1999, Scottish-born Canadian David Francey is now recognized as one of today’s finest singer-songwriters. Francey’s straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. Poetic perception and a keen eye for the heart of the matter are trademarks of Francey and his music. His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day.
David has released nine CDs to date. His most recent, Late Edition, has garnered much praise receiving two Canadian Folk Music nominations. A three time JUNO award winner David Francey has also had the honour of receiving the prestigious SOCAN Folk Music Award. In the last few years he took home the Grand Prize in both the International Acoustic Music Awards and in the Folk category for the John Lennon Songwriting Awards.
David Francey was born in 1954 in Ayrshire, Scotland where he got his first taste of the working life as a paperboy. At the age of ten he was devouring the newspapers he delivered, establishing a life-long interest in politics and world events while developing the social conscience that forms the backdrop to his songs. David was twelve when he and his family moved to Toronto. His love of the landscape, the history and the people of his adopted country can be traced back to family weekend drives exploring Southern Ontario.
Music played a large part in these family outings. The Franceys sang traditional Scottish tunes as they drove through the Canadian countryside. David’s dad and sister sang melody while David and his mother sang harmonies. David’s attachment to Canada grew with his travels. He hitchhiked across the country three times and then thumbed his way to the Yukon. This attachment surfaces in his songs of rail lines, farms and the St. Lawrence Seaway. His understanding of the people grew as he worked in Toronto train yards, in the Yukon bush and in construction in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.
In concert David Francey is a singer and a storyteller. His wry humour and astute observations combined with his open-hearted singing style have earned him a loyal following. Amongst the many artists who have recorded David Francey songs are The Del McCoury Band, Tracy Grammer, The Rankin Family, James Keelaghan, Raylene Rankin, Harvey Reid,
“David Francey’s songs are lean, whippet-like creations, a bit like the man himself. With not one wasted word or superfluous line he takes the everyday, often mundane business of living and elevates it into something infinitely more noble and memorable, the mark of a truly gifted songwriter.” Eric Bogle
Artist’s website: https://www.davidfrancey.com/
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