Frances Ancheta Delivers A Beautiful and Honest Record

A beautiful new album release from Frances Ancheta delivers a particular breed of honesty in the form of warm tonalities, welcoming aesthetics, and hints of Southern undertone that all come at you with such lush character that you can't turn away.

The Saving Graces album feels personal throughout its course. You can tell that she's giving pieces of herself in her music, but she's also having fun performing it. She's got a lot of soul in both the vocal and instrumentation, but it's the story she tells that has a way of sort of wrapping itself around you.

In a way, this album feels almost like a diary. Each song serves almost like a chapter in her life, and I really love that because it lets the album speak as a whole.

When you listen to one or two tracks, you do get an idea for some of the staples that you will hear; you won't get the full spectrum that the entire album has to offer, so I suggest listening to this one from start to finish because that's what it was meant for.

The record blends Americana, country, folk, indie pop, hints of rock, and a lot more, all rolled into this one big record, and there are more than a few surprises around the corners, along with, again, this beautiful sort of character and personality that you end up latching on to.

The record kicks off with the track called "In My Time of Need", which beckons a personal struggle and one that a lot of us can relate to. This is what I mean by such rich honesty that's delivered.

This is an album that doesn't hold much back in the way of inner thought or emotion. She lets a lot of those inner thoughts come spilling out for everyone to soak up.

This happens right from that first track, and it's an amazing song to introduce the record to as well.

You get a feel for some of that Americana, classic folk, and sort of Southern undertone with this introduction, and you get some more of that throughout the record, along with a slew of other influences that show face.

Again, it's that amazing personal space that she lets you in on. This is what sort of pulls you into the record a lot of the time. Songs like "Self Love" would be a perfect example.

It's a song about self-worth, identity, growing up, and as the title says, self-love.

The way she puts things is so straightforward, and I feel like that's part of why you can connect with a lot of these songs. She doesn't really hide behind metaphors a lot of the time. She puts everything right in your face so that it's crystal clear and this is something I adore because it speaks volumes for her as a person and an artist.

This is a record that is not built with walls all around it. The walls are down, she's letting it out, and there are many fewer boundaries than what you may be used to in terms of that honesty and straightforwardness in lyrics.

Songs like "Doing The Best I Can" also showcase so much of that persona. You totally understand and relate to exactly where she's coming from with a song like this, and you feel almost understood just from hearing it.

This is a beautifully lush record. There's a lot of great guitar work across this entire release, along with vocals that bear that same persona and emotion in their delivery, but still keep in mind certain pop underbellies that she wants to hold on to.

So, she does have this great pop sensibility throughout the entire thing while still being totally honest and unafraid.

I like albums that feel a little vulnerable, the way this one does. It's not over the top, but you can tell she's opening up and not being scared to sing what she means.

This was the record meant for her. Not for someone else.

I love that because I feel like that's what real art is all about. Creating to express. No boundaries, no walls, no thoughts about what other people may feel about it.

That is the kind of beauty and essence that this whole album captures.

It also feels very one-on-one in terms of the performance. It has a strange way of putting you there in the moment with her.

There are a lot of songs that stick with you for long after the record has ended, and the only way to satiate that feeling is to go listen to them again.

So, I'll say it once more; go listen to this album from start to finish all the way through, and one shot.

It's well worth the time, and it really gives you that sense of personality to hold on to and that connective essence that you gain from listening to it.

As far as we understand, a lot of this record was written or recorded during quarantine, so she had a lot of time to really put this together, which is probably why it shines the way it does. It's got so much presence.

So take a deep dive into this record, and while you're doing it, have a read through of our interview with Frances below as we talk about the record itself, what may be coming up next for her, and more.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about Saving Graces! This album had hints of psychedelic undertone, personal approaches, and a great warmth!!  Where did this release come from? 

Thanks for the nice compliments and feedback! This release is an independently released album that took me almost 3 years to make. The songs came from a combo of different inspirations. Some songs were half finished songs that I had started a few years back when I was undergoing cancer treatment, and I was writing songs as part of my own healing process. (Luckily I'm an 8 year survivor, thanks be to God.) And other songs were inspired by writing prompts from two online songwriting groups resulting in new compositions. All of the songs were completed during the Covid quarantine era.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Yes, I have eclectic taste in music so I'm glad that you hear different approaches! I admire singer/songwriters of the 60s, 70s, and 80s from different genres, including folk, post punk, new wave, indie/alternative pop/rock. Folk singer/songwriters like Don McLean, Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian, Nick Drake, Phil Ochs, Eva Cassidy. Post punk legends like The Cure, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen. Ethereal sounding women artists like Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, Sarah McLachlan. Original rock artists like U2, REM, Jeff Buckley,. Radiohead. Plus world music influences as well including flamenco and reggae, in addition to the Filipino folk and pop songs my family played when I was a kid. I was also in musical theatre as a teen, and my parents loved old pop standards and crooners, so I enjoy those styles too.

Buzz Slayers: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

I recorded this album at a home setup. An extremely talented San Francisco Bay Area producer and engineer, Bozho Lasich, has a fully set up recording studio on the bottom floor of his home. All the recording and mixing was done there. And as far as the mastering, I worked with Chris von Sneidern, a local fixture of the SF Bay Area scene in his own right as a songwriter and producer. He owns and operates out of Tape Vault Studio, which is part of the legendary Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco.

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as an artist?

I was a quiet, introverted, and shy kid but loved to get out my inner singing and dancing diva every so often lol. As a child I learned classical piano, was in the school band playing the saxophone, and I taught myself the basics of acoustic guitar using my dad's mini sized guitar and folk rock guitar textbook.  In my teens I studied dance and was in musical theater productions. In college I published poetry in local magazines and was part of the University Dancers group, as well as part of a Filipino folk dance troupe. In my young adulthood I studied classical guitar, continued to perform as a tap dancer, and was part of the female acapella singing group The Loose Interpretations for several years. It all culminated in me putting all of these skills and experiences together to finally be brave enough to write my own songs and try them out at local open mics. That led to networking with other fellow artists who wanted me to gig with them or play where they were playing, and they encouraged me to record my songs. The rest is history lol. 

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now? 

Yes, I love performing live and have for about two decades. I perform at local festivals, outdoor events, markets, and music venues around the San Francisco Bay Area. I also organize local songwriter showcases and have curated hospital music concerts well. In addition, I've also been performing monthly online doing live streaming. 

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you?

I'm going to see if I can promote the Saving Graces album on more radio and podcast outlets, and possibly do shows outside of the San Francisco area. In addition, I also have in the queue another EP release called Union, which is an ode to my experience growing up as a Filipino American. It's a combination of songs I grew up with as well as original songs. It will be my first recorded music in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino).

Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?

Some of my favorite local artists like Mjoy, Matt Jaffe, Chris von Sneidern, Pete Kronowitt, Kevin North Band, as well as all the other artists I mentioned. :) 

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

People can expect thoughtful and eclectic indie folk/pop/rock, with a mix of influences and themes of reflection, life observation, learning from mistakes, healing and growing, and being thankful for the saving graces of life. For me and many others, music is our saving grace!

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Thank you all so much for appreciating my music, and for accepting me as I am and for connecting with my creative essence and authentic self. I'm a middle aged mom of a special needs child, a cancer survivor, and a quirky but regular person who just wants to write good songs and make good music. As far as getting through life, enjoying life to the fullest, and doing the best we can, we're all in this together! 

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