Hannah Frances ~ Reese Florence

Hannah Frances (b. 1997) is a vocalist, guitarist, composer, and poet that NPR’s Ann Powers calls “a stunning vocalist and songwriter, making monumental and mythic music,” and was awarded Pitchfork’s Best New Music for her critically acclaimed 2024 album Keeper of the Shepherd. Frances will release her forthcoming album Nested in Tangles on October 10 with Fire Talk Records. With this distinctive body of work, Frances solidifies herself as an artist of insurgent emotional clarity, committed to personal truth and self-actualization. On this album, she narrates complex stories of familial estrangement, emotional trauma, and a deepening of her own sense of trust, through a collection of intricate, dizzying, and large-scale compositions. Nested in Tangles spans the realms of progressive rock, avant-folk, and jazz, but remains anchored throughout with Frances’ signature vocal leaps and percussive, polyrhythmic fingerpicking.
A persistent troubadour, Frances lives in Vermont with roots in Chicago, though she is most often touring internationally and nationally, opening for artists such as Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Florist, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Weather Station, Hiss Golden Messenger, Billie Marten, Whitney, and Damien Jurado, among others. Whether performing as a solo act or leading her full seven-piece ensemble, her mythology spellbinds with an insistent gravity.

Reese Florence doesn’t just make music—she builds an atmosphere. Like filling the space with light in a dark and empty room. The Guyanese-Martiniquais American singer-songwriter pulls from a deep and meditative place to create songs that feel both intimate and immense.

As her songs drift, unravel, and settle deep in your chest, you find yourself soothed by her vocals. A voice that holds authority, settled in alto. Her words are delicate but powerful: “Please, tell me how / You take your night tea / To help you sleep sound.” It’s a whisper that lingers, like the last conversation before you fall asleep. Think Sibyl Baier’s ghostly and iconic folk or Jessica Pratt’s delicate surrealism, but with a stillness all her own.

Her debut EP, Avoir, Ennui (2024), is a quiet storm of restraint and emotion. The album’s warmth is amplified by Katie Hackett’s backing vocals and guitar, while Adam Shumpski’s bass and percussion add a steady, grounding pulse. Florence spoke with us about where music found her, the weight of place, and what’s next for her Philadelphia-rooted sound. —words by Attia Taylor