Frances Quinlan

Frances Quinlan, the frontwoman of the acclaimed indie rock band Hop Along, first launched the endeavor as a solo endeavor before its expansion, and she issued her own debut album, Likewise, in 2020. Although born in Manhattan, she grew up in Philadelphia, where she initially pursued oil painting classes prior to shifting her focus toward music. Her primary influences included Ani DiFranco, Patty Griffin, Fiona Apple, and Bright Eyes, while her older brother Mark introduced her to a broader but less central appreciation for metal. During her final year of high school, Quinlan began composing and performing solo acoustic indie folk material as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis and put out the project’s first full-length, Freshman Year, in 2005. She continued under that name for several years until enlisting her brother on drums along with bassist Tyler Long and guitarist Joe Reinhart, at which point the endeavor became a complete band; the members shortened the moniker to Hop Along for their inaugural release, the 2012 album Get Disowned. Quinlan’s incisive, thoughtful lyricism helped cultivate a loyal audience, leading the group to sign with Saddle Creek and issue Painted Shut in 2015 and Bark Your Head Off, Dog in 2018. Seeking an outlet for material that diverged from the band’s established sound, she chose to make a solo record; Likewise incorporated synths, harps, strings, and programmed beats alongside her customary guitar work, and Quinlan and Reinhart produced the sessions at his studio, The Headroom.