Biography
Over a span of ten years the solo alt-R&B project Francis and the Lights evolved from a personal endeavor into a recurring partner for Drake, Frank Ocean, and Chance the Rapper while establishing itself as a notable artist. Francis Farewell Starlite left Wesleyan University, crossed the country, and settled back in his native Oakland, California, where he decided to build a music career. He devoted twelve months at the city’s Soundwave studio to his first EP, Striking, whose blend of 1980s R&B and contemporary indie textures caught Drake’s attention. Following the 2008 release of the EP A Modern Promise, Starlite formed a limited liability company around the project and secured a $100,000 investment from Normative Music in 2009. The next year brought the EP It’ll Be Better; 2010 also included tours alongside Ke$ha, Mark Ronson, and Drake, plus a guest appearance on the Thank Me Later cut “Karaoke.”
Additional work with Lyrics Born, Das Racist, and Birdy preceded the 2013 EP Like a Dream. Between 2014 and 2015 Starlite joined sessions with Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal, and the Social Experiment. The year 2016 marked his most prominent period to date: he appeared on tracks with Frank Ocean, Cashmere Cat, the Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper for the Coloring Book and Hamilton projects, while Francis and the Lights issued their first full-length album, Farewell, Starlite!, in September. Produced by Nate Fox, Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, and Benny Blanco, among others, the record contained one song captured in the living room of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. In May 2017 the act joined the roster of GOOD Music; late that year Starlite surprise-dropped the second album, Just for Us. He resurfaced in 2019 with the album Take Me to the Light, which included appearances by Bon Iver and Kanye West.
Additional work with Lyrics Born, Das Racist, and Birdy preceded the 2013 EP Like a Dream. Between 2014 and 2015 Starlite joined sessions with Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal, and the Social Experiment. The year 2016 marked his most prominent period to date: he appeared on tracks with Frank Ocean, Cashmere Cat, the Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper for the Coloring Book and Hamilton projects, while Francis and the Lights issued their first full-length album, Farewell, Starlite!, in September. Produced by Nate Fox, Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, and Benny Blanco, among others, the record contained one song captured in the living room of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. In May 2017 the act joined the roster of GOOD Music; late that year Starlite surprise-dropped the second album, Just for Us. He resurfaced in 2019 with the album Take Me to the Light, which included appearances by Bon Iver and Kanye West.
Albums
