Neal Francis

Before embarking on his own path as a performer, the Chicago-based vocalist, composer, and keyboardist Neal Francis honed his skills early on, beginning as a blues accompanist and later joining a promising funk group, until substance issues nearly derailed him. Upon achieving sobriety, he cultivated a nostalgic sound that fuses traditional R&B with rhythms from New Orleans, blues elements, and a generous portion of rock and funk from the early seventies, initiating his independent work via the album Changes in 2019. Two years subsequently, his engaging and multifaceted second album, In Plain Sight, came out, followed by a deeper exploration of his classic R&B roots on the EP Sentimental Garbage from 2022.

Born Neal Francis O'Hara in Oak Brook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, he started piano lessons at four years old and, developing a passion for blues and roots styles, came to admire musicians such as Pinetop Perkins and Otis Spann. This path received additional guidance from Chicago expert in boogie-woogie and stride piano, Erwin Helfer. At eighteen, O'Hara secured the role of touring keyboardist with Mud Morganfield, son of Muddy Waters. Incorporating techniques acquired from this experienced ensemble alongside his fascination with New Orleans figures Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, he became part of the Heard, an up-and-coming Chicago-based instrumental funk band, during 2012. In the following years, he and the Heard gained traction on national tours and festivals, performing alongside groups including the New Mastersounds, the Revivalists, and George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Yet, as the group's popularity increased, O'Hara's alcohol dependency intensified, culminating in 2015 with his dismissal from the Heard and a severe seizure triggered by alcohol that endangered his life.

Reflecting on his circumstances, he turned things around by attaining sobriety and concentrating on song composition. Drawing from his accumulated inspirations, a fresh style emerged, leading him to assemble a cohesive group for album recording in Los Angeles under the guidance of producer Sergio Rios, known for work with Orgone, Cee Lo Green, and Alicia Keys. He joined the compatible Ohio soul label Karma Chief Records, adopted the shortened name Neal Francis, and issued the lively, precisely crafted Changes in 2019. Over the subsequent twelve months, he assembled his next album while residing in what was said to be a haunted church in Chicago. Captured on tape and mixed by Dave Fridmann, whose credits include Spoon, Tame Impala, and Flaming Lips, the energetic and hard-earned In Plain Sight was released in 2021. Four tracks intended for In Plain Sight were excluded from the final version, initially prompting plans for a two-song single. Expanding the project, he re-recorded one track in Los Angeles with Sergio Rios, included covers of "Strawberry Letter 23," which succeeded as a hit for the Brothers Johnson, and "Collage," originally by the James Gang, plus a remix of "Can't Stop the Rain." These comprised the EP Sentimental Garbage, issued by ATO in November 2022.