Breaking Through | 8 Questions with Francis of Delirium

Depicting teenage self-discovery through grunge-y tones and midwest emo introspection, Francis of Delirium probably make the loudest racket you'll ever hear coming out of Luxembourg.

Posted: 23 February 2021 Words: Tom Curtis-Horsfall

FFO: Snail Mail, Diet Cig, Soccer Mommy

Making the loudest racket you'll probably ever hear coming out of Luxembourg (albeit via Canada and America), Francis of Delirium depict teenage self-discovery through grunge-y tones and midwest emo introspection, meshing 90s alt-rock riffs with the self-awareness that Gen Z seems to possess in abundance.

The duo, made up of 19-year old prodigy Jana Bahrich and (by no means silent but certainly less visible) collaborator Chris Hewett, recently dropped 'Let It All Go' - the latest single from impending sophomore EP Wading blurs reality and fantasy, seeing Bahrich paints a penetratingly honest perspective of committing social suicide on a night out, a fictional account of indulging in their own sadness whilst everyone parties around them.

Before Wading drops in March (via Dalliance Recordings) we grabbed a few words with Jana:

What’s the story behind your band name?

There was a woman named Frances at my grandparents old folks home who would swear at us when we were pretty young maybe 5/6 years old and so I had a sort of fondness for her and she always kind of stuck around in my head. Anyways it felt like 'Frances' and 'Delirium' made sense together and I just switched out the 'e' for an 'i' for aesthetic reasons.

How would you describe your music to someone who hadn't heard you yet?

Yesterday someone said we make 'sad angry' music which I felt like was kind of accurate.

How did you and Chris meet, and how long have you been working together?

Chris’ oldest kid is one year younger than me, and we went to the same school together. Chris would host jam sessions with anyone who would want to join and Chris, his kids, me and another guitarist would play cover songs around little bars in Luxembourg. Eventually I started bringing my own songs to these practices and then Chris and I would work on them together. Once I decided I was going to make my own project it felt pretty natural to ask Chris to join in.

Which music influences you both, in terms of either specific genres of artists?

Chris and I had sort of bonded over a love for 90’s music, listening to bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. Now we’ve both been listening to more pop - I have a deep love for Caroline Polachek, and Chris likes Kehlani.

How did your move to Luxembourg materialise?

Both my parents are international school teachers and we had been looking to move back to Europe. Luxembourg sort of presented itself.

What’s the inspiration behind your recent single ‘Let It All Go’?

The attempt to let go of an unhealthy relationship you have with yourself and someone else.

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming EP?

Chris and I recorded the guitars in his basement and the drums in the laundry room right at the beginning of Spring in 2020. At the heart of what we were doing sonically was using this guitar pedal called Infinite Jets, which in retrospect you probably can’t hear that much in the recordings but it really shaped how we approached the songs. The pedal is sort of hard to control (at least for me) so you get a different take each time. That gave the process this element of surprise that kept the songs changing and evolving which was fun.

What's the biggest lesson you've learnt as a musician so far?

To really trust your gut.