Francesca
Reggio & Blue Shift
Music fans are looking to have a relationship with artists
again; to experience that connection which has gone missing
from the commercial scene. Boston-based Francesca Reggio and
Blue Shift is bringin' it back to the days of the accessible,
self-deprecating live show. With thoughtfully crafted pop
songs and lyrics that sneak up on you with their clarity and
sometimes brutal honesty, the band delivers quality entertainment
without pretense.
Lead singer and songwriter Francesca Reggio (whose Grandpa
was in the mob so deep the book about him is no longer printed)
knows there's no need to hide the truth in cryptic lyrics
and frustrating metaphors or to veil a perfectly good band
in guyliner. Her voice is soulful, simple and clear, with
just enough sparkle to set her sound apart from your usual
sleepy singer/songwriter genre. Her unique band of accomplished
musicians - Benjamin Ricci (electric guitar), Lou Paniccia
(drums), and Pamela Gouveia (keyboard) - succeed in making
Francesca think they're only there to make her look
good. Floating bass duties are taken on by Andreas Farmakalidis,
who got the big break through MySpace, and/or funk-metal veteran
Tony Gouveia, who trashes chick music at rehearsal but secretly
sings Francesca's songs in the shower.
Ever since she was old enough to sing "Livin' On A Prayer"
in her mother's '87 Buick and worship Jem (truly outrageous)
on TV, Francesca knew she wanted to contribute to the world
through music. She met Pam, an artist management student (inspired
by That Thing You Do), when they were both attending Berklee
College of Music. Pam had two days to fill a vacated spot
on a coffeehouse stage, so the two quickly put together three-hours
of covers and started playing together regularly as Francesca
began writing original material fueled by life experiences,
relationships, and a few glasses of White Zinfandel (though
it is rumored that writing "Victim" took a half
a bottle of a Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio blend.)
As a flat-broke student, Francesca, along with sidekick Pam,
found a friend to record her first demo for free. Unfortunately,
as they were finalizing overdubs, the hard drive crashed and
they lost everything. Lesson learned, Francesca bought a microphone
and some software and recorded her own acoustic demo in her
closet. In 2007 Blue Shift came together through various connections
and bribes. Enter Zac Cataldo of Night Train Studios who stepped
up to record their 2009 EP, State Of Motion,
and made them all finally feel like the rock stars they saw
in their bathroom mirrors. "In My Place" is a classic
kiss-off rocker with witty, acerbic lyrics ("When she
sees my name saved on your video game she will ask" )
while "You Never Happened" was a last-minute studio
decision to record acoustic guitar and vocals simultaneously
with no vocal edits, ala early influences Patty Griffin and
Jewel.
With performances at the New England Culture Fest and Lowell
Folk Festival under her belt, Francesca had already made a
name for herself in the local scene. The band continues to
play live in support of the new EP, and to watch with wonder
as fans find pieces of themselves in the songs. As for the
future, top-40 radio domination is inevitable. The band hopes
to continue to avoid unnecessary adornment (though they have
Sephora on speed-dial if that's what it takes) and Francesca
would like to spend a day with Billy Joel so he can teach
her how to be so insanely awesome. |
