Frances Ancheta injects alternative flavor into folk, acoustic pop
Written by Carson James
San Francisco-based singer/songwriter Frances Ancheta belongs to the post-Generation X side of the acoustic-pop coin, absorbing the influence of not only traditional folk music but the edgy British college rock of the mid-to-late ’80s. These influences inform her approach on her debut album, Now We’re Here, which marries the coffeehouse calmness of folk with the brittle emotions of classic alternative music.
Carson James: While acoustic, I wouldn’t necessarily classify your sound as folk. How would you describe it?
Frances Ancheta: It’s interesting that you say that because I feel exactly the same way. For the longest time I had difficulty in describing my sound because I feel I draw from so many different influences. I couldn’t feel comfortable in describing my music as just folk. After thinking about it and hearing other people’s spontaneous descriptions of my music, I would say “acoustic-driven tropical new wave/alternative/folk pop rock.”
James: When did you learn how to play guitar? Who taught you?
Ancheta: I first learned how to play the guitar at age 10. I was drawn to my dad’s guitar after taking a few years of piano lessons. My dad showed me basic chords when I was young, but basically I first taught myself using my dad’s guitar book, then later learned chords and riffs of my favorite rock stars by ear and by tablature. A musical milestone for me was when I first took a community college classical guitar class 12 years ago. Professor Charles Ferguson forever altered the way I looked at the acoustic guitar; as a former pianist himself he helped me understand the guitar in the way I understood the piano. A light bulb went off in my head, and I was able to understand note reading, arranging, fingerstyle patterns/techniques, and dynamics with guitar. I came to appreciate all the subtleties and power the guitar had to offer.
James: Your songs feel very personal. Are they true to experiences that you’ve had?
Ancheta: Yes, they definitely are. A few of the songs are based on real-life experiences I’ve had with relationships, observations/perceptions about people, and my own life direction and self-worth. Some of the songs were written while working on the CD; others were written at least five years before I started on the CD project. Some of the songs on the CD directly refer to these things. Other songs are based on imaginary issues and situations where I try to understand what someone else might be thinking or feeling. This is especially true with several of the CD songs that I originally wrote for a friend’s movie based on my interpretations of the characters in his screenplay. Unfortunately his movie was never completed, but I still have these songs.
James: How has your style evolved since you started?
Ancheta: My style has evolved in different ways. As a child and pre-teen I really loved pop, old school R&B, New Wave, and alternative rock, especially groups like the Cure, the Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, R.E.M., and Crowded House to name a few. During my later teens and college years, I wasn’t impressed with the latest groups at the time (except for Radiohead, Frente!, and the Sundays) so I turned to jazz, old standards, and world music including The Gipsy Kings/flamenco artists, and reggae. In my twenties I really explored classical/flamenco guitarists, singer/songwriters like Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Eva Cassidy, and Hawaiian music. I think that over the years my style has incorporated all of these influences, but I’ve come to appreciate the possibilities of melody, texture, rhythms, and harmonies in scaled back, unplugged/acoustic sounds.
James: Do you find comfort in singing about sadness?
Ancheta: I don’t think it’s specifically sadness that I find comfort in singing about. Writing songs about my whole range of thoughts and emotions, including sadness, was a very comforting process for me. I think what I found most comforting was the ability to express through music my full range of thoughts and emotions, yet at the same time come to a resolution of hope and acceptance with myself. I think different people I’ve talked to who listened to the CD pick up on that, and they find that it has also helped them achieve some peace, inspiration, and comfort as well. Hey, if my music can help people, then great! That’s a really rewarding and unexpected perk that I’m totally cool with.
