Get to know 2023 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year nominee, Francois Klark in our “7 Questions With” series where we speak with first-time JUNO Award nominees from all genres.
With over 20 million catalogue streams and 478K Shazams, Francois Klark is recognized around the world as an exceptional artist, producer, musician, and singer-songwriter. The Universal Music Award Winner and recipient of Humber College’s Oscar Peterson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music is a fiercely creative artist who has captivated both music fans and top-level music industry professionals. Francois Klark’s 2022 sophomore album “Adventure Book”, best described as a wanderlust memoir, is filled with outstanding lyrics, expert melodic craftsmanship, and musical performances as awe-inspiring as the journeys they were written about.
1. How does it feel to be nominated for a JUNO award?
It all feels very surreal. I am very thankful for the nomination, which to me, feels a bit like a reassuring nod that the path that I have chosen to follow with my music and career is headed in the right direction. I also feel incredibly honoured to share the Adult Contemporary Album of the Year category with musical legends such as Jann Arden, Michael Bublé, Tyler Shaw, and Marc Jordan & Amy Sky.
2. Tell us a bit about your JUNO-nominated project.
From running through the lively streets of Oaxaca City during Dia de los Muertos to bike rides with my best friend around my hometown to climbing volcanoes in Guatemala – ‘Adventure Book’ is a wanderlust memoir in which I reminisce and reflect on memories and stories that I’ve collected throughout Oaxaca, Guatemala, Canada, and my native South Africa. The album is a celebration of life, the human spirit, youth, and relationships. Slinking between poignantly intimate and abundantly exuberant, ‘Adventure Book’ delves into our longing to connect with others and our desire to explore our world. The songs on the album range from pop anthems to introspective ballads and soaring orchestral arrangements that draw inspiration from my fascination with electronic, cinematic, and world music.
3. What has been the craziest moment of your music career to date?
Aside from this year’s JUNO nomination, one of the craziest and proudest moments of my music career was hearing a song of mine set to picture in a major Netflix film for the first time. In 2020 Director Elissa Down’s hit film ‘Feel The Beat’ featured the song throughout the film in both a critical scene and as a theme throughout the film score. The film’s lead actress, Sofia Carson, also covered the song during the film credits.
4. What’s your favourite lyric from this project, and why does it resonate with you so much?
‘We are from the same dust. We are all we’ve got. Just a dot of light in the ocean of our vast and beautiful universe.’
This lyric from the song ‘Beautiful Universe’ resonates with me the most because it summarizes the three most important things that I would like to be reminded of every day, and through which I would like to view life:
1. We are all human. Not one of us was created more or less than the other.
2. We exist to be in a relationship with each other, to love, and to be there for one another.
3. We are but a very small part of something incredibly immense and beautiful.
5. Which Canadian artist would you like to collaborate with and why?
Alanis Morissette – It was through listening to Alanis’ music as a kid that my interest in songwriting was sparked. I was captivated by her sound, and how she can convey emotions and tell stories with her writing. I would love to write and make music with her.
6. What would you like music fans to know about you? How would you introduce your music to new or soon-to-be fans?
I’m a South African-Canadian pop singer and songwriter who likes to tell stories by painting vivid pictures with words set to music rooted in my love for electronic, cinematic, and world music.
7. What’s next for you?
I’ll be on the road with the ‘Adventure Book’ album later this year.
Rewatch every performance and memorable moment from The 2023 JUNO Awards broadcast, on CBC Gem, CBCMusic.ca/junos and The JUNO Awards social channels.
