By Jim Loew

When musician David Francey was about 18 years old, he hitchhiked from Toronto all the way to Alaska, to an remote, roadless area commonly referred to as "The Bush." "I’ve always enjoyed traveling," he said. Today, at 52, Francey still enjoys getting out and around. However, he now travels with a band, and he typically drives or takes a plane.

Musicians often complain about road life and the mental toll it takes, but not so from Francey. He loves touring, a good thing because, as he said, "I’m away more than I’m at home."

Home consists of his wife, Beth Girdler, 50, and their three children: Amy, 27; Julia, 24, and Colin, 13, who still lives with his parents. When Francey made the decision to become a full-time musician, he and his wife discussed it with their eyes wide open. "I told her I could handle it, but could she," he recalled. "I would be on the road and away a lot. She was okay with it," he added. Thankfully, his children were also supportive of the decision. "The kids are great," said Francey. "Colin is terrific. He even helps out around the house when I’m gone."

Francey was born in Ayrshire, in southwest Scotland on the shore of the Firth of Clyde. He lived there until the age of 12 when his family moved to Toronto. Though he’s enjoyed every place he’s lived, Francey still has fond memories of Scotland. "It was great, lovely," he said, "It was just a beautiful little village." Castles populate the landscape like mountains, with about 40 dotting the countryside around his former home. It’s a region with a long history, becoming part of the Kingdom of Scotland in 1263. It’s no wonder that Francey finds it such a memorable place.

The family move to Toronto was not a hard transition for him. "It was not really difficult," said Francey. "I’m adaptable and I liked sports." In Canada, he discovered hockey, a game he still enjoys and occasionally plays. Today, Francey and his family live in Elphin, Ontario, which is west of Ottawa and north of Lake Ontario. "Elphin is in the middle of nowhere," he agreed, adding, "It’s a dot on the map." But Francey thoroughly enjoys this remote peacefulness and is always glad to come home. 

Francey is a self-taught musician who plays a little guitar, some mandolin, and a bit of piano, though he doesn’t read music. This seems like it would be subsequently difficult to compose a song and communicate it to his band members. 

Francey, however, hasn’t run into any great difficulties with this process. "I get an idea and the melody," he said. "I’m a slave for melody." 

Francey is a firm believer that a song will come out when it’s ready. So when that moment occurs, he’ll gather his band and play the melody on his guitar. They simply fill in the rest with Francey having the final say. He received his first Juno award — Canada’s version of the Grammy — for his CD, Waking Hour, in 2004, recorded in a mind-boggling four days. 

As Francey said, recording it was "as easy as falling off a log." On the fifth day, the track was mixed. The process went very well, he said. "It was a great deal of fun."

While Francey was putting his first album together in 1999, he and his wife Beth started their own record firm, Laker Music. She does the bulk of the management for the label. Armed with a biology degree, Beth has also been a midwife and naturalist. Francey proudly related that she’s also a talented painter. "She’s brilliant, man," he asserted. "She basically runs our label. She’s fantastic at computers, and she’s personable and sees straight ahead."

At this time, Francey is the only one signed to Laker Music but other musicians are expected to be added soon. "There are a few others we’re thinking about, so we’ll see," he predicted.

In the meantime, Francey will continue touring with stops in the United States as well as faraway places such as Scotland, which he usually hits once a year. "I go for the music," he said, pointing out, "I go there to play. I have musical friends there." Francey would like to stay longer next time he visits. "I’m usually there a couple of weeks," he said. "Last time, I was there for a month."

When Francey has free time in his busy schedule, he also enjoys painting. "I tend to do a lot of industrial landscapes, things I’ve seen from being on the road." said Francey. " I work from memory or rather, half memory," he added with a laugh. My wife is a great water colorist and she has given me some great pointers."

For information on Francey’s upcoming tour dates, how to get on his mailing list, or to purchase his CDs online, visit his Web site at
www.davidfrancey.com.
 
 

Writer Jim Loew can be contacted at jmloew@uwm.edu