New York’s self-styled ‘lofi jangle dream slacker bedroom pop’ artist – JW FRANCIS – has shared the new single “Dream House”; the title-track for his brand new album ‘Dream House’, set for release 27th January via London-based label Sunday Best Recordings.
The new music arrives as JW also announces a run of intimate appearances in some of the UK finest’s record shops in the new year, kicking-off at Edinburgh’s Assai Records on 27th January and concluding at Vinilo in Southampton on 6th February.
New single, “Dream House” is a hazy track, a sonic-VHS floating along the intersection of wistful-longing and gratitude – as JW explains:
“Dream House is a song I wrote about missing loved ones and valuing other people above anything material. Specifically, I was missing my mom during quarantine – I lived all alone in a Brooklyn apartment for four months and I would have given anything to be with her.“
The video echoes this sentiment – created by Salvador Cresta, an Argentine artist who’s made videos for Beck and Gloria Trevi among many others. It’s a nostalgic heart-string puller that features JW as a child alongside his mother, and animations of the children’s book-esque ‘Dream House’ album cover.
When JW isn’t writing songs about his own life or surreal imagery, he writes about other people – most notably around February when he writes valentines songs on his fans’ behalf. ‘Dream House’ is built around this collection of glorious tracks written for other people. JW elaborates a little on the premise below:
“Every year, about 6 weeks before Valentine’s Day, I make the following post on social media:
“If you send me the name of your Valentine, and the reason you love them, I’ll write a song for them on your behalf.”
That is how Dream House was born, 3 years ago. Over the past three years, I have received over 300 requests from fans to write songs for their loved ones. All of the songs on Dream House come from this project, some of them have been reworked to speak more to the artist’s life, others have remained exactly as they were first written. Ultimately, this is an album about caring for others, and the way we express it.”
Written and recorded at the start of 2021 in NYC, ‘Dream House’ takes cues from The Strokes, with hints of Lou Reed, Mac Demarco or Her’s however the project is still quintessential JW Francis. The blissful melodies and dreamy instrumentation perfectly fit the album’s title.
‘Dream House’ follows the hugely well received WANDERKID and We Share a Similar Joy in proving that JW is the king of laid-back and effortlessly cool song-making. Released on 27th January, the album will be available on both cream and Green vinyl, as well as CD (pre-order here).
Catch JW performing tracks and signing copies of the record at these upcoming in-store – details here.
