9 Tips for Aspiring Musicians|Interview w/Collin O'Brien of Neal Francis

We had the privilege of chatting with Neal Francis' drummer Collin O'Brien about everything music. Specifically how he got to where he is, how the band came about and some key learning experiences!

To start off, I want to get a backstory of how Neal Francis came about? What brought you guys together?

Neal was always a killing keys player in the Chicago, we played in adjacent bands that would gig together back in the college days. We ran in the same circles that would hit shows and parties, but Neal and I were not super close.

He was heavy in his drinking days, which ultimately led him to rehab. Through his recovery and journey navigating sobriety he went full on into writing his own songs. Having not seen Neal in a couple years, he began to pop up at some of my gigs to hang.

He’d also come in the bar I worked at while on break from his blues gig at Kingston Mines. I'd hand him a soda water with lime and we’d chat for a while. He'd tell me he was writing some stuff and working to get a group going. At a certain point we did a couple of throw and go shows, playing some early sketches of what would be songs on “Changes” and also put together a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute show (that was sweet).

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Eventually he went to LA with the rhythm section of his old band, The Heard, and cut the record. I caught Neal's first performance of his project at our buddies DIY venue in Bridgeport. The band was huge, the vibe was sick (everyone wearing red church choir robes), and the songs were really powerful.

Soon after that show he began to hit the road relentlessly and was struggling to find a crew who wanted to tour that much. I got called to sub on one of his gigs the night before I was moving to Denver. It went super well and the vibe was right on stage. The next day, after a 16 hour drive, pulling into the driveway of my new spot I just signed a lease for, I got a call to fly back to Chicago for another gig with him. Slept for 6 hours and got on a plane back lol. Almost the same day, my old friend and new roommate in Denver asked me to take over drumming in his band Cycles. This started an entire year of bouncing back and forth between 2 tours happening simultaneously.

It was a wild time and textbook definition of burning the candle at both ends. Things in the Neal camp were clearly growing and progressing in a good direction and they needed to finalize the lineup of the band. At the time, I had already committed the next few months to Cycles and it wouldn't have been right to leave them hanging for that tour. I was essentially “let go'' because of my schedule conflicts. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I just missed a life opportunity and at the end of the day I really loved playing his songs. It was tough. A few months later he called out of the blue to give me one more chance to join, in which I didn't hesitate.

The band is Neal, Mike Starr on bass, Kellen Boresema on guitar. We've been on the road and been through so much together the last couple years, they are family.

Who are some of your music influences?

I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock from the 60’s and 70’s. In my early teens I hopped on the jamband wagon and dove into bands like Phish, STS9, Medeski Martin and Wood, and the Grateful Dead. The Benevento/Russo duo were huge for me. Eventually got into listening to a ton of bands from New Orleans like The Meters, Galactic, Allen Toussaint; and getting more into funk and soul - Isley Brothers, Earth Wind and Fire, Sly Stone, Prince, and Parliament Funkadelic. I also really like electronic music like Boards of Canada, Four Tet, Machinedrum, Flying Lotus, and Aphex Twin. Trip hop, House, IDM are all in the mix too. I like to think all genres of music talk to each other and relate, so the more ingredients in the stew the better.

What is the best part about going on tour?

Definitely exploring new places, going on hikes, seeing old friends, eating! and finding ways to stay present and enjoy the moment. I love being able to go deep with the music, seeing what elements connect with people, tailoring the setlist each night and being intentional about the pace of the show. It is such a privilege to hit the road, we work hard to make the most of each day.

Touring is hard though. It's not always comfortable, you get exhausted, can't sleep much or catch up on rest, you don't always have access to healthy food. Even with a consistent compounding sleep deficit you gotta give 110% energy on stage every night. I'm really proud of our band and crew for pulling each other through some hard times and not imploding. I think we’ve learned to laugh at some of the absurdities we've encountered.

Are you guys working on any new music at the moment?

Always

How did the name Neal Francis come about?

Neals full name is Neal Francis Ohara

Who would be your ideal musician to collaborate with?

Dead or alive? Haha Both are very hard to say. At this moment: Dead: George Duke Alive: Thom York or Trent Reznor

Which skills have you gained that help you perform effectively as a musician?

I guess perseverance would be one. I certainly didn't always perform well or effectively. Being a musician has been a total labor of love, one that I have sacrificed alot for. I am not the most technically proficient drummer, nor is my time the best (always working on it) But it's always been so interesting and fun, or a release of stressors, anger, and joy!

I think learning how to let things go, not getting snagged on that one thing someone said earlier, who is watching, or not watching, or that transition that didn't go as planned, or that botched fill you were excited about. Laugh it off and move on! It's so easy to think that everyone is listening so critically and is going to judge you if you screw up something small. In most situations I've learned I will always be my worst critic and usually nobody notices, or cares. Also, mistakes: Some of my most fond memories of playing live or seeing music have resulted from a mistake. We are human! Mistakes are human! I find it boring when you see a band that sounds NOTE FOR NOTE like the record (even though that can be very impressive). I’d much rather see some people really going for something, playing their butt off even if it doest land “perfectly”

Playing live is a conversation between your brain, your body, your band, and the audience. It’s a series of singular fleeting moments. It’s spontaneous, it's energy, it's absolutely cathartic! When something in the show creates tension, collectively working through it can be absolutely triumphant! (I mean, a trainwreck is no good and you don't wanna tank the show. Definitely do your prep work on the tunes) but if mid solo you clam something you were going for, don't shut down or look defeated, open up even more and get yourself back on track. You just made a moment! At the end of the day, you're playing music and music should be super fun.

What advice do you have for upcoming musicians who have dreams of performing for a living?

Well theres a list of different things I'd say:

1. Nobody cares how good you are if you’re terrible to work with. Be cool to your bandmates, be SUPER nice to your sound guy, and everyone at the venue. You're all working together that night, it can be easy breezy or a total disaster based on how you treat your co-workers.

2. Fail Forward. It took me hundreds of empty, loud, bad gigs to play good, packed ones.

3. Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Production. Come to rehearsal knowing the tunes, come into gigs knowing the arrangements.

4. When on stage, stop playing and start performing! Trust the repetition you put into your practice, your muscle memory is trustworthy if you've worked it out enough. Focus on connecting with your bandmates, look at the setting you're in, be thankful you’re making noise with your friends and getting people dancing. The party starts with you.

5. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

6. Go jam with some folks. Seek out new musical experiences outside your comfort zone. Try to find your groove with different styles of music, different players. If you're locking in you're making all of them sound good, not just ripping for yourself.

7. Build bridges, don't burn em! Your friends in college will probably be your colleagues down the line. I still work with and see tons of friends I worked with all along the way, it's rad to build upon old memories.

8. Find and look to mentors for guidance along the way. Sharing your experience allows others to share theirs.

9. You have the power to create your art, and kill your art. You need to nurture your creative self which means taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional self. With imbalance it's easy to let the ego run and self sabotage. Be mindful of how you speak to and treat yourself.

Tell me what your first music teacher was like. What lessons did you learn from them that you still use today?

My first teacher was my friend Phil Stancil’s dad, Big Phil. The Stancils had a family band with BP and Phil’s older siblings called Potato Moon. Their whole family are some of the most wild, naturally talented and genuine people I've ever met to this day. On the playground in 3rd grade Phil asked me to start a band and that weekend I went to hang with Phil and his sister Laura to “jam”. I had never played drums in my entire life and in 3 hours Big Phil had taught the 3 of us 3 songs on 3 different instruments and got us playing together. I think it was Purple Haze, Gloria, and Jumpin Jack Flash. Well that was sick. We kept jamming and he kept teaching us tunes and eventually we were on our way!

We kept the band up through high school and were gigging from 4th grade on, with the help of my dad booking gigs. We’ll still do reunion shows when possible! Phil and Laura now live in LA and have an awesome group called the Morning Yells. I think the biggest lesson I learned from all of them was how to pick up a song and kinda just go with it. Listen to what they're playing and play along. It was always so fun and natural, I keep coming back to that feeling to this day.

My first actual drum teacher was this legend Rupert Kettle. He’d smoke cigarettes the whole lesson and was a tough, no BS jazz drummer. He gave me a solid foundation of rudiments and technique, even though at the time I was a “bored” 11 year old that just wanted to rock.

Will Neal Francis be going on tour this year?

All year!

Are there any up and coming bands you want to shout out?

Yes! Carlile makes some of the most original and serene music in Chicago. Her music goes from synthy dream pop to heavy industrial electronic madness and is SO GOOD. I have played drums in her live band over the years and she is a long time collaborator with Neal, as well as a part of the expanded Francis Comes Alive band.

Also in Chicago check out Bonelang, their recordings and live shows are absolutely incredible. In Charleston SC we played with this band the Psychodelics and they were terrifyingly good. Like, young band, mostly in their early 20’s but some of the tightest, funkiest playing and harmonies I've ever heard. Feels like you're seeing Funkadelic or the Ohio Players or Sly. Insane In Denver my buds Cycles and Magic Beans, for a rip roaring good time. In LA Phil and Laura's group the Morning Yells.

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