Making waves: Frannie DJ on her new single

Toronto indie artist Frannie DJ releases her newest song, ‘Body of Water’.

Photos via @franniedj

WRITTEN BY ANNA MULLIN

Frannie DJ wants everyone to know that she is not a DJ, but rather a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Muskoka, Ont., currently living and creating music in Toronto. Self-described as an “indie folk pop girlie,” DJ’s music leans into multiple genres while remaining fresh and personal thanks to her poetic lyricism and cathartic instrumentals. Music was a constant presence in DJ’s childhood. She danced and performed in theatrical productions, always keeping music in her back pocket. 

 “I would sing all the time,” she says, explaining her early focus on performing. “I would always be singing, I would always be going to little talent shows, I would always be begging my musical theater instructor to have solos. I just wanted to sing. That's all I wanted to do.” 

This drive, the desire to perform, is undeniably apparent in Frannie as I speak with her over coffee. She oozes with passion about both the triumphs and trials of being an emerging, self-reliant artist in the city. DJ explains that “being an independent artist, it's very competitive because everyone in the [music] industry is all in the same boat. I feel like it's very over-populated and there's a lot of people that are going towards the same goal.” However, she doesn’t appear discouraged, just conscious of the nature of the business and the heavily saturated field. Despite the struggles, she doubles down on how badly she loves making music, saying “I don't want to stop. I want to keep learning and keep going.” 

As an independent artist, DJ is the sole force in charge of her projects, including doing her own marketing, booking gigs, creating visuals, and getting studio time. “You really have to be your own manager … Even on days you don't feel like doing it, you just have to show up for yourself and keep going. You can't be relying on anyone else to do it for you, because no one else is going to do it for you except for yourself,” she says. 

After hearing all the work that has to be done, just for the chance of exposure and having her music be seen, I wonder if it gets exhausting She tells me what motivates her: “I picture little Frannie and how badly she wanted this, so even when times get really hard, I just don't let myself give up. I'm never gonna let myself give up, honestly. I don't think I will ever give up.” 

DJ confesses that songwriting is “kind of like therapy.” She can take her feelings, pen to paper, and the end result is a piece of music that she hopes will “help people that go through those same experiences or emotions.” Her sonic influences include the likes of Lizzy McAlpine, Noah Kahan, and Maggie Rogers, saying, “I feel like those three artists all together kind of sums up my sound.” 

Her previous single, ‘I Had To,’ has nearly 80,000 streams on Spotify. When I mention this milestone, she immediately asks, “Wait, is it really?” and smiles wide. “I just want to be able to help people through my music. I want people to feel seen and heard. So, the fact that it's been appreciated that many times is insane to me.”

When writing her newest single, ‘Body of Water’, it started much differently than it is now. “When I wrote it, it was not as upbeat or had the kind of rock vibe that it has now. It did not have that at all. It was more like Lizzy McAlpine, way slower and more sad.” The track transformed through rehearsals, with the help of her band. “When I introduced it to my band – shoutout to them – we sat down together in the rehearsal room, and I played them the song. Then one by one, they were adding their own thing to it, and it was so awesome,” explains DJ.  

Frannie DJ, eager to put out her upcoming third single, knows her fans and friends are looking forward to the release. “I play it at all my shows; people are asking me about it … All my friends are begging me to put it out too,” she says. The wait is over on July 31st, when you can find ‘Body of Water’ on Spotify and Apple Music.

EDITED BY LIZ FOSTER