As the project of songwriter and vocalist Maria Jacobson, Fran has quickly become an integral part of the Chicago music scene. Inspiration initially struck Jacobson when she was working as an actor at a summer repertory theatre in rural Indiana, and she taught herself to play guitar. She continued to play and write songs while teaching English in a small city in Mexico.

Eventually, Jacobson moved back to Chicago and found a band to perform with. Playing just about every local venue ranging from The Hideout to Thalia Hall, Fran has continued to connect with audiences thanks to Jacobson’s ability to illustrate her own narratives in a universal light that allows listeners to paint themselves into the plot lines. In 2019, Fran released a well-received debut album A Private Picture via Fire Talk Records to follow up the 2017 EP More Enough, and we can’t wait to hear more of Jacobson’s storytelling in the future.

2020 has already seen Fran on the lineup for Tomorrow Never Knows Festival, and they’ve got a couple of shows coming up in Chicago this month. Get your tickets to see Fran at The Empty Bottle tomorrow, February 7th, here and tune into “Company” and “So Surreal” below.