Francis Voignier A few questions for French born guitarist, Francis Voignier. Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Francis: I was born in France, played in the UK before moving to the USA in 1978 LB: How did you start out making music? Francis: I’m self-taught, played in garage bands in the late sixties and early seventies... LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Francis: The Beatles, The Who, The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, Frank Zappa... Then King Crimson, Yes... Then The Clash, The Ramones, etc... I love all kinds of music and they all influence me in my writing and playing. LB: Tell us about your latest release. Francis: “Into The Unknown” is my 10th solo release. The 11 songs on the album, lyrics wise, tackle social issues and psychology in some sort of perverse way, while staying away from being offensive. Musically speaking, it's a rock guitar album. My guitar playing is more on the visceral side than the technical one, but after so many years of playing, some technique factors itself in naturally... A good guitar album! LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Francis: I have not played this particular material live, but I intend to in the short run. In general, my audience expects some fiery guitar playing and some questions answered about music after the shows. LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Francis: The human interaction always comes first, so in the studio I try to imagine playing in front of an audience. It's truly what gives me the greatest pleasure. Playing for the sake of playing in a linear way, is nothing but a tedium to me. Music is free and expansive, the audience and the listener is part of it. A song without an audience has no life. LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Francis: CD Baby and Amazon (links below). www.cdbaby.com/cd/FRANCISVOIGNIER www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HG3SQS www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HG4GAK www.myspace.com/francisvoignier Photo by Lissa Lloyd Englert