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The Francis Kim Band is a Boston-based original rock quartet. Influenced by artists such as the Beatles, the Beautiful South, Elvis Costello, Aimee Mann, and Liz Phair, The Francis Kim Band’s music can be described as thoughtful pop or tuneful rock, a less Gen-Y John Mayer, a less neurotic Magnetic Fields. Their songs have a strong, striking sense of melody, ranging from the simple to the dissonant. Their lyrics are intelligent without being pretentious, irreverent without being juvenile, heartfelt without being melodramatic. Steve Gisselbrecht of The Noise Boston writes, “...he’s got a huge voice, and he uses it really well... Genuine talent.” Chicago songwriter Zach Phillips writes, “... intelligent rock music with catchy, sophisticated melodies... Francis's songwriting remains consistently strong, sometimes edgy, and always clever.” Nationally renowned acoustic rock artist Melissa Ferrick simply states, “F---ing great. F---ing awesome music.”
In 2005, the Francis Kim Band released their sophomore EP, Nobody Loves You. An intelligent and oddly natural blend of wit and wistfulness, Nobody Loves You leaves you laughing in the dark. Musically, the EP is one melodic hook after another. Under the direction of producer Matthew Ellard, the ears behind Weezer, Elliot Smith, and Tonya Donnelly, the band recorded Nobody Loves You at Q-Division Studios, home to Aimee Mann, the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, Morphine, and Franz Ferdinand. Nelson Wong, founder of AARising, gives Nobody Loves You four stars, commenting, “Smooth, sometimes mellow, but always expressive... Great.”
The Francis Kim Band has performed throughout the Northeast and Midwest at venues such as the Bitter End, Club Passim, the Somerville Theater, the Middle East, and the Lion’s Den as well as a number of campuses including Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, Tufts, Oberlin, Northwestern, and Northern Illinois. They have been featured in Skope Magazine and The Chosun Daily, Korea’s largest daily newspaper. They have shared bills with a host of renowned artists and bands, including Kevin So (Wingbone Records), Keren Ann (Blue Note), Jenny Choi (Double Zero), Annie Lin (Ariadne), and Rachel Loy (Epic).
The Lineup
Francis Kim (Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting): Francis began his musical career at the age of four, with Suzuki books in one hand and a quarter-size violin lodged under his chin. At twelve years old, a schoolmate played him a copy of Abbey Road for the first time. He traded four strings for six, formed a band, and has been making beautiful music ever since. Francis grew up in the Camry-ridden world of suburban Chicago. As a high school student, he performed in Canvas, an original rock band. He moved to Cambridge in 1995 to attend Harvard University, where he majored in applied mathematics with a field specialization in economics. After graduation, he worked as an analyst in an enterprise software firm developing pricing optimization algorithms for large retailers. Having fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an expert in retail technologies, he left the company in June of 2003 to pursue a life in music.
Robin Lai (Drums): Born and raised in Malaysia, Robin Lai came to the US in 1999 to study Music Business, Production, and Engineering at the Berklee College of Music. Robin has studied under Shawn Kelley, Larry Finn, Dave Dicenso, Dave Weigert, and Dave Cowan. He has played in a number of groups including Godam, Floodline, Forget The Girl, and the CCFC Gospel Choir. He is an active session drummer and producer.
Chris Shelton (Bass): Chris Shelton graduated from Berklee in 2000 with a degree in composition. In 2002, he received a Master's degree in Theoretical Studies from New England Conservatory. In earlier lives, Chris has played in the bands Pyrocy, Zipperhead, and Introspection, opening for Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper.
Eugene Song (Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting): Ever since the age of 13 when he first saw Pete Townshend whirl his arm around like a windmill, Eugene Song has wanted to play guitar in a band. After graduating from Brown University, he came to Boston in the fall of 2002. He wrote and performed as a solo artist for a year prior to joining the Francis Kim Band in August of 2003.
Discography
Nobody Loves You (EP) - February, 2005
The Orange Concern - November, 2003
Industrial Canvas - March, 2000
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