David Francey

David Francey is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. Born in 1954 in Ayrshire, Scotland, Francey immigrated to Canada with his family at age 12. After spending much of his life doing labour such as carpentry, he began a career in folk music, quickly making a name for himself on the folk festival circuit, where he continues to perform. Francey’s experiences in working-class life strongly influenced his 1999 debut, Torn Screen Door, which featured songs such as “Gypsy Boys”, “Hard Steel Mill”, “Working Poor”, and “Torn Screen Door”, an a cappella folk harmony sung with Jenn Cianca. Other musical themes include admiration of the natural beauty of the Canadian landscape, and traditional folk themes of love and loss. His 2004 album, The Waking Hour, is a collaboration with traditional country artists Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin, and includes some of his darker material, including “Wishing Well” about the execution of Timothy McVeigh, and “Fourth of July”, a political commentary on the post-September 11 United States. In 2004, David Francey won first prize of the Folk Category of the prestigious 9th Annual USA Songwriting Competition. Accompanied by fellow Canadian guitarist, Shane Simpson until October 2006, Francey toured various locations across Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, and Australia. Since October 2006, Francey has been touring with New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter Craig Werth, co-producer of Francey’s 2007 release, “Right of Passage.” His 2009 album, Seaway is a collaboration with Mike Ford, former member of Moxy Früvous. It is a collection of songs inspired by their voyage on M.S. Algoville. In 2010, David Francey won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Francey currently lives in Elphin, Ontario with his wife Beth Girdler.