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PUBLICITY CONTACTS
International Radio & PR:
Emma Scott
Pluggin Baby
[email protected]
Canadian Radio & PR:
Eric Alper Public Relations
That Eric Alper
[email protected]
Music Streaming & Download
For media streaming or download, please email [email protected]
FRANCINE HONEY EPK (For Hold On)
BIO
- Full Bio
- Bio 100 Words
- Bio 30 Words
- Bio 30 Words B
Hard-luck stories can have happy endings. Especially in Francine Honey's world. With a mission of helping people get through life with music, Honey offers “real” music that is described as a mixed tape of Americana, Alt-Country, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, and Blues. Some sass mixed in with a unique voice as sweet as Honey but most of all, Honey tells stories in her songs, and she has a lot of stories to tell!
Her own journey through life's changes has been years in the making. Although she's been making music since childhood, Honey never dreamed of making it a career. Instead, she studied mathematics and computer science, got married, had kids, and worked as a project manager in the Canadian Federal Government. Her life seemed perfect. Then a near-simultaneous breakup and job loss forced her to relocate, find a new career and raise a family alone. Music went on the back burner; she never stopped writing, but songs went unfinished. “I finally realized I had stories to share, and there was still an opportunity for me to turn my musical hobby into my profession.”
So, she left her full-time job in 2013 to pursue music full-time under her maiden name Francine Leclair. Along the way, the down-to-earth artist has displayed extraordinary dedication to her craft. She self-produced her 2008 debut album An Ordinary Woman in her living room. It was followed in 2014 by Re-Drawn, produced by Lang Bliss in Nashville. In 2015, she re-recorded many of her early songs for the EP An Ordinary Woman (In Studio) with Mark Plancke of SharkTank Productions in Windsor, ON. Honey took a few years to work on her craft, studying, exploring, and chasing her sound.
In 2018, she began working with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard in Nashville, TN. Honey recorded her full-length album to be continued… live off the floor in six days. to be continued… has received critical acclaim internationally, and her song “Stay” was a top 10 finalist in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition in two categories. Honey’s songwriting was recognized from more than 19,000+ entries around the world, receiving semi-finalist nominations in both the Americana and Blues categories. In addition, “Stay” was a semi-finalist in the 2018 Canadian Songwriting Competition (Folk/Singer/Songwriter). The Austin Songwriting Group in Texas awarded her first-place honours in the Country category for “Stay” and first place in the Singer-Songwriter category for “Can’t Break Through to You” in April 2020, along with five other song placements. The song and video “Snowflakes On My Eyelashes” which features mentor and friend Beth Nielsen Chapman (“This Kiss”) garnered over 1.8 million views and its accompanying video was a finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest.
As a bilingual artist, Honey released the single “Chez mon oncle Lucien” in Mar 2019. This song received regular radio play on various Sirius XM French Country stations as well as internationally. Honey’s other French releases include “Floçons de neiges sur mes cils” in Jan 2019 with radio airplay on CBC Radio-Canada and “Je vis sans limites”, the French version of the song “I Soldier On” released on the Re-Drawn album in support of the Soldier On fund in 2014. This song continues to be sought out for Remembrance Day ceremonies in schools.
Honey released the album Take Me to the North Pole in 2019 featuring 2 original songs along with re-imagined Christmas classics with a Country-Americana southern swagger. This album made Rolling Stone Magazine’s Top 50 Christmas Albums of the year.
This was followed by 6 singles from newly released full-length album I Carry On, starting with “Red Sky” late in 2019. When the pandemic hit the world in March of 2020, Honey jumped onto the internet with a weekly livestream “Honey In Your Coffee” all while continuing to record and release music and videos internationally.
Honey released a song of gratitude to all essential workers entitled “I Carry On” (May 2020) with a music video dedicated to them. This song has reached over 1.8 million people and has received radio airplay. It was a semi-finalist in both the International Songwriting Contest and the UK Songwriting Competition.
October 2020 saw the release of an A and B side single double single release with “2020 Vision” and “Can’t Press Reset”. Honey had recorded the importance of 2020 in Nashville in January 2020 with “2020 Vision”. This was followed by a call-to-action song in “Can’t Press Reset” so it made sense to release them together. “Can’t Press Reset” made it to #5 in the Canadian Indie Country Countdown and was a finalist in the 2020 Blues and Roots Radio International Songwriting Competition. In January 2021 with more lockdowns on the horizon and the world missing their families, Honey released another single “I’m Coming Home” which also reached #5 on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown (CICC) along with international radio airplay. Her single “Lightning” (July 2021) is a hot, steamy, haunting piano ballad chronicling the electricity of a kiss that changed her life and hit #1 in Canada in October on the CICC and #16 on the CICC chart for the entire year 2021. All these singles except for “Lightning” form part of Honey’s newly release full-length album I Carry On.
With 12 tracks consisting of a mix of 5 new songs and previously released singles; I Carry On has already received international recognition and touched many of Honey’s fans worldwide. “This album set out to make itself” Honey says. Most albums Honey has recorded to date have been intentional pieces of work recorded in sessions in Nashville lasting a week or two. The songs that find themselves on I Carry On are a compilation of songs recorded individually over the years that found their way together into a cohesive journey through the ups and downs of life celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. “We have all gone through our own individual experiences, however, we have all experienced similar emotions... grief, loss, hope, tragedy, fear, loneliness, togetherness, gratitude, anger, reaching out, reaching within, holding onto each other, dreaming of the future and celebration. A roller coaster ride on the rails of resilience that is necessary to keep going and to carry on. This collection of songs is an experience through the journey of resilience and hope for those that listen from beginning to end.”, says Honey of her fifth album I Carry On. At the beginning of 2022, I Carry On received a nomination for the Faces Magazine Ottawa 2021 Album of the Year.
So far in 2022, Honey has released 2 singles from the LP I Carry On. The single “Hold On” released in March 2022 from the album was a finalist for the 4th Annual Blues and Roots Radio International Songwriting Competition and garnered Honey the cover on Record World International Magazine. “Hold On” was written with Canadian psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Paul Wong. This song started off as a theme song for a conference to highlight the resilience of the human spirit. Honey loved the song so much that she made a few changes and released the song along with an inspirational music video.
In January, Honey has released “Hunker Down”, penned with collaborator Dan Washburn who also lends his vocals on the track as a single from the newly released LP I Carry On along with a fun, playful video.
Honey produces and co-directs high quality music videos as extensions of each song. As Honey explains “When I write a song, I imagine the movie that is playing for these 3 and half minutes and eventually it becomes its own movie in a video”.
Honey’s music continues to receive critical acclaim and sees airplay on CBC, Radio-Canada, BBC, AM800, CTV, SiriusXM, Folk Roots Radio, and more across Canada, the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands. With over 20k+ fans from all corners of the world, she performs on-line with her series “Honey In Your Coffee” and has been streaming almost every live venue performance for over 5 years.
Along the way, the down-to-earth artist has displayed extraordinary dedication to her craft. As a graduate of the Berklee College of Music Professional Singer-Songwriter Certificate Program’, Honey regularly makes the nine-hour drive from Ontario, Canada, to song-writing retreats in Nashville and overseas, where she has been mentored by Nashville icons like Beth Nielsen Chapman (“This Kiss”), Mike Reid (“I Can't Make You Love Me”), Grammy-nominated songwriter and author Mary Gauthier (“Rifles and Rosary Beads”), Verlon Thompson (Boats to Build), Gretchen Peters (Independence Day) and Jonatha Brooke (Put the Gun Down). In April, she was invited to a retreat in Austin, Texas with Nashville writers Lee Starr and Russell Sutton (“My Boy”). She is a member of the Songwriter's Association of Canada (SAC), The International Singer-Songwriter's Association, Nashville Songwriter's Association International, Canadian Country Music Association, Americana Music Association, she is a Academy delegate at The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and founded and co-ordinated the SAC’s Leamington & Windsor Regional Writer's Group for 8 years and continues to mentor other songwriters.
Honey has showcased at the Texas Songwriters Symposium four years in a row, NSAI Tin Pan North Festival, Hugh’s Room, the WinterFolk Blues and Roots Festival in Toronto, the Kingsville Folk Music Festival, and the Folk Music Ontario conference. Her music and songwriting have not only taken her through Canada and the U.S but to the U.K., Switzerland, and Italy.
Honey continues to write and co-write with other writers in Nashville and Austin aiming to have her music recorded by fellow artists and licensed for film and TV. "But really, I just want to keep going, writing and producing better songs. I'm finally a songwriter and I know I'll do this the rest of my life.”
Hard-luck stories can have happy endings. Especially in Francine Honey's world. The bilingual Ontario singer-songwriter's fourth album I Carry On features tales of change, adaptation, love and hope — many drawn from her own life. Along the way, the down-to-earth performer also shares two fundamental lessons: You are not alone, and hope is always around the corner. A songwriter since childhood, and a former civil servant, Francine packs a lifetime of emotion into every song. Her music has taken her across Canada and the U.S., and on to the U.K., Switzerland and Italy.
Bilingual Ontario singer-songwriter Francine Honey's fourth album I Carry On features tales of change, adaptation and hope delivered with her usual mix of Americana, Country, Rock, Canadiana and Blues.
Bilingual Ontario singer-songwriter Francine Honey's third album I Carry On... features tales of change, adaptation and hope. Francine has performed across North America, the U.K., Europe, Switzerland and Italy.
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS
click on photo to enlarge, then right-click to download
VIDEOS
Playlist
WHAT THE PRESS ARE SAYING
Can't Press Reset
- Lost Song
- Too Much Love
- Zimel
- Indieshark
- SKOPE MAGAZINE
- ROADIE MUSIC
- CELEBRITY ZONE
- NeuFutur Magazine
- Vents Magazine
- Medium
- Gashouse Radio
"Un peu de country avec la grandiose
“...a song that captures Honey’s undeniable charm with hues of Americana, folk and country gatherings…"
https://toomuchlovemagazine.com/francine-honey-cant-press-reset/
“... cute reflection on this entire period of global pandemic and social mobilizations, country-American style.”
-Zimel Magazine
https://www.facebook.com/zimel.com.br/posts/3501955433220911
“..vocal-powered melodicism with a pastoral and poetic bend…"
-Indieshark
https://indieshark.com/awards/pick-of-the-week/francine-honeys-cant-press-reset/
“....a dispatch of decadence we all needed right now...an elegant vibe...Francine Honey’s “Can’t Press Reset” is can’t-miss music from a singer/songwriter a lot of underground ears are starting to get really excited about.”
https://skopemag.com/2020/12/04/francine-honey-is-back-with-cant-press-reset
“…brilliant...a strong voice and exceptional instrumentation… “
"A powerful track that comes to us from the insularity of a mandatory quarantine, “Can’t Press Reset” doesn’t try to get political with its message nor the substance of the statements it makes about comradery – on the contrary, this is a song meant to unite us in harmonies as rich as a sunset on a cold December day."
-Levi Colston
https://celebrityzones.com/2020/12/05/cant-press-reset-by-francine-honey/
“...the instrumentation is spot-on precise...there’s no escaping the undertow her vocal harmony creates...refreshing and optimistic…”
https://neufutur.com/2020/12/cant-press-reset-by-francine-honey/
"You can’t fake the warmth that Honey is guiding everything here with – her voice is truly an entity that takes over the spotlight regardless of what anyone puts it beside, but it’s being employed in a fashion here that doesn’t erase any room for her backing band to throw down some charisma of their own."
https://ventsmagazine.com/2020/12/10/single-review-cant-press-reset-by-francine-honey/
“...a knack for picking the perfect material to suit her gilded pipes...a definitively aware ballad that has been adjusted to rock gently and with sustaining charisma, and I do believe it’s going to make a lot of this singer/songwriter’s most loyal fans very happy…”
https://colin-jordan524.medium.com/review-francine-honey-cant-press-reset-single-7b965f3fce2c
“…Honey is known for going the extra mile...Melodic and heartwarming in just the right ways…“
-http://gashouseradio.com/2020/12/singer-songwriter-francine-honeys-cant-press-reset/
I Carry On
- VENTS MAGAZINE
- Indiepulse
- Front Porch Music
- Entertainment Eyes
- Celebrity Zones
- Parapop
- Indiepulse Music
- Music Existence
- Gashouse Radio
- Canadian Beasts
" The lyrics dance like lovers unaware that the world is about the end in the duet, and even when the music fades away, it’s hard to shake the harmonies that they give themselves over to for at least 24 hours..."
-Mindy McCall
https://indiepulsemusic.com/2020/05/23/francine-honey-is-back-with-i-carry-on/
"When you listen to the lyrics of this song, you will find that you can relate to many of the sentiments in the song. Including asking yourself “Where does this courage come from?” when you get through a challenging situation...
These two make great writing partners!
This song is more than just a great message though. It’s also a great melody. It’s a song that you’re going to want to add to your playlists and enjoy over and over again."
Front Porch Music
“...a message of inspiration... Honey texturizes every word of the lyrics with a melodic fragility that is breathtaking in a track like this one."
-Samuel Pratt
https://entertainmenteyes.com/2020/05/23/singer-songwriter-francine-honey-releases-new-single-video/
"When you get a couple of singers like Robert Gray and Francine Honey together for a duet, you can rest assured that sparks are going to fly, and that’s exactly what happens in the new video for the single “I Carry On.” The collaborative take on “I Carry On” sees this pair of players drawing the boldest harmonies from each other possible. "
-Levi Colston
https://celebrityzones.com/2020/05/23/i-carry-on-by-francine-honey/
"A serene song that manages to captivate us on this cold day…"
-Parapop
"Francine Honey successfully transitions Canadian country singer to the internationally-recognized songwriting master she’s undeniably been for at least the last two years...As a vocalist, Gray is the masculine yin to Honey’s yang, warming up the backend of the track with a throaty melody that sways beside hers like a leaf in the summer wind."
-Mindy McCall
https://indiepulsemusic.com/2020/05/23/francine-honey-is-back-with-i-carry-on/
“...you’re guaranteed to feel the signature chills this composition sets off whenever it’s played...one of the most important artists to keep your eye on in the Canadian underground.”
https://musicexistence.com/blog/2020/06/16/single-review-francine-honeys-i-carry-on/
“...a lush ballad anyone with a taste for country-pop can appreciate. Steeped in Americana and mild singer/songwriter themes, “...a musician clearly on the verge of breaking through the mainstream...She’s onto another winning formula here."
-Sebastian Cole
http://gashouseradio.com/2020/06/i-carry-on-single-by-francine-honey/
"The song is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to overcome the challenges that life throws our way. It asks the question: Where does this courage come from?"
-Jenna Melanson
https://canadianbeats.ca/2020/05/14/five-questions-with-francine-honey/
To Be Continued
- Skopemag
- Indiepulse
- TakeEffectReviews
- GashouseRadio
- Vents
- Music Existence
- IndieShark
- IndieMindyMusic
“...brimming with warm harmonies that are as sprawling in style as they are simple in design...a picture window into the heart of one of country’s burgeoning powerhouses."
-Gwen Waggoner
“...finding her place atop a crowded country hierarchy...intimate and charismatic…a noteworthy highpoint in her young career."
-Mindy McCall
https://indiepulsemusic.com/2019/05/23/francine-honey-drops-new-single/
“..a rich, welcoming adventure for those who who embrace pensive, cautious and gorgeous songwriting.”
-TAKE EFFECT REVIEWS
https://takeeffectreviews.com/reviews-1#/francinehoneytobecontinued/
“..a classy singer doing what she does better than most anyone else in her scene can...If there’s one artist that serious Americana aficionados should be following this year, it is unquestionably Francine Honey, who is pulling out the big guns in her new music video and rebelling against the meager standards of a mainstream country sound that is anything but exciting these days."
-Sebastian Cole
http://gashouseradio.com/2019/05/francine-honey-single-stay/
“..a life lesson in the form of a melodic poem...a stellar record, and this single and music video are its crown jewel."
-RJ Frometa
https://ventsmagazine.com/2019/06/05/francine-honey-releases-new-music/
“..a rootsy ballad worth your time...music enthusiasts who live for contemplative Americana really can’t go wrong with what Francine Honey has compiled for us in “Stay,” which collectively sets the bar just a little higher.."
-Michael Stover
https://musicexistence.com/blog/2019/06/06/singer-songwriter-francine-honey-has-been-on-a-wild-ride/
“..a strong singer/songwriter sensibility far outside the purview of many of her peers and contemporaries...brimming over with wisdom and..freewheeling musical spirit."
-Mark Druery
https://indieshark.com/music-reviews/francine-honey-releases-to-be-continued/
"To Be Continued ...peaks at just the right points….“Shacked-Up Sweetie” is a glorious blast of honky tonk with gritty snap in the guitar work and an appealing bluesy yet commercial sound."
-Drew Blackwell
http://indiemindymusic.blogspot.com/2019/04/francine-honey-releases-her-junior.html
Red Sky
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CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT HER - FROM THE STRAIT
- FRONT PORCH
“...entrancing new single…”
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HER
https://conversationsabouther.net/francine-honey-shares-new-track-red-sky-music-news/
“..gritty, yet dreamy, with her own unique take on the folk/country genres."
FROM THE STRAIT
http://www.fromthestrait.com/articles/8-tracks-collection-iv/
“This song is the first single that Francine has released since her critically acclaimed album “To Be Continued…”. This song features deep rich vocals that are treated and accompanied by deep harmonies that compliment her vocals beautifully. This song sends shivers down your spine, and ensures that you keep listening.”
http://frontporchmusic.ca/music/francine-honey-new-single-red-sky/
Take Me To the North Pole
- Rolling Stone
- Rick Keene Radio
- CBC London
- RootsMusic
"Check out the three originals! ..I have been won over by the charm of their musical personality!"
-Connor Ratliff
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/new-christmas-albums-2019-reviewed-930467/chicago-xxxvii-chicago-christmas-931005/
-Rick Keene
"There's nothing like some good Christmas music, even from the unlikeliest of places! Written in the summer, and recorded during a heat wave!"
“Christmas Round My Tree... a bittersweet ode to those feeling grief or loneliness during the most social time of the year."
-Heather Kitching
https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2019/12/09/check-out-francine-honeys-holiday-americana/
Media INTERVIEWS…
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The Sound Café & Blues and Roots Radio
Interview with Douglas McLean
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CTV Ottawa
Interview and live playing of "One Big Party"
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Record World International
By Sandy Graham
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Rogers TV
I sit down with Derick Fage from Rogers TV Daytime Ottawa about Hunker Down!
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SiriusXM
Interview with Eric Alper on Sirius XM Radio!
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CKCU FM - March 17, 2021
Interview with Mr. A!
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Radio Canada - Nov 18, 2020
Interview avec Lisette!
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Cross Border Initiative Podcast Interview - Oct 10, 2020
Interview with Christopher W. Brown.
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The Jesse Lewis Radio Show - June 18, 2020
Interview with Jesse Lewis
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Belles and Gals UK (Print) - May 17, 2020
Nick Cantwell
-
CBC Radio-Canada - Matins sans frontières - May 1, 2020
Interview with Charles Lévesque
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CBC Windsor - Dec. 21, 2019
SWSounds Music
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Folk Roots Radio - Dec. 19, 2019
Christmas episode feature
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Folk Roots Radio - Dec. 01, 2019
Interview with Jan Hall
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CTV News Windsor - Nov. 23, 2019
Interview with Melanie Borelli
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Y a pas deux matins pareils, Ici Première - Nov. 23, 2018
Entrevue avec Elvis Nouemski Njike
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CBC Afternoon Drive - Nov. 19, 2018
Interview with Chris dela Torre
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Session Podcast - Nov. 9, 2018
Interview with Barry Davis, "Outta the Park"
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Radio Canada - Oct. 29, 2018
Matins sans frontières. Entrevue avec Lisette Leboeuf,
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Folk Roots Radio - Oct. 23, 2018
Interview with Jan Hall
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Folk Roots Radio - July 28, 2016
Interview with Jan Hall
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Belleville Intelligencer - Jan, 2015
Interview
-
CFB Trenton - Jan 2015
Interview with Sgt. Chris Downey at CFB Trenton for Pond Hockey Fundraising Tournament

"tobecontinued..."
One Sheet

ACCOLADES…


Hold On Was A Finalist in Blues and Roots Radio's International Awards 2021!







Nominated as IndieShark’s
‘2019 Album Of The Year’!


“..a strong singer/songwriter sensibility far outside the purview of many of her peers and contemporaries…brimming over with wisdom and..freewheeling musical spirit.”
INDIE SHARK MUSIC
PICK OF THE WEEK!
“Sensuous string arrangements and vivacious vocal spectacles are what I’ve come to expect from Honey, and she delivers nothing short of her very best in this latest release…She’s got a fire that I don’t see going out any time soon.”
INDIESHARK

ISC | SONG NAME | CATEGORY |
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HONEY | AMERICANA |
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STAY** | AMERICANA** |
![]() |
STAY** | LOVE SONGS** |
![]() |
HONEY | BLUES |
![]() |
STAY | UNSIGNED ONLY |
**STAY IS A FINALIST IN TWO CATEGORIES IN THE INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION**
2018 Canadian Songwriting Competition SEMI FINALIST Song: “Stay” Category: Folk/Singer/Songwriter on the album “To Be Continued…”
2017 Canada South Songwriting Contest Finalist – song “Mamas Take Bad Dreams Away” on To Be Continued…
Texas Songwriter’s Symposium – Canadian Showcase Artist 4 years in a row.