Swedish band Francis, has been making music for close to a decade. Following their their last release This Must Be Blood EP, released in 2012, and tours with The Tallest Man on Earth, Francis is now getting ready to release their second album Marathon. The full-length was co-produced by the band and Nicolas Vernhes (Daughter, The War on Drugs, Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Björk, Dirty Projectors, etc.)

Francis was originally formed back in 2006 as a punk-y interpretation of American folk (think a mixture of Tom Waits and Patti Smith), out of the local DIY scene in their hometown of Mora, in the Dalarna region of Sweden. Now based in Falun, only vocalist Petra Mases and drummer Petter Nygårdh remains from the early days, later joined by guitarist Jerker Krumlinde, bassist Paulina Mellkvist and Oskar Bond on keyboard. Francis self-released their debut album Lekomberg, We Were Kin in 2011, and followed it with the This Must Be Blood EP the year after. Marathon will be the first release from the current incarnation of the band.

Marathon was recorded in the village of Gagnef in Dalarna, Sweden, and later finished in Brooklyn, New York with producer Nicolas Vernhes.

“Every song is basically about children, divorce or love. But there is also a political side of it. We are all affected by the xenophobia that is going on in Europe. The title track, “Marathon,” is about red hearts, wanting to fight for something and naively hoping for something better. Hope for future generation’s benevolence to continue to fight for justice and gender equality. And love, simply, or lack thereof, and the frustration that comes with it.”

During the past few years the band’s also become something of an institution in Falun, running their own art collective where they, together with other local acts, hosts gigs and exhibitions, create music and run their own label Strangers Candy, through which Marathon will be released. Following the release of the album, Francis is set to tour Europe and the UK during the spring of 2016.