Franco and the Dreadnought

Rank #10 Manchester, UK Alternative / acoustic / indie

About

Members: 1

Sounds Like: Damien Rice, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Stone Roses

Label: The Animal Farm

Manager: The Animal Farm

Bio: Franco and the Dreadnought announces himself on the scene with his powerhouse voice and agile fingers. This young lad has the goods and the capability of packing arenas full of people waving their lighters in the air and singing along with every fibre of their being. He and his trusty sidekick, t... See Full Bio

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Status

: COMPETITION WINNERS!!! 1st place - Izzy Kennedy - amazing take on Love Sweet Home. Wins her name on the artwork... http://t.co/I8XOXmtHDH

Press

“In an industry that seems to be saturated with singer songwriters, there is reason to believe that Franco and the Dreadnought are very much the hidden treasure that need to be unearthed. As confident and as articulate as any Mancunian musician needs to be, Franco and the Dreadnought presents to the world, a collection of songs and live performances that are so heartfelt and honest they leave you hanging on to every word. His nimble fingers, flawless harmonies and dynamic voice, draw up the obvious connotations to fellow Northerners 'Paul Lidell', 'Liam Frost and the Slowdown Family' and 'John Bramwell (I am Kloot)', however, in terms of Franco's unbelievable melodies and pure rawness I feel that 'The Twang' are a more suitable reference point. There appears to be so much depth to Franco and the Dreadnought's intelligent songwriting ability, with each song filled with thoughtful hooks and heart on sleeve lyrics that seem capable of taking life by the scruff of it's neck to face ...”

— The Funky Moped

“This confident lad from Manchester, knows exactly what he is doing; and does it with passion, emotion and skill. It’s no surprise Franco was offered a publishing deal, by Respect, in June this year. This was going to be good stuff. Franco’s musical affiliation with raw human spirit and emotion became the common theme for the rest of the set. He took the audience down the road less travelled, with such treats as; the beautifully painful “Home sweet Home”, the stop you in your tracks “Musketeers”, and the new single, “Last Man Standing”. This has already received critical acclaim, and has been re-mixed by top names, J Magik and Wickaman. Franco and the Dreadnought are quite simply, superb. From a small club in Camden, to the huge space of an arena, Franco will run the gamut of venues with ease. Precise musicianship, heartfelt lyrics and a cheeky grin, this is new talent at its very best.... you'll be hooked”

— Shane Cary, Musicosis

“Music lovers of the world. I give you a song to love. The quite simply beautiful "Last Man Standing" by Franco and the Dreadnought. There's just no limit to the positive things to say about this song. It should be revered worldwide and appreciated by everyone. This is me doing my bit to get the song into the ears of even just one more person. Have a listen and then spread the word. Also check out The Franco and the Dreadnought Facebook page HERE for more amazing songs.”

— Micj, IndiePenDude.com

“Franco and The Dreadnought from Manchester in England is John Blaylock (Franco) and a his DXME Martin Acoustic Guitar (The Dreadnought), plying contemporary indie-folk to an eager audience. I am drawn to comparisons with another Northern English soloist Paul Liddell, with a similar driven grittiness to the material. There is once again that regional accent, not a mid-atlantic drawl and an earthy reflection of the travails of life. John in previous incarnation already achieved global success and once again he looks set to achieve the same. The power in the music lies in its completeness. The music emotes the already heart-wringing vocal and the listener is left in no doubt that life is full of challenges which need to be faced head-on. Being a miserable Londoner, little turns the heart, but I find my-self, as I do with Paul Liddell, thinking of Julie, someone who faced lifes challenges and wouldn’t let them get her down, despite all the barbs thrown at her. I don’t think I .....”

— Tim, IndieBandsBlog.com

“There’s hardly been a dearth of indie singer-songwriters in the post-YouTube age, but Franco & The Dreadnought may be one of the most hidden treasures of the lot, though completely overlooked. This EP is proof of that—these seven songs are stripped-back, earnest, and absolutely gorgeous. The titular “Last Man Standing” showcases a lot of what makes Franco stand out: a strong, emotive voice, beautiful harmonies, simple, strong songwriting, and a wonderfully atmospheric production that immerses everything with a slightly moody tint, as if it were daybreak in some dive in an alley with no name, and you were the only one bearing witness to the magic happening onstage. The whole enterprise, in fact, is wonderfully personal: penned by Franco (real name: John Blaylock), the lyrics read like stream-of-conciousness confessions to loves and friends and they’re all the more painful and poignant for their refusal to strip their inexplicable feelings down to easily digested soundbytes....”

— wasfuersohr.com

“Franco and the Dreadnought, Last Man Standing October 31, 2011 | by Skope Franco and the Dreadnought is British sensation John Blaylock. His debut CD, “Last Man Standing” is a collection of meaningful heart felt songs. He has a voice with sincerity and promise. Simply by listening to his music gives life a whole new eloquence. So rarely does an artist come along with this amount of depth. When he sings it comes from his soul. He shares his feelings openly and willingly. His voice is a natural story teller. It is conceptually pure in quality. He could sing about bubble gum and make it sound meaningful. But he doesn’t sing about bubble gum. Lyrically there is a confidence that paints whimsical pictures of love and triumph. His guitar dominates and creates a passion you never knew existed. As his fingers glide across the strings the melodies invade your thoughts. It feels like he wrote every song only for you. He is reminiscent of Howie Day. He has a similar sound.... Rating: ”

— Rebecca Hosking – hoskingrebecca@gmail.com, Skopemag.com

“> Tom Hardman Awesome at Dent. You made the weekend for us. Keep up the good work! > Natalie Roberts you were amazing at dent, you have an amazing voice,, you will definately go far - well done :) ! > Michael Reissing one of if not the best performance at dent for me mate well done Great lyrics Franco, got real talent there so wish you all the best in the future. > Janine Lingard you blew me away to!!! listening to your music now! let me know if your playing soon x > Ella Roberts you blew me away last night at dent! amazing you are going to go far! > Fraser Penman I got a card off you. Bulletproof and Last man standing are classics! Thought u were brilliant! > Felicity Sampays Woke up on sunday morning at rockness to hear you singing behind my tent, definitely made my weekend! :) x > Jamie MacPherson we woke to you singing on sunday morning at rockness, your voice is simply beautiful. > Katelyn Rose Sargent very good just listened to the tracks! AMAZING ”

— The beuatiful general public, Facebook comments after Rockness + Dent Festivals

“British sensation Franco and the Dreadnought comes stateside with his powerhouse voice and agile fingers. This young lad has the goods and the capability of packing arenas full of people waving their lighters in the air and singing along with every fiber of their being. He and his trusty sidekick, the Dreadnought, are bound to move the masses into musical bliss. It is awe inspiring to hear an acoustic song such as “BulletProof” convey the sweet, melt your heart sentiment of Damien Rice while creating the same emotive impact as the arena rock of Oasis. His singing and playing exude confidence and while making no attempt at covering up his English inflections, his delivery is all the more real and raw. Franco is no stranger to success and as a testament to the power of his musical ability, he was asked personally by Desmond Tutu to write a song celebrating the life of Nelson Mandella. The archbishop gave it as a gift to Mr Mandella for his 90th birthday.......... ”

— Jenn @ WBPR, Working Brilliantly PR

“Franco and The Dreadnought's song "Bulletproof" was given a Drum n Bass remix by Manchester Sunrise and has been released by Dangerous New Age Records this week, please check out the awesome video HERE In other news Franco has just finalised a management and recording deal with The Animal Farm in London to record and release 4 singles over the next 12 months. Recording starts on September 8th! But wait there's more! Franco and The Dreadnought's first tour has just been announced, following successful shows at 3 different festivals this summer. Franco The Dreadnought has been booked for a tour or Scotland playing 5 shows in 4 days across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Bathgate and Motherwell from September 22nd to the 25th. For more information on Franco and the Dreadnought check out his profile in the Blue Pie artist roster! CLICK HERE”

— Hurricane Healing News

“ "Really Mellow and Heartfelt"... -Zane Lowe Radio 1 "Absolutely Awesome"... -Conrad Murray XFM / SJM These are what DJs said about International One's Moonshine + Roses written by Franco”

— Zane Lowe / Conrad Murray, Radio Quotes

“About Franco & The Dreadnought: Franco, lead singer of hit Manchester band, International One, embarks on a solo project with songwriting and melodies at the core. This is a collection of acoustic and piano tunes, simple stripped back arrangements to let the songs really come out. Fortunately though for Blue Pie, Franco went solo and brought us an amazing collection of tracks that we are distributing to the world. Franco and the Dreadnought are heart-warming, spine-tingling Indie-acoustic music. Stay tuned as Franco and his amazing songwriting prowess are bound to cause a stir on the Airwaves very shortly. For more information, or to license this artist, check out www.bluepie.com.au ”

— Blue Pie Media, You License.com

“ Franco & The Dreadnought – The Dreadnought being the name of his guitar – is the former lead singer of Manchester band International One. Now pursuing a solo career his music has been described as “heart-warming, spine-tingling Indie-acoustic music.” I love a good old electric guitar thrash a la The Stooges or MC5 but in quieter moments I can be found listening to acoustic stuff from the likes of Nick Drake or Elliot Smith. Franco’s songs, like the aforementioned Elliot Smith, had an intricacy in their arrangements that didn’t detract from the good old fashioned melodies and they sounded like a breath of fresh air in an area of Spain that is deprived of new and original music. I would urge you check his music out here at https://www.facebook.com/francodreadnought”

— Brian Hickey, Brian Hickey Photography

“ SOLO ARTIST BIO By Adriana Rubio “Franco and the Dreadnought” is an acoustic music act from Manchester, UK performed by gifted solo artist John Blaylock (Aka Franco). Franco was born in England in May of 1982. He is a multi-instrumentalist talented musician. Franco sings, plays guitar, piano, drums, keyboards and bass guitar. He met his music partner, Martin, in 1999 in a music store… a Martin DXME Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar! They became inseparable music friends since then. Some years ago “Franco and the Dreadnought” were signed by “International One” as a solo artist project with songwriting and melodies that go right to the heart. The album is filled with stunning acoustic and piano tunes. Franco's musical compositions are undoubtedly delightful. Singing melodies and lyrics are lovable. There’s no doubt that Franco and Martin are a perfect match. As a result of the uniqueness of Franco’s acoustic .......... ”

— Adriana Rubio, Solo Artist Bio by Adriana Rubio

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Recent Blogs

PreProduction Demos
Jul 27, 2011
Just uploaded the pre-production demos for the singles being recorded in Septemb... [more]

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Songs

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Play "Last Man Standing"

Last Man Standing

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Play "Bulletproof"

Bulletproof

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Play "Mute"

Mute

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Play "Freedom"

Freedom

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Play "This One's Mine"

This One's Mine

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Videos

Franco and the Dreadnought - Last Man Standing (Official Video)

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Shows

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Mon
Jun 10

The Troubadour
London, UK | 8:00pm
The Troubadour
London, UK
Mon Jun 10 8:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
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supporting Maggie Riley - Maggie Reilly has covered vast musical ground. From the jazz/funk of Cado Belle, performances with Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, her collaboration with Prog rocker Mike Oldfield, duets with Jack Bruce (Cream) and Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd) through early nineties Euro pop and her thoughtful solo albums of the last decade, Maggie’s first came to prominence with the seminal Scottish funk-rock-band Cado Belle before forming her much acclaimed partnership with Mike Oldfield, which produced such great songs as ‘Moonlight Shadow’, ‘To France’ and the Hall & Oates hit ‘Family Man’ for which she received an ASCAP award in 1984. After parting with Oldfield and taking time out to start a family, Maggie resumed her solo career and awards came with increasing frequency. Her Album ‘Echoes’ in 1991 included the massive worldwide hit that she wrote ‘Every time We Touch’ alongside the European hits ‘Wait’ and ‘Tears in the Rain’. The release of ‘Starcrossed’ (2000) provided more evidence of her subtle skills, particularly on the stunning single ‘Adelena’ (including an electrifying guitar solo by Chris Rea) and the beautiful ‘Half-Light’. In 2006 Maggie returned to her Scottish roots with the release of ‘Rowan’. This is an album of original songs, mixed seamlessly with traditional Scottish and English folk songs with the Reilly twist! The 2009 release of ‘Looking Back Moving Forward’ presented a new take on some of Maggie’s older songs alongside new songs in the contemporary celtic style of her new Album ’Silver on the Tree’ is due for release summer 2013 and was premiered at Glasgow’s fabulous Celtic Connections festival at the sold out Tron Theatre January 27th with a fabulous review below.
Sat
Jun 29

Dent Music and Beer Fes…
Yorkshire, UK | 12:00pm
Dent Music and Beer Festival
Yorkshire, UK
Sat Jun 29 12:00pm
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Sun
Jul 7

Keynsham Music Festival
Bristol, UK | 1:00pm
Keynsham Music Festival
Bristol, UK
Sun Jul 07 1:00pm
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Wed
Jul 24

Various venues across P…
Warsaw, PL | 8:00pm
Various venues across Poland
Warsaw, PL
Wed Jul 24 8:00pm
- Show Details
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5 date Poland tour from July 24th - July 29th
Fri
Aug 2

TBC
NYC, NEW Y, US | 8:00pm
TBC
NYC, NEW Y, US
Fri Aug 02 8:00pm
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US tour, travelling from New York to San Francisco trying to play as many shows as possible in 1 month!