Neu Francis Lung

: Tom McClung
Based: Manchester
Listen: The Francis Lung Youtube channel covers 3 years of material.
Similar to: Everything but the other projects Tom’s involved in.

Francis Lung’s music dates back to 2011. His intentions to release a ‘Buk in C’ album surfaced around the time that former band Wu Lyf were in the midst of their heady, albeit short-lived ascent. Shortly after this, Wu Lyf split, with Tom McClung not having a great deal of say in the matter if subsequent quotes are anything to go by. His reaction to the split was a case of taking stock. “These songs were all I had,” he explained in a recent DIY interview. “So I had to realise them as fully as I could, in the hope that I could still make music for a living.” Compare the scratchy, cinematic ‘The Night I Killed Tommy’ to what he’s bringing out now and there’s a stark difference.



He declares still be “scared by the whole thing”, but his adapting to solo surroundings seems to have taken on a momentum of its own. ‘Age Limits’ - first penned three years back - arrived alongside a new video, channelling ‘The Bends’-era Radiohead, miserable to the core but utterly entrancing all the same. Follow-up and first single ‘A Selfish Man’ still basks in doubt, but its production is sharp and confident, latching onto minimal pop staples and tapes together by Tom’s emotion-laced vocals. The single even flirts with elements of funk, which isn’t surprising considering Tom’s spent a good few months working with Los Porcos and strutting all-white suits on stage.

What’s clear is that any sense of loss and hopelessness he might have felt at the Wu Lyf split has quickly disappeared. He’s making the most assured music of his life, with Francis Lung arguably the most capable project of breaking big.



‘A Selfish Man’ 7’ is out on Jan 16 on Atelier Ciseaux b/w ‘Tsunami Blues (Cause of Me)’.