The Franklin Electric

Since emerging in 2014 with their debut album This Is How I Let You Down, The Franklin Electric have logged over 400 shows, canvassing the globe alongside artists such as Mumford & Sons,  Ben Howard, Half Moon Run and City and Colour before headlining their very own tours around the world. Led by the talented singer-songwriter Jon Matte, the band has been steadily gaining critical acclaim and a loyal following for their introspective lyrics and uplifting instrumentation. This Is How I Let You Down immediately caught the attention of music critics and fans alike. With its haunting melodies and thoughtful lyrics, the album was a showcase for Matte’s songwriting talent and the band’s impressive musicianship. The Franklin Electric quickly became a fixture on the Montreal music scene, playing sold-out shows and earning rave reviews for their live performances.

The Franklin Electric’s next album, Blue Ceilings, marked a major milestone for the band, leading to a nomination at the 2018 JUNO® Awards in the category of Breakthrough Group of the Year. Building on this momentum, The Franklin Electric released In Your Head / In Your Heart in 2020, accumulating over 4 million streams of the title track “In Your Heart” alone. The group then released the EP  Never Look Back, and full-length album This Time I See It in 2021. Never Look Back was nominated for Album of the Year – Reinterpretation at the 2021 ADISQ Awards, celebrating Matte’s reimagining of previous The Franklin Electric songs. Last year The Franklin Electric released five singles which saw the group triple their monthly listeners within six months. The popularity of these singles cemented The Franklin Electric’s status as one of Quebec’s preeminent indie bands while broadening their reach internationally.

2023 is shaping up to be one of the most definitive in the career of The Franklin Electric, as the group is poised to take a massive leap forward stylistically and commercially. The first single released this year, the acoustic plea “Call Me,” was written in a small coastal town in Nayarit, Mexico, and began as an improv jam recorded on Matte’s phone. Matte says that writing “Call Me” was a turning point for him, as he feels that he’s now reached a point that he can make the music that he hears in his mind freely and express the thoughts that are closest to him.

The newest single, “Make No Mistakes,” finds The Franklin Electric at the peak of their craft. “Make No Mistakes” is an irresistible indie-folk anthem featuring a contagious chorus that will stick in your head all day. “It’s a fragile and mystical song that speaks about a rare type of honesty within ourselves,” says Matte. “It’s hard to learn to trust what’s in our heart, and “Make No Mistakes” is a dedication to anyone searching for the answers.” The music video was filmed in Portugal and features Matte exploring abandoned buildings and breathtakingly magical cliffsides. With the release of “Make No Mistakes” on March 31st, The Franklin Electric also announced a cross-Quebec tour, which will kick off with an album release show at the MTelus as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Find full tour dates below.

“Call Me” and “Make No Mistakes” are both featured on The Franklin Electric’s new album Oh Brother, the band’s most heartfelt collection of songs yet. After growing as a songwriter over his last four releases, Matte felt that Oh Brother was the right time to write more introspectively about the impact and inspiration that his family has had on his music. “It’s a very personal album, and I want to share more of myself than I have before in order to try breaking the stigma behind mental health, addiction, depression, and homelessness,” explained Matte. “Throughout writing this album, I finally felt myself letting go from a narrative that has preoccupied my mind for years.” Oh Brother will be released on June 30th, and Matte hopes that this album will be able to positively impact anyone who has a loved one struggling with mental health issues.