By José Gandue @Gandour
Those who follow our journalistic activities know that at Zonagirante.com we love Fran Straube's artistic work. We discovered this outstanding Chilean musician through her band., Miss Garrison, a trio that has been making waves in Latin America's alternative music scene for the past ten years, performing at some of the most prominent festivals and receiving favorable reviews from the specialized press. Through these events and the published articles, we were able to discover that Miss Garrison's proposal was breathtakingly beautiful and definitely inviting. the effective confirmation of a sonic advance from Chile worthy of being heard and followed. At the same time, Straube's mind was racing with a more personal proposal, one with a more intimate resonance and even more risky, which he called Blond. Since 2014, Straube has released several singles and EPs that have been presented little by little, almost like an exquisite tasting, which almost without meaning to have built a solid proposal that has had a great reception among the music press and those, fortunately a larger mass than imagined, who are determined to constantly seek the ever-renewed good Latin American music.
Days after his return to Santiago, after a successful tour of cities in the United States, We were able to talk to Fran about his present and what's coming up in the next few months:
At this point in your career, with two projects that are increasingly attracting attention from the public and specialized media, how would you describe your artistic side?
I describe it as being like a hardworking little ant. For me, my art is my outlet, my self-therapy; it helps me a lot. I've been working on my music career with my heart and perseverance for years. It's what I'm passionate about and enjoy every day. The fruits of my labor have borne fruit because I've sown the seeds of my art day after day.
Today, Miss Garrison is on hiatus, as we had been working non-stop for nine years and life took other paths. We needed a break so that each of us could pursue other things, which allowed me to focus all my energy on my new project, Rubio, which, despite only being professionally launched a year ago, has made tremendous progress.
Did you expect such a big response from Rubio?
Uh, no, not really. I've lost all expectations or illusions about my music. I just do things as best I can and let them fill my heart. When I share them, I release them and let life and people react as they need to. I'm still impressed by the feedback Rubio has received. It moves me a lot that people feel things in their hearts, since the project moves me too. There's a lot of me in it. I feel a very honest connection with the audience and my art. I think people empathize with what I do, especially the lyrics, and that, for me, is a very, very profound gift. I think Rubio has great energy, a lot of hard work, and a great team behind it. So, I think the universe is on our side.
For those who haven't heard Rubio, how would you describe the project?
I call it intercontinental and profound music, since it blends various styles and currents. It's difficult for me to categorize it, but that's always been the case with my music, ever since Miss Garrison, where the music I create is very much my own. I've felt like an artist since I was born. I may have influences, but I always do what comes from within. Today, I feel rooted in my art, finally! I've been doing this for years, and I think I've finally emerged from my cocoon. Now I want to fly and spread my music throughout the world. I feel responsible and called to do it. So, Rubio is music made with an open heart and humbly for you. .
Do you feel like an icon representing the LGBTQ+ community in any way? Does your sexuality influence your art?
I don't think it has directly influenced my art.
I've never hidden my sexuality; many of my lyrics are about love, and I use feminine pronouns. I don't like to exploit my sexuality for marketing or publicity. That said, the fact that the public knows I'm gay is because I've never hidden it. I love my sexual freedom, I'm grateful for that, and I think my family environment has a big influence. It was never a topic of conversation in my family, so I've always felt very free. If it has influenced my art, it's because I express myself freely in my music. I don't consider myself an icon, but I can be a role model showing that being gay is perfectly acceptable and that love has no boundaries. But my music has never been defined by my being gay.
What was your experience like in North America? Did you have contact with a non-Spanish-speaking audience? How was your music received?
Incredible! I almost cried with emotion several times. I think Latin alternative is on fire! And I feel so much a part of it. Something I really loved was that, even though my music is in Spanish, it reached so many people, and that confirms for me that music is about vibes and the language doesn't matter. You can go far by sharing it regardless of the language of your songs. So, I'm happy, I want to come back again and again and have my little nest here in Chile and travel the world. I have so much energy for the project and I feel like this is just the beginning. I just need to learn more English so I can have wonderful conversations with all the lovely people I met, people I couldn't open up to completely because I didn't know enough English. And if my dream is to share my music all over the world, I have to know English because it's essential for interviews and meeting people.
And now, where are you going?
I'm staying here in Chile these next few months, working on the release of Rubio's first full-length album, which will be out in October. There are videos coming up, and several concerts are planned. In November, if all goes well, we're off to Canada, and there are plans to go to Mexico in March.
Finally, when does Miss Garrison return?
Miss Garrison is currently on a break, I think it will be… in a year? I don't know. We're on great terms and the break felt very natural, it was necessary, so only the universe knows when.
