"Adventure Book" by Francois Klark
Photo credit: Kyla Zanardi (Benson & Oak)
The idea for Adventure Book came about during the first two weeks of the global shutdown in 2020. As the world came to a complete standstill I was able to spend most of my days behind my piano. Memories from my childhood, high school, and trips that I’ve been on in Guatemala and Mexico came rushing back and provided the perfect vehicle through which I could explore themes of wanderlust, youth, relationships, and faith.
The album can best be described as a wanderlust memoir that journeys steadily through a world of addictive slick pop production that ventures into awe-inspiring symphonic concert halls and small tribal villages. The album is a celebration of life and being human. Slinking between poignantly intimate and abundantly exuberant, ‘Adventure Book’ delves into our longing to connect with others and our desire to explore the world we live in.
Drawing inspiration from my fascination with EDM production, cinematic, and world music, ‘Adventure Book’ builds on the sound of my debut record, ‘Love’, and consists of songs ranging from pop anthems to introspective ballads and soaring orchestral arrangements.
1. Amanecer (Antigua, Guatemala)
'Amanecer' is the Spanish word for sunrise. This is a lush string-driven instrumental intro which sets the stage for the rest of the album. It was inspired by the vibrant colours of the sun rising over the volcanoes just outside of Antigua, Guatemala.
2. Fuego
‘Fuego’, a Carpe diem song with a pulsing uptempo rhythm, encapsulates the wanderlust and youthful spirit of the album. This song is named after one of the two volcanoes that I hiked up in Guatemala and tells the story of my experiences from that trip.
3. Pirates
‘Pirates’ is a stadium-type anthem in which I further explore the themes of wanderlust and youth. It centres around reconnecting with the adventurous and free-spirited child that we all used to be. I was inspired by the ‘dia de Los Muertos’ celebrations in Oaxaca City which, in turn, provides the backdrop for this song. It also serves as a reminder of our mortality while the song urges the listener to be adventurous again, to live life to the fullest, and to be free again - like when we were kids who would dress up like pirates and astronauts ready to take on any adventure.
4. Cecilia
The idea for this coming-of-age song came about as I was getting lost in a box filled with letters and old film pictures of me and my high school best friend. We’ve been friends since the days of oversized surf T’s, baggy jeans, and Dawson’s Creek mix CDs. When inspiration came knocking to write a song about the formative moments of our youth together, it seemed like the appropriate way to honour my friend and the friendship we’ve shared for so many years. I had a permanent grin on my face as all the memories slowly came back to life during the writing process, and couldn’t help jumping up and doing a little dance the first time the chorus groove in the production came together. One of my favourite elements in this song is the nod to South Africa in the guitar and background vocal parts towards the end of the tune - guitarist Heather Crawford took us in that direction during our guitar session, which in turn inspired me to lean into that world even further during the background vocal session. I had a blast making this tune with producer Sean Wharton (On Planets). I hope it takes you back to amazing times spent with special people.
5. Bedtime Stories
My initial idea was to keep the production very bare and limited to only trumpet pads and vocals. However, once Andrew McAnsh tracked the beautiful trumpet parts I felt that it deserved something special around it. I approached SafeSpaceship Music, a team of three very talented producers, and there you have it - a sweet lullaby with a syrupy groove. I wrote Bedtime Stories for my younger sister and brother. There is a 13-year age gap between us which meant that I had a front-row seat to see them grow up. As toddlers, they used to visit my room around bedtime insisting that I tell them stories about all kinds of mythical creatures. That memory serves as the inspiration for the song, but ultimately the song tells of the dreams, hopes, and fears that go along with being a kid and growing up, and the promise that I will be there for my siblings no matter what.
6. Beautiful Universe
This song was a last-minute addition to the album - I wrote it very recently and, in comparison to the rest of the songs on the record, spent the least amount of time writing it. The story behind this song is also from my trip to Guatemala. With very little and broken Spanish, a backpack, and a sunburn, I took a minibus from Rio Dulce to Tikal. The minibus, side door flung wide open, was packed to the brim with young families, workers, a couple of elderly folks, and a few live chickens. Though I looked completely different from everyone in the minibus and only barely spoke the language, I distinctly remember everyone’s kindness toward me. At that moment, in spite of our visible differences and backgrounds, these complete strangers reminded me of my own family and made me feel at home. It is a moment in which our sameness as fellow humans was so beautifully unmistakable that I felt like I was among family - it is a memory that will stick with me forever.
7. Sailing
This introspective pop ballad is about an all-consuming desire and hopeful pursuit to return to, and make whole again a neglected relationship. On a very personal level, it touches on my journey through faith and my relationship with God. I teamed up with my friend and brilliant Film & TV composer, Kristjan Bergey, on this tune. We hid so many little gold nuggets in the production, but my favourite elements remain Kristjan’s orchestral arrangement and the haunting vocoder throughout the song.
8. Paper Planes
‘Paper Planes’ is a cinematic sun-drenched pop ode which blurs the lines between organic and electronic elements. The warm tones of an antique Yamaha pump organ steadily move like thick molasses over a sticky groove while the song tells of two lovers, unbound by the constraints of time and seemingly lost to the world, sharing moments in the small forgotten beach town of Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
9. Atardecer (Oaxaca, Mexico)
‘Atardecer’ concludes the use of sun-related imagery throughout the album with a final sunset. I based the piano composition on the outro melody from ‘Fuego’. I found it fitting to use that melody since, even though in the case of ‘Atardecer’ it is instrumental, the words to the melody in ‘Fuego’ has the perfect sentiment to end the album with:
‘Our time is now
This is the greatest moment of our lives - right now.
Don’t let it go to waste.’