Music fans are looking to have a relationship with artists again; to experience that connection which has gone missing from the commercial scene. Boston-based Francesca Reggio and Blue Shift is bringin’ it back to the days of the accessible, self-deprecating live show. With thoughtfully crafted pop songs and lyrics that sneak up on you with their clarity and sometimes brutal honesty, the band delivers quality entertainment without pretense. Lead singer and songwriter Francesca Reggio (whose Grandpa was in the mob so deep the book about him is no longer printed) knows there’s no need to hide the truth in cryptic lyrics and frustrating metaphors or to veil a perfectly good band in guyliner. Her voice is soulful, simple and clear, with just enough sparkle to set her sound apart from your usual sleepy singer/songwriter genre. Her unique band of accomplished musicians - Benjamin Ricci (electric guitar), Lou Paniccia (drums), and Pamela Gouveia (keyboard) – succeed in making Francesca think they’re only there to make her look good. Floating bass duties are taken on by Andreas Farmakalidis, who got the big break through MySpace, and/or funk-metal veteran Tony Gouveia, who trashes chick music at rehearsal but secretly sings Francesca’s songs in the shower. Ever since she was old enough to sing “Livin’ On A Prayer” in her mother’s ’87 Buick and worship Jem (truly outrageous) on TV, Francesca knew she wanted to contribute to the world through music. She met Pam, an artist management student (inspired by That Thing You Do), when they were both attending Berklee College of Music. Pam had two days to fill a vacated spot on a coffeehouse stage, so the two quickly put together three-hours of covers and started playing together regularly as Francesca began writing original material fueled by life experiences, relationships, and a few glasses of White Zinfandel (though it is rumored that writing “Victim” took a half a bottle of a Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio blend.) As a flat-broke student, Francesca, along with sidekick Pam, found a friend to record her first demo for free. Unfortunately, as they were finalizing overdubs, the hard drive crashed and they lost everything. Lesson learned, Francesca bought a microphone and some software and recorded her own acoustic demo in her closet. In 2007 Blue Shift came together through various connections and bribes. Enter Zac Cataldo of Night Train Studios who stepped up to record their 2009 EP, State Of Motion, and made them all finally feel like the rock stars they saw in their bathroom mirrors. “In My Place” is a classic kiss-off rocker with witty, acerbic lyrics (“When she sees my name saved on your video game she will ask” ) while “You Never Happened” was a last-minute studio decision to record acoustic guitar and vocals simultaneously with no vocal edits, ala early influences Patty Griffin and Jewel. With performances at the New England Culture Fest and Lowell Folk Festival under her belt, Francesca had already made a name for herself in the local scene. The band continues to play live in support of the new EP, and to watch with wonder as fans find pieces of themselves in the songs. As for the future, top-40 radio domination is inevitable. The band hopes to continue to avoid unnecessary adornment (though they have Sephora on speed-dial if that’s what it takes) and Francesca would like to spend a day with Billy Joel so he can teach her how to be so insanely awesome.

Francesca Reggio a Posted by: francescar Francesca Reggio Posted by: francescar State of Motion Posted by: francescar

When You See Me Again
You Never Happened
In My Place