Blending a sultry soulful sound with authentic songwriting, So-Cal’s own prodigal daughter FancyBaby definitely has a story to tell. Our FancyBaby interview begins to peel the layers of her musical journey, aspirations and much more.
Born in The Bay, but raised in both Los Angeles, CA, and Seattle, WA, FancyBaby, née Franchesca, has been singing ever since she could first talk. Having initially honed her skill-set in music programs, plays and theater shows, the still emerging singer-songwriter would later go onto college in Boston, MA, at Berklee College of Music. After school she ascended on her own quest for stardom, eventually unleashing her solo debut, Fancyland, in 2021.
Since then, the songstress has released several singles and a couple visuals, as she gears up to release a new project. The independent artist grind is different, as she explains, and every move is magnified. But she continues to put in the work and build her fanbase.
Read our FancyBaby interview below:
Parlé Mag: When did you first become interested in music? How did it all begin for FancyBaby?
FancyBaby: I’ve loved music since I was a child. My dad said I used to sit in my car seat and bob my head to rap music and I would sing along to Toni Braxton. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 11 years old, which sparked my songwriting interest. I was always a part of extracurricular activities [i.e: musical theater, talent shows etc…], from elementary through high school, even in college. Although I went to music school for college, I stayed a part of extracurricular activities as well. By the time I was 22 was when I realized I wanted to take songwriting seriously.
Parlé Mag: What influenced your sound and your music?
FancyBaby: Growing up in L.A. never deterred my Southern roots. My family from both sides are from the South. My mother’s father listened to a lot of Blues and Jazz, which definitely influenced my sound; my mother listened to a lot of Hip-Hop and R&B; and my father listened to a lot of old school music. Teena Marie, Selena, Janet Jackson, Miles Davis, BB King, Nipsey Hussle, Jay-Z are just a few to name as far as who I listened to as a kid/adult.
Parlé Mag: We got your influences, but what are you hoping people get from your music?
FancyBaby: I really want people to be able to heal and relate to my music. Since most of my songs come from personal experiences I always hope that maybe if they’ve had the same experience then I can bring some type of peace and relief with my songs.
Parlé Mag: To date, what have been your biggest career moments?
FancyBaby: Honestly, I’ve had a lot to date musically, but I feel opening up for Curren$y with Termanology and having my song “Come Dance with Me” played in the Cannes Film Festival in France are my biggest to date. I also just recently had the pleasure of opening for Elijah Banx here in L.A., which was also amazing!!
Parlé Mag: What’s an average day like for you?
FancyBaby: An average day for me would consist of early morning gratitude, yoga, exercise, cat cuddles, handling business tasks and errands, practice and handling music tasks, emails, then writing or other music related things and then work [bartending], and then sleep and repeat, depending on the day because sometimes I have events and have to plan and get ready for those.
Parlé Mag: Your lead single from your new album is “Let You Go.” Tell us about the song.
FancyBaby: “Let You Go” came about from a situationship that I finally ended after 5 years. I actually wrote 2 other songs about this particular person, but this was the last and final song that I wrote about him.
Parlé Mag: Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
FancyBaby: Five to ten years from now, I see myself touring nationally, I see myself performing at multiple awards shows [the Grammys, MTV Awards, Billboard Awards, etc.], winning a Grammy, doing multiple interviews with celebrity interviewers, being photographed on red carpets and truly being within my element of my dreams finally becoming a reality.
Parlé Mag: What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
FancyBaby: My favorite part is the creative process as far as writing the song and making a whole product out of it and getting the feedback. As well as making videos, doing shows, planning the outfits and just being creative and having fun. My least favorite would most likely be the business aspect of it all, especially being a woman in this business [ladies iykyk].
Parlé Mag: Do you have any other additional future aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?
FancyBaby: Yes, I do. I make perfumes, colognes and sugar scrubs; all high quality ingredients under the brand name “Fancy Scentsations,” and it’ll be out to the public very very soon.
Parlé Mag: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
FancyBaby: My advice to any independent artist is to have a loyal solid team of individuals behind you, as well as doing your research and understanding this business. Having your ASCAP / BMI, Songtrust, Sound Exchange etcetera. These are all lucrative things to make and have so that you can get your coin by any means necessary.
I always say this, but as an independent artist there are soooo many hats that you have to wear and I don’t feel like it’s spoken about enough. Not only are you investing out of pocket, you’re also your own marketer / publicist / producer / director and manager etcetera… until you can get the funds to pay for these people and build that team, which is why I say it’s so important to do your own research, especially being a woman because the fast route won’t always get you to the top.
Parlé Mag: Any “parting” words for our readers?
FancyBaby: Thank you so much for reading and getting to know me. You can find my album FancyLand on all music platforms, and you can also find me on Instagram @fancybabymusicofficial.
Image Credits: Samuel Neilson
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