Ottawa-based Americana artist Francine Honey pays tribute to the charm of old-fashioned barbers while showing love to fathers everywhere in her heartwarming new single “Come Sit In My Chair.”
A personal anecdote on the profound connection found in getting your hair done, “Come Sit In My Chair” is a gentle reminder to appreciate the little moments in life.
Drawing inspiration from her family’s local salon in the small town of Tweed, Ontario, Francine Honey shares the intimate story of her father, a beloved barber in the community. Claude’s Hair Salon was a gathering place where locals would sit in his chair, share their stories, and receive a rejuvenating haircut that breathed new life into their spirits.
Produced and recorded live-off-the-floor in Nashville, “Come Sit In My Chair” brings together an extraordinary ensemble of musicians. Grammy-nominated Neilson Hubbard expertly produced and mixed the track while lending his exceptional drumming skills. The stellar lineup includes renowned musicians Pat Buchanan and Juan Solorzano on guitars, Dean Marold on bass, and Barry Walsh on piano. Dylan Alldredge engineered the recording at Skinny Elephant Recording Studios, and Jim Demain meticulously handled the mastering at YES Master Studios.
This musical endeavour is inspired by the dedication, commitment, unwavering moral code and work ethic exhibited by those in the hairdressing profession, like Honey’s father, Claude. Through his work, he became a confidant to many and helped shape the small town of Tweed, not uncommon with local barbers in many towns worldwide, furthering the song’s universal appeal.
Vibrant energy and family pride shine through with “Come Sit In My Chair,” particularly when Honey describes the enthusiastic work environment and beaming positivity radiating from Claude’s Hair Salon whenever a happy customer came into the salon.
“The hair fell down,
and He danced around the Chair as he crafted a style
The Swish of the scissors, the Buzz of the clippers,
‘fore you knew it, a brand new profile.”
Along with the new single, a music video for “Come Sit In My Chair” is set to be released on June 30th featuring Claude the Barber himself in Tweed, Ontario, where it all started. Scenes from Honey’s childhood are recreated, including a shot from when Honey was a little girl standing on a stool to cut Claude’s hair!
In 2018, Francine embarked on a collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard in Nashville, TN. She recorded her 4th full-length album, “to be continued…,” live off the floor in just six days and found the sound that she had been hearing in her head for her music. That combined with a 5-minute life-changing vocal lesson with Beth Neilson Chapman in 2015, Francine finally had a project she was proud of, so she released this internationally. The album garnered critical acclaim worldwide, with her song “Stay” reaching the top 10 finalist position in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition in the Americana and Blues categories. among thousands of entries globally. The song “Snowflakes on my Eyelashes” reached millions of people and to this day continues to help people through loss with the music video and CBC Country radio airplay for the song “Open Road”
As a bilingual artist, Francine Honey has released several French singles, including “Chez mon oncle Lucien” and “Floçons de neiges sur mes cils,” which received regular airplay on various radio stations. Her French version of the song “I Soldier On,” titled “Je vis sans limites,” continues to be sought out for Remembrance Day ceremonies in schools.
Honey released the album “Take Me to the North Pole” in 2019, featuring two original songs and re-imagined Christmas classics infused with a Country-Americana southern swagger. Rolling Stone Magazine recognized the album as one of the Top 40 Christmas Albums of the Year.
Throughout her career, Francine has consistently released new music and connected with her fans through live performances. When the pandemic hit in 2020, she embraced the virtual world, hosting a weekly livestream series called “Honey In Your Coffee.” Her single “I Carry On,” dedicated to essential workers, reached over 1.8 million people and received recognition in songwriting competitions worldwide. This was followed by many single releases and the album “I Carry On” in 2021. “I Carry On” has also received critical acclaim with the songs and videos reaching millions of people around the world, 2 #1s, 1 in Canada and 1 in London England. Many songwriting award placements including the Blues and Roots Radio songwriting contest, the International Songwriting Competition and the UK Songwriting Competition.
Along with a growing list of accolades, Honey was most recently awarded the 2023 Songwriter of the Year Award by the Austin Songwriter Group International with ten song placements, winning in the Blues, Folk/Americana, Love Songs and Inspirational categories.
Honey is finding success on her own terms and is inspiring others to do the same, helping others reach for their dreams and healing themselves along the way. “I just want to keep going, writing and producing remarkable songs. I am a songwriter and storyteller. I know I’ll do this for the rest of my life. This is my legacy, one song at a time,” says Honey.
