It takes a certain, quiet strength to work in the shadows, and an entirely different kind of fortitude to step into the light. Franchot Tone is blessed with all of the above. The Oregon-based singer/songwriter/producer isn’t a household name, thanks to his decidedly behind-the-scenes work on some of the coolest musical projects to emerge from the West Coast in recent years. But his sound is unmistakable: take a pitch-perfect pinch of vintage reggae and dub, a sun-fried splash of laid-back SoCal pop-rock, and a heaping helping of Meters-style funk and soul, and you’ve got Tone’s brew. It’s a flavor he’s added to a bunch of projects that didn’t bear his name, choosing creativity and fulfillment over fame. Over the past several months, however, a solo path has revealed itself, illuminated at every turn by someone else. Now, Tone is stepping up to the front of the stage for the first time. It’s a new role, but one he’s tackling with confidence and a sense that it’s one he’s meant to play. More than ever, we live in a world where artists will do anything to find themselves in the spotlight.
In Franchot Tone’s case, the spotlight found him.
Over the past several years, Tone has built an impressive resume, both as a performer and as a studio wizard. His best-known work is as one half of the Culver City Dub Collective, the critically acclaimed band he shares with drummer Adam Topol. He has also performed on stage with Garth Brooks, Jack Johnson, Ozomatli, ALO and The Doors’ Robby Krieger, and he has opened for The Wailers, Toots & The Maytals, The English Beat, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Greyboy Allstars, Piers Faccini and Forro In The Dark. The list of artists Tone has worked with in the studio or produced tracks for is long, highlighted by Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, The Used, Money Mark, Bedouin Soundclash, Goldfinger, Cava, Tom Dumont (No Doubt) and Fredo Ortiz (Beastie Boys) and his own band, the Culver City Dub Collective.
