Young Rising Sons frontman Andy Tongren achieves a warm and heartening sense of anthemic drive in his second solo release, "Franconia," the indie-folk single that stomps, swells, and sings its soulful way into the chorus. This is a love song about that kind of love that sneaks up on you and leaves a mark on your heart when you haven't even had time to notice. People, places, and moments, rare, fated, and unforgettable, and "Franconia" makes all of these connections so that they feel like matters of cosmic significance.
"Franconia" arrives with the textured, warm comforts of folk instrumentation and a steady groove that feels like an old friend. Tongren's voice is raw and radiant, and there's honesty in every syllable. The production builds softly before letting loose, and it's a sing-along of the highest order. There's literally no way you can listen and not clap your hands, stomp your feet, and shout the words at the heavens. It's the type of chorus that will be shouted by thousands at festivals and resound in cars down long stretches of highway.
The true wonder of "Franconia" is its poetic lyricism. Tongren grapples with the notion of not just falling in love with a person, but with the feeling, the memory, the very place that sticks with you, deep in your bones, long after you've moved on. In his words, "Franconia becomes more than just a place, it becomes a state of mind, a memory, a metaphor for how certain people and places leave their mark on you." That feeling is woven through the track like a golden thread, so the song feels at once personal and universal.
It's a logical evolution for an artist who's endeared himself to heart-on-sleeve acts in arenas around the world while opening for The 1975, Bleachers, and Halsey, among others. But with "Franconia," Andy Tongren is creating his own wave. He's clearing room in the indie folk scene, where honesty intersects with anthemic, where reflection bumps up against resonance. Whether you're lovelorn, missing a place where you felt most alive, or longing for a song that feels like home, "Franconia' is there, with open arms, and a chorus that will echo long.
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