The Franklin Electric Share New Single & Video For “Call Me” With LP & Tour On The Way

Canadian indie-folk group The Franklin Electric have shared new single “Call Me,” with a stunning video accompanying the release. An open, vulnerable track, it sees frontman Jon Matte back at home with acoustic-based instrumentation and raw lyricism that’s become expected of the group.

Written in a small coastal town in Nayarit, Mexico, the track was initially captured as a live improv jam recorded on his phone – bringing it back as a souvenir of sorts, “Call Me” was then produced at Matte’s home studio just outside Montreal. Keeping the instrumentation simple, the heartfelt lyrics centering on connection, community support and personal understanding are left to stand on their own and shine.

“I feel I’ve reached the point that I can now make the music I want to make freely and say the things that are closest to me,” Matte reveals. ““Call Me” is about the ideas we’ve created about ourselves or others have created about us. I’ve seen many versions of myself come and go and I’m now able to let go and share them as if it was just another story.”

Alongside the single’s release comes a picturesque music video set in Portugal. Brought to life by the vision of Montreal-based filmmaker and co-director Julian Thomas, the visuals capture gentle moments of a mother’s love, local fishermen, and sceneries of Portuguese coastlines.

“Creating content has always been a bit of a strange thing for me. I prefer using real life events and traveling as my source of inspiration,” Matte shares. “That was my headspace when I knew I needed a video and coincidentally had a friend living in Lisbon, Portugal.” Leaning into his instinct, Matte quickly decided to set off on another adventure.

“In 48 hours, I booked the flight and was on the plane with barely any idea, but I trusted my friend’s cinematography and his eye. We let the concept come together as we travelled around the country. The video starts as a story of travel and turns into the love story of a small family living in a very modest home oceanside. It features portraits of the most interesting, kind-hearted people, insanely beautiful coastlines, and showcases the richness of simple lifestyles, moving at a different pace but living with community and love. Something that I feel is missing in North American hustle culture where we get lost in individualism and the race to the top.”

Since emerging in 2014 with their debut album This Is How I Let You Down, The Franklin Electric have logged over 400 shows, canvassing the world alongside artists such as Mumford & Sons, Ben Howard, Half Moon Run and City and Colour before headlining their own tours. Along the way, they’ve released a strong collection of work, consisting of 2017’s Blue Ceilings, 2020’s In Your Head / In Your Heart, and 2021’s EP Never Look Back and album The Time I See It. The Franklin Electric is set to release another full-length album set to release this year, with tour dates to be announced in the coming weeks.