Michael Franti has long been revered for his inspiring music, worldwide philanthropic efforts and the power of optimism. Deemed by NPR as "equal parts musician and activist", Franti continues to offer opportunities for gratitude, solidarity and celebrating how we get through the greatest ups and downs of our lives with our body, mind and soul still in one piece with his upcoming album Follow Your Heart, set for release June 3rd via Thirty Tigers. Pre-order/pre-save the album HERE.
"One thing I learned these last couple of years is that people need people," shares Franti. "I wrote many songs about connection, resilience and finding the light, even in the midst of all the crazy. Somewhere in there we find resilience, and I hope Follow Your Heart gives fans the courage to continue looking for and holding onto that perseverance."
Along with today's announcement, Franti & Spearhead release 'Brighter Day', an anthemic call to endure life's hardships, to find resolve and strength in those around you and stick around for brighter days ahead:
Don't give up when your heart is weary Don't give up when your eyes are teary Don't give up when your voice is trembling When your life needs mending
Don't give up when the hurt is near you Don't give up when the world seems to be broken I'm still hoping with my heart open For a brighter day
Don't give up when your pride is bruised And don't give up when you fear you're losing Don't give up in your darkest hour 'Cause you got that power
Don't give up when you feel divided Don't give up, I'll be by your side I'm broken I'm still hoping with my heart open For a brighter day
And if you stay with me I will stay with you For a brighter day
Today's release follows lead single 'Good Day For A Good Day', which marked the band's 10th Top 25 AAA hit. Joining "Good Day LA" to chat about and perform the song live in-studio, Franti shared that the song is "speaking to the fact that sometimes we have to retune our minds to feel like we can have a good day, because we're not always going to get one. Not every day is perfect, but we can retune our minds to find those good days and good moments."
Michael Franti & Spearhead will be kicking off the Follow Your Heart UK tour in February 2023. They will play St. Luke's Music & Arts Venue, Glasgow (Feb 7th), Manchester Academy 2 (Feb 8th) and London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Feb 10th). Tickets are on sale now at MichaelFranti.com, with the option to also upgrade to VIP for the dates.
Franti launched a virtual event revolution in June 2020 with his Stay At Home Concert World Tour, a creation prompted by his first summer in 33 years in which he wasn't on the road due to the global pandemic, performing for over 50,000 fans worldwide with seven uniquely themed virtual livestreams. To better connect with his Soulrocker community, Franti developed a dual-screen model, allowing fans to join a 'Backstage Zoom Party Room' and interact directly with one another. Franti is set to host his Brighter Day Livestream on Friday, April 22 at 9pm ET/6pm PT/2am BST.
Work Hard And Be Nice, Franti & Spearhead's 11th studio album, was released in 2020, which included lead single 'I Got You', the band's first Billboard No. 1 in nearly 10 years, and was also featured on NPR's mid-year and end-year 'Heavy Rotation: Public Radio's Most Popular Songs of 2020', sharing, "Michael Franti's infectious groove is unmistakable. From the opening chords to the percolating rhythm, it's easy to get caught up in the positivity he exudes."
01 - Follow Your Heart 01 - Better 02 - Baby Let Your Soulshine 03 - Brighter Day 04 - Life Is Amazing 05 - No Makeup 06 - Good Day For A Good Day 07 - Best At Loving You 08 - People Need People 09 - Trying To Keep The Lights On 10 - Life Reminds Us We're Alive
