A feeling of transition emanates from every note of Francine Honey’s single, “Unfinished Business.” And that’s totally appropriate for an artist who recently announced her retirement from the road so she can concentrate on the studio.
Inspired by a dream she once had of a timeless love in a canyon, the song explores the themes of destiny, choice and possibilities. But its implications are significantly more personal than that. Her musical vision conjures up memories of relationships that ended badly and finds her wondering if she will ever find real love.
The song sticks with you long after the final chord has been struck, leaving a sensation of wistful hopefulness that’s the perfect metaphor for where Francine now finds herself as an artist.
“Unfinished Business” is the final track on Rockets in My Boots, Vol II, a mix of new songs and re-recorded gems from Francine’s illustrious catalog. The album marks the second installment in a three-part career retrospective/musical biography she’s been working on since 2018.. It’s a collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard at Skinny Elephant Recording Studios in Nashville, TN.
The rewards have already been rich; with the project barely at the halfway mark, she’s won the 2023/2024 Songwriter of the Year Award from the Austin Songwriters Group International, seen the song “Stay” place in the top 10 in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition and been nominated for Best International Female Artist of 2024 by Radio Wigwam in the UK.
A songwriter since childhood, Francine is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music’s Professional Singer-Songwriter Certificate Program and has honed her craft under the guidance of some of her idols in Nashville. Since 2008, she’s released a string of acclaimed singles and albums, from her self-produced debut An Ordinary Woman to 2019’s Take Me to the North Pole, which Rolling Stone hailed as one of the top 50 Christmas albums of the year.
Making music her full-time gig was clearly a wise move for Francine, who had initially pursued a career in mathematics and computer science that had her working as a project manager for the federal government. Along the way, she also had to shoulder the responsibility of raising a family as a single mother.
Her decision to retire from touring sprang from a variety of factors, from the harsh financial realities of the road to a need to prioritize her mental health.
The good news is she’s already fielding invitations to write and record for the film. And she maintains a very active fan community online, thanks to her widely viewed livestreams. Mostly, though, she’s finding herself energized by the opportunity to focus fully on creating music from the studio, a shift she anticipates will bring a new, even more introspective dimension to her work.
“I just want to keep going, writing and producing remarkable songs,” Francine said. “I am a songwriter and storyteller. I know I’ll do this the rest of my life. This is my legacy, helping people through life one song at a time.”
