Francis is a Swedish folk quintet formed in Mora, Sweden in 2006 and currently based in Falun. The band consists of vocalist Petra Mases, drummer Petter Nygårdh, guitarist Jerker Krumlinde, bassist Paulina Mellkvist and keyboardist Oskar Bond. The band was originally conceived as a punk interpretation of American folk music. The original founders of Francis aimed to put a punk spin on modern folk music, citing American musicians Tom Waits and Patti Smith. On the album Marathon, the band's sound evolved into a softer pop sound, and they began to focus on politics, including issues of xenophobia in Europe, as well as issues of gender equality. In October 2015, Francis released their first world-wide single, Follow Me Home, to be featured on their album Marathon. The band collaborated with producer Nicolas Vernhes to create a "crisp, lucid guitar-pop" contrasts with melancholy lyrics. The song focuses on lyrics at first and then shifts focus to the instrumentals. This single met with mostly positive reviews in underground blogs, with one reviewer proclaiming them "a name to remember" and Follow Me Home a "5-minute wonder."
