“What scares me about the future of music is actually what scares me about the future of humanity in general: losing our connection to reality, drifting toward something completely superficial, a world that becomes as sanitized as the music it consumes. For me, the blues is a remedy to all of that. It’s raw, human, imperfect, and real. It’s everything I hope we don’t lose.”

Elise Frank: Real Life’s Blues Rock

French singer, songwriter and guitarist Elise Frank isn’t quite a newcomer, but she is a young artist to be reckoned with. Fronting her own electric blues and rock formation FRANK since 2021, she has appeared at leading European music events like the Cognac Blues Passions Festival in France and the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival. FRANK was during the various lockdowns, between the Touraine and La Manche regions, that Élise Lounici wrote and composed the first pieces. This period provided an opportunity to reconnect with a creative process completely different from the computer music she had been using for years. A voice, a guitar, an old notebook, and that was it. The result is organic music that gives free rein to emotions. Music that is meant to be shared live above all else. With Sébastien Gaschard on drums, the first arrangements began to take shape. Initially rooted in Blues and Folk, the duo built their set through a year of residencies in Charente-Maritime and impromptu gigs.

(Elise Frank / Photos by Christian Montajol)

The following year, Colin Pradier on bass joined them, and the chemistry was undeniable. The songs then took on a new dimension: a power trio with a definitively Blues-Rock sound. The debut album, “I'm a Phony and a Fraud” released in 2023. Elise Frank will be part of the Blues Caravan 2026 tour, alongside Matthew Curry and Laura Chavez. The tour is promoted by Ruf Records and beginning in January 2026. The Blues Caravan 2026 – 20th Anniversary Edition kicks off its milestone year with a bold new take on a rock classic: “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues & Rock music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

Blues didn’t really change my view of the world, but it helped me survive it. Music has always been my anchor. Blues and rock gave me a way to express emotions I didn’t always know how to handle, and they made me feel understood. They let me release what I needed to, but also share something honest. There are moments when nothing is going right and suddenly a voice, a riff, or a melody hits you directly in the heart. You hear it and think, “That is exactly how I feel.” That is what these genres gave me.

One of my earliest musical shocks was hearing Aretha Franklin’s “Don’t Play That Song for Me” when I was around ten. I didn’t speak English yet, but her voice gave me goosebumps. Later I discovered Alvin Lee’s “I’m Going Home,” and that guitar intro opened a whole new world for me. But the biggest turning point was discovering Rory Gallagher. His sincerity and authenticity matched exactly what I imagined live music should be, and that marked me more than anything else, and that has stayed with me ever since.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions?

My sound comes straight from real life. My “songbook” is simply the stories and situations I’ve lived: life on the road, long busking days, breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, people I’ve met, and moments that stayed with me. Some songs are sincere and emotional, and others, like Your Kind or She’s a Bird, are more caustic and cynical, reacting to things that matter enough to provoke strong feelings. Whatever the tone, everything starts with raw emotion. I can’t force anything, and authenticity and feelings are the only things that really count for me.

My philosophy is that music has to feel alive. Technique has its place, but it’s secondary. What drives my work is the emotional impact, the energy, the truth you capture in the moment. I’m much more interested in a take that feels real than in one that’s technically perfect.

“As for the role of a musician today, I don’t see it as preaching or saving the world. It’s about keep creating emotion, connection, and honesty at a time when everything tends to feel standardized and superficial. A musician can offer a space where people recognize themselves, feel something... If I can do that, even for a few minutes, then I’m doing my job.” (Photo: Elise Frank)

What´s been the highlights in your career so far? Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you'd like to share with us?

One of the biggest highlights so far has been the Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon (Ireland), Rory’s hometown. We arrived completely unannounced, not even sure we’d be allowed to play at all, and somehow ended up performing the entire weekend without interruption, right in front of Rory’s statue. The audience reaction was unbelievable, probably the best we’ve ever experienced. We were surrounded by hundreds of people and sold out all the albums we had with us. Canned Heat, a band I’ve listened to since childhood, came to compliment us, and Rory’s own brother told me that Rory would have loved our music. That moment meant the world to me.

I’ll never forget the emotion and the energy in the air when we played “Bullfrog Blues,” the song that first got us noticed in Ireland. I was completely in a trance, more than I had ever been before. It’s also the performance that later went viral on social media, and what made me happiest was that it wasn’t some polished or staged content. Just a true live moment, raw and spontaneous, captured exactly as it happened.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

What I miss most is authenticity. Everything today is so produced and polished that we end up losing sight of what really matters. When you hear that 97% of listeners can’t even tell the difference between real music and AI-generated tracks on streaming platforms, it makes you wonder where we’re heading.

What scares me about the future of music is actually what scares me about the future of humanity in general: losing our connection to reality, drifting toward something completely superficial, a world that becomes as sanitized as the music it consumes.

For me, the blues is a remedy to all of that. It’s raw, human, imperfect, and real. It’s everything I hope we don’t lose.

“As for how blues shaped rock and roll, I see it as the root of the whole thing. Blues gave rock its heart, its bite, its way of phrasing and bending a note until it hurts. Rock simply took that spirit, pushed the volume up, and ran with it. Everything that matters in rock starts in the blues.” (Photo: Elise Frank)

Why do you think that the French Blues Scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

To be honest, my experience is almost the opposite. I play far more in Ireland, the UK, or Germany, because that’s where I’ve really found my audience. Of course there are still places to play blues in France, and there are dedicated listeners and great artists, but it’s getting rarer.

What I do believe, though, is that whether in France or elsewhere, there will always be people who care about blues. You can still find genuine interest and passionate musicians if you look for them. The scene may be smaller in some places, but the spark is still there.

How did the idea of Blues Caravan 2026 and your contact with Ruf Records come about? What do you love most about the Under My Thumb song? How did the blues shape rock and roll?

The connection with Ruf Records started not long after the Rory Gallagher Festival. Thomas reached out, curious to know more about me, and we kept talking from there. A few months later he offered me the Blues Caravan 2026, and that’s when we signed. It all happened in a very natural way, the kind of thing that feels like it was meant to cross your path.

“Under My Thumb,” it’s a great, catchy single. What I love most—maybe surprisingly—are the lyrics. It’s the kind of text that would probably be impossible to release today without getting called a massive macho, but I love it. The melody is a killer too, the kind of tune that sticks in your head for days.

As for how blues shaped rock and roll, I see it as the root of the whole thing. Blues gave rock its heart, its bite, its way of phrasing and bending a note until it hurts. Rock simply took that spirit, pushed the volume up, and ran with it. Everything that matters in rock starts in the blues.  

“Blues didn’t really change my view of the world, but it helped me survive it. Music has always been my anchor. Blues and rock gave me a way to express emotions I didn’t always know how to handle, and they made me feel understood. They let me release what I needed to, but also share something honest. There are moments when nothing is going right and suddenly a voice, a riff, or a melody hits you directly in the heart. You hear it and think, “That is exactly how I feel.” That is what these genres gave me.” (Photo: Blues Caravan 2026 are Elise Frank Matthew Curry and Laura Chavez)

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music/musician in today's society?

I think it’s important to preserve and spread the blues because it’s one of the few musical forms that still carries a real sense of humanity. Blues reminds us where music comes from: raw emotion, lived experience, and the need to say something true. In a world that’s becoming more artificial, more polished, and more disconnected from reality, blues is almost like an antidote. It brings us back to something real, something imperfect, something that breathes.

As for the role of a musician today, I don’t see it as preaching or saving the world. It’s about keep creating emotion, connection, and honesty at a time when everything tends to feel standardized and superficial. A musician can offer a space where people recognize themselves, feel something... If I can do that, even for a few minutes, then I’m doing my job.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I don’t really think in terms of being “relevant.” I just try to stay true to the music I believe in and keep it alive and authentic. To be honest, I feel like many young listeners are quite far from the blues today, but anyone can connect with it someday, when the moment is right.

I spend most of my time on the road, playing live wherever I can, and writing songs that find their roots in real life and in emotion. If people recognise something of themselves in it, that’s already enough for me. What matters is staying honest with the music.

Elise Frank - Home

(Photo: Elise Frank with FRANK)