educated and underemployed you got fed in here
you might have noticed we now have a theme song
here on the podcast and I want to thank Sloan
Brothers for setting that up you'll remember
I had Sloan Simpson on the podcast a couple months
back and he was gracious enough to record that
for us so check his music out check out Sloan
Brothers on Spotify there's a link in the description
And this is the first of my series that I recorded
at AthFest in Athens, Georgia. Now today we've
got my interview with artist Frances Thrasher.
Frances Thrasher is most known for her album
cover for Patterson Hood's latest record, Exploding
Trees and Airplane Screams. She also directed
the music video for the song The Pool House.
and created the tour poster for Patterson's last
solo tour, which I did happen to catch and was
a fantastic show. Highly recommend that album.
Frances has been published in both the Odyssey
and the Iliad News Magazine, literary art magazines,
multiple times. She's had her work on display
at many different exhibitions. Going back the
last five years, she's been active. She's also
done a little bit of acting here and there. And
also did a music video for the band Jucifer.
And they are the inspiration for the Oscar -nominated
film Sound of Metal. So check that out. She was
in a music video for the band Monsoon. She's
done workshops at SCAD and at Columbia. is a
very talented young artist, so keep an eye on
her future work. We did talk about AthFest, too.
AthFest is a music festival I've been going to
for several years now, and it's a festival that
is a combination free outdoor festival during
the day, and then in the evening into the late
night, it turns into a club crawl that you buy
a wristband for at a very reasonable price. You
buy a wristband. And it gets you into clubs all
around downtown Athens. Full of amazing bands
playing all night. You can't possibly see everybody
you want to see, as with most festivals. And
they have all kinds of music. They have everything
from hip -hop, Americana, rock and roll. They
have a gospel brunch. There's jazz. There's reggae.
It was heavy rock. There was all kinds of music
there. The other thing that's important to know
is that all the money raised for AthFest goes
to grants that fund arts and music education
in the Athens area. Now, Frances did not have
any recollection of anything that she's done
being funded by a grant, but her high school
teacher, her high school art teacher, did just
receive and AthFest Grant to improve her class.
And we've already had a couple of art teachers,
music teachers in particular, on the show. Make
sure you hit the subscribe button, because the
other interviews I've got coming up, I talked
to Jen Bryant, who is the Drive -By Truckers
webmaster, but was also a board member for AthFest
for several years. I interviewed members of Slightly
Famous Somebodies. Kane Stanley, Valor Trucks,
Jonathan Spencer, Laura Slade Wiggins. So back
to Frances Thrasher. I think she was maybe a
little bit nervous. I think this was the first
podcast she'd ever been interviewed for. I think
she was nervous at first, but about two to three
minutes in, she really settles into it. And I
think she gave a really great interview. And
it was really interesting to hear the perspective
of somebody that... was so young and early on,
but also had found their voice and kind of their
medium, or at least one they were really comfortable
in at such a young age. So I think it's a really
awesome talk. I hope you enjoy it. I'm here with
visual artist Francis Thrasher, and I'm going
to modify the question I've been asking a lot
of people first, but because you're a visual
artist and not, and maybe you are, but not so
much of a songwriter or a musician. What is the
first piece of art that you remember like really
grabbing you as like a child? Okay, that's a
hard question. But I was always just making anything
at home, painting -wise, like little sculptures
if I wanted, I don't know, something that I couldn't
buy. But I think I finally started thinking that
my work with art was when I was like a freshman
in high school and I was developing my style.
And I realized, okay, this is something that
I haven't, seen before and I'm liking where it's
going so I don't think there is a specific piece
but the first time I started doing portraits
I think was when I was like okay this is what
I am really into doing okay okay I think you
jumped ahead a little bit of what I'm asking
and that's totally cool that's I was going to
ask that basically next but like I'm talking
about other people's art Oh, other people's eyes.
Yeah, so the first question I've been asking
musicians is, like, what's the first song that
they remember? Oh, okay. And being inquisitive
about. And so similarly, like, what's the first,
like, painting, statue, photograph that you,
like, that really sticks? And it might not be
the first, but the first one you remember now.
Right, okay. It did give me a lot to go on and
go in that answer. So I'm going to follow up
on all that. That is also hard. I do. I always
loved Monet. I remember when I was really little,
I like, my family took me to a gallery. I think
it was maybe in New York, I think in New York,
but I saw, I don't remember the exact painting,
but I saw a Monet painting and I just ran right
towards it trying to touch it and it scared me
so bad. But I think I knew, I was like, okay,
this is something I need to get my hands on and
get my hands on some oil paintings. So you, you
started with... paint than when you were like
really and it sounded like you started by imitating
a lot of other people's art things you wanted
to have your own copy of yeah can you talk a
little bit more about some of the earliest pieces
you you remember imitating yeah it was mostly
like this was when i was like in elementary school
i was just yeah i was seeing like i guess not
necessarily toys but collect collectible figures
i was like i really want that so i was like making
them out of clay and doing things with fabric,
making little sets and stuff. And then that developed
more into me making other sculptures. So I'm
a painter, but I do still have that childlike
wanting to create things that are tangible and
I can actually move around and stuff. I'm a terrible
painter, but that's actually what I spent my
birthday doing with a friend. We did one of those
step -by -step YouTube video kind of things.
it looked like a five -year -old and i was still
like happy i was still fine it was still like
great to get into that creative space yeah even
if it's not what you excel at right so i totally
can relate to that but i guess what kind of switched
for you and when do you remember like what kind
of made you go okay i'm gonna stop imitating
other people's stuff not even when you started
considering yourself like an artist and found
your like medium and style but when were you
like all right i'm gonna make my own stuff instead
of making a copy of this other thing or trying
to because i think that's a really i think i
mean if you think about what musicians do they
start by covering other people's music like and
it's weird with comedy because like comedy If
you go up there and tell somebody else's jokes,
that's your one -way ticket out of getting another
show. But almost every other art form, it's pretty
accepted that's the beginning. So what switched
where you were like, okay, I'm going to make
my own stuff? Back to what I was saying about
right before Corona hit, it was I think 2019,
and I started doing portraits of just anyone,
like random people I knew, if not. people I like
saw on Instagram or something. And it came from
that, like me wanting to draw clothes that I
liked or something like that. So similar to where
I was like doing other things that other people
have done. I was like, I want to, I don't know,
make a style with these people's faces and what
they're wearing. And then that ended up just
developing more of how I found how to do my own
style wise with pen and watercolor and stuff.
So were you, at that point looking at other portrait
artists and other watercolor and colored pencil
and painters were you looking at them to try
and find what you liked and didn't like about
their styles or was your style like purely like
it came out of me and of course there's influences
yeah yeah but was it a conscious thing I guess
is my question I think I actually I when I was
developing my style I was trying to do things
that other people have done and I realized okay
this isn't working And I was like, I just want
to do whatever's easiest for me. And that ended
up being what was, I don't know, was my style.
It was, I feel like something about doing my
own work was definitely easier than trying to
do something else that someone has already done.
Once, I hear that over and over again from pretty
much every artist I've talked to on and off the
podcast, right? And it's once they're able to
be their authentic self in their art. Yeah. And
sometimes that's... the obstacle for them, right?
It's not that they don't realize that's the best
way, but how were you able to just like pour
yourself into it and open up that way? Yeah,
I think so. I just started doing a lot of portraits
of some people I knew and then some people who
I just saw online and thought were pretty. And
I did like this idea of... Beauty and like women
so really only paint women I painted actually
Patterson technically with my first male subject
and that was him as a werewolf but Yeah, but
so still that's technically the only man I painted
and I just really like feminine beauty and doing
things with Fashion and hair and accessories,
but there's also a darkness. Yeah to your work
exactly Can you talk a little bit about where
that comes from? Yeah, because it sounds like
it It's authentic. It's not something that you're
like, okay, I'm going to make this dark. And
I will say most artists I talk to talk about
having some kind of a darkness. They have to
get out. How did you find that? And I also know
people that it takes them a lifetime to find
it. You found it at a really young age. I think
that's really, that's pretty unique in a lot
of ways. You found your voice at a really young
age. I think it was a mixture of me developing
my style and finding okay this is what I want
to do and then two months later it was locked
down and I was forced to literally just be by
myself with art and I was like not doing best
as everyone else was during that time and I think
that definitely pulled out a lot of negative
feelings but with my art I was able to like channel
them and then put them on the paper instead of
dealing with them with myself so I was using
my paintings as a way to handle all the issues
that were going on. And sometimes I don't even
mean for them to be that dark. And then I finish
and I'm like, oh, okay. A little too much. So
you really, do you think like the isolation of
COVID and everything like that was a large contributing
factor to kind of the dark? lens that goes over
some of your work? Yes for sure because before
it hit I was still just developing my style and
then during those like two years I think it was
just the only thing I could do and it was really
helping and I would just be in my room all day
dealing with my own emotions and the only thing
I could help to ease them was to draw something
a little scary. Maybe a little cute at the same
time. Yeah, one thing that a lot of artists I've
talked to have said, and I'm using that in the
broadest sense, is that if it doesn't come out
in their art, it's going to come out in a destructive
way. Exactly, I feel the same way, yeah. Were
you able to stay ahead of that, or did you struggle
with some things and then you found solace in
your art? Yeah, it definitely was... a rocky
time and I think it was for everybody because
of like just getting used to being alone for
long periods of time and it definitely wasn't
easy. I think during corona I, yeah I struggled
a lot but I think it did eventually help me like
realize okay there's other better ways to deal
with this stuff than taking it out on myself.
I realized that, okay, I can put this on paper
and it will end up making something positive.
Yeah. So do you think that you've always had
some of that internal struggle, darkness? Do
you think a lot of it really came from the external
factors that were going on in the world while
you were developing your style or some combination
of both? Yeah, definitely a combination of both.
I was, I don't know, I feel like... before when
I really started it's hard to see like before
after corona because I really started during
that time period when I made my whole first body
of work but I don't know I definitely had a darkness
before then that I had no escape with I had nothing
to do anything like it was just building up I
it wasn't it's not good to let things build up
yeah so I think when I found that okay this is
the best solution to how to get rid of these
emotions and I was like It's the only possible
way to get rid of that. So I've talked to a lot
of people that have a similar, some of it, sometimes
it's a little more internal. Sometimes it's a
little more external. Like Jay Gonzalez, for
instance, had a very stable upbringing. I think
his parents stayed together, like their whole
everything. And he really didn't have any struggles.
externally growing up there wasn't a pandemic
when he was a kid his family believed in what
he wanted to do but he did have like internal
things right anxiety and i guess where i'm going
with this is do you think that do you think that
like you would have had do you think it would
have become like found that outlet without the
external thing and i know it's so hard to separate
like covid from just like your existence yeah
at some point just because of the time they my
daughter isn't she just turned it so she's not
much she's she was is impacted by covid as like
a lot of people in your age range where i had
a world before covid that like i was able to
like keep up with friends in better ways i had
lived longer had coping skills for other things
you know her whole world shut down during her
like developmental years exactly and a lot of
artists i've talked to almost found In a very
aware way, COVID ended up being almost a blessing
to their artistic abilities and finding either
Roddy found himself again. I think Cole Taylor
talks about how when you have the whole world
shut down, it gives you the space to get that
creative outlet. What would your take on all
that? I feel like if it hadn't happened things
would be completely different for everyone I
think it did affect the way people act at least
for the first year we got back to normal I definitely
I've changed a lot since before and I think it
does it definitely did give people like chance
to like focus on themselves and do that internal
healing and I don't know I guess just like realizing
okay as humans we do have a lot of issues and
there are things that we can't really help but
there are things that we can do to make things
better and not just dwell on the issues and I
think that's how I spent that time I was just
really focusing on myself and and I didn't even
realize it but I was making my style and now
it's made me to be the person I am today where
I'm just continuously like if I have issues I'm
like let me put this on the canvas let me think
of some dark idea that will help me deal with
this issue. I think when people say that everything
happens for a reason, like, the people that say
that, I think what they, whether they consciously
mean this or not, what they really mean is, like,
you have to make a reason for everything that
happens. Exactly, yeah. And so, like, making
the most of any situation that you put in. And
it sounds like you were already on the path.
You were really fortunate enough to be, like,
finding your artistic outlet. Exactly. Like,
it happened at a really, it happened at a crucial
time, I guess. It was... starting of finding
myself and then I was like everything was put
on pause and I was like okay what else can I
do and I realized like the only thing I really
wanted to do was be in my room all day and paint
and create these ideas that I hadn't seen before
and stuff like that why do you think that is
and this kind of goes back to what I was asking
you earlier is like where do you think that darkness
or whatever comes from if it's not just the COVID
if it existed before that and another one of
me presumptuous but it seems like you had a pretty
stable upbringing and everything like that but
so where do you feel you struggle with like anxiety
and depression yeah yeah I do I do a lot with
both of those things yeah and I feel like Many
humans do have one or the other or both or a
mixture of just a whole lot of stuff. I don't
think anyone's necessarily sane. Normal is just
average. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I don't know. I
think everyone has that darkness in them, and
I think it just takes a way to dealing with it
if it's positive or negative, and most of the
time in this world it's become negative. So with
art and music, it's a really good way to challenge
those inner... hatred or inner feelings of just
not being good enough or anything like stability
and relationships and I think that like music
and art like just really show like that there's
light in this darkness that you can create because
if someone's just happy all the time and doing
good they're not going to be able to like make
really good art they probably can but it's not
going to be as emotional I've at least heard
that it's a lot harder. Yeah. Even if you are
happy, it's harder to be artistic in that frame
of mind. So let's go back. Speaking of music,
I'm going to ask you the question I've asked
everybody else. What's the first, and I'm assuming
that you love music. You were raised in a very
musical upbringing at City. Yes. What's the first
song that you remember hearing and loving and
being inquisitive about and be like, who's this?
I want to know more about this. There was a lot.
That is really hard because as a kid, I definitely
just listened to the music my dad would play.
And I don't know, there's just so many good records
that he would put on in the morning that definitely
are nostalgic to me now, like Beach Boys or Beatles,
like old classic bands. But I don't know, I always
just really liked any type of music. Like I don't
have, I don't know, anything like really that
has a good like... meaning or like a good sound.
I just, I enjoy it. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,
to me, there's two kinds of music. Yeah. Good
music and bad music. Yes. Yeah. Like there's
not, like genre doesn't really matter. Yeah,
exactly. What was your first concert? Oh, okay.
My first concert actually was at the Classic
Center here in Athens and it was Alabama Shakes.
Yeah. And that was really exciting for me because
I did really love, I loved them growing up and
Having that be my first concert was definitely
amazing. I love them. Yeah, they're so good.
I saw them open for the truckers. Oh, wow, yeah.
And actually on New Year's Eve with Booker T.
Nice. And then six months later, I went to Birmingham
to see the Alabama Shanks, and Patterson opened
for them. Thanks. I was able to turn at that
point. Yeah, they were definitely... amazing
first concert to have. I'm happy to say that
they were my first concert. They got back together.
Have you heard? I did, yeah. It was so cool.
I'm excited. Me too. I like Britney's solo records,
but I'm really excited to hear what they've got
next. Are you musically inclined or inquisitive?
Do you play instruments on your own, or do you
like to sing or anything like that? No, I just
love listening to music, and I think that I have
to keep, I've just, I've never been a very musical
making person. I tried learning multiple instruments
and it never really clicked. And I think that
was maybe because people have what they're good
at. I think you can also practice and that will
make things better. Like I definitely was not
like good at drawing when I started. So it takes
a lot of practice. You have to want to practice.
Exactly. Yeah. And I think that was my issue.
Like I was like. I don't have a wanting to make
music, but I have a wanting to create some imagery
or something that is still showing emotion. But,
yeah, I wish I could make music. It seems so
fun. But at this point in time, I'm sick of painting.
Yeah, yeah. I'm a karaoke singer. Yeah. But I
joke that, like, all comedians are wannabe rock
stars. And most songwriters, like, wish they
were comedians. Exactly. Like, I'm pretty sure
Mike Cooley wishes he was Dean Statham sometimes.
But he's so meticulous about his words. Exactly.
He would only do 10 minutes, and that would be
it. Yeah. I know. Everyone should try something.
At least once. So it's music, comedian, or art.
How much do you think growing up in an environment
where art was being fostered, assuming that nobody
was like, you need to come out of your room and
stop drawing so much. Yeah. So you had a really
positive environment to foster that kind of growth
in. What would you have done if you didn't? Yeah,
that would have been, I can't even imagine that.
Would you have been like rebellious about it?
Definitely, because I can't, I literally can't
see myself doing anything else besides painting.
And it's hard because when it comes to thinking
about my career, I still haven't gotten there
yet. So that's a whole nother chapter. But yeah,
if I hadn't, like I had so much support, like
in this, like growing up being like, yes, you
can do art. You can like find a way to make this
a job. And I think having that is just really
nice because. No one's in your ear being like,
there's still people in your ear, but no one's
really being like, no, this won't work. You'd
be broke and stuff like that. But I feel like
if you have the ability and the wanting to make
it into something, I think it's possible and
anything. Somebody, I'm trying to remember who
said it, but somebody on here was like, if you
give yourself a backup plan, like you're absolutely
going to do that. Yeah. Don't give yourself a
backup plan. If you know what you want to do.
Yeah, I like that. Yeah. Don't give yourself
a backup plan. Yeah, exactly. Otherwise, you're
going to go there. You're going to take that.
Eventually, it's... Yeah, that makes sense. That
makes a lot of sense. I think it was J. Roddy
Walston, actually, that said that. I'm getting
to the point now where they're starting to run
together. And I'm getting like, oh, cool, the
train's going by. The train's coming. I don't
know if they'll even pick it up, to be honest
with you. Because it's not going very fast. But
there's a train going by. How much do you paint
in here? Or draw in here at all? No, I just have
had a show here, and then I am able to sell some
of my prints, and that's just really nice because
I'm alongside such other really great artists.
That's Grant Britton's photo of the skateboarder,
and then we got all Terry's work. That was a
short trip. Yeah, it was very short. It was only
like six cars. Yeah, they come through a lot.
At least it didn't make a ton of noise. We heard
you. Just kidding, yeah. I didn't make enough
noise for you. That's funny. That's great. At
least it got a little action. It's hilarious.
I love that. It's too funny. I think the train
is far enough away. Yeah, yeah, I think it is.
So when did you decide, like, what was the final
start where you're like, I'm not going to play
music? This is something you tried. Yeah, I did
try a lot. Like, growing up, it was pushed. Before
I knew, like, painting and art was definitely
what I was. wanting to put all my effort towards.
I did try, I tried learning the piano, I tried
learning the ukulele, the guitar, flute, and
then none of those worked. And I think after,
I did band in middle school, and that's when
I tried to learn the flute, and I just realized
this is not working. I have no wanting to, I
guess, write music. And that was definitely,
also I was young, and I wasn't really thinking
about art as much. Than just as a fun little
hobby. It's one of those things we take for granted.
It's everywhere. All the time. And music is too.
But we don't even think about. It's so abundant.
From the graphic design of a commercial. And
I don't necessarily want to call that art. But
it was done by a graphic designer. And an artist.
And maybe less these days. But my point is. It's
one of those things we just take for granted.
That it's there. Think about who made the flyer
for that fest. Right, right. Who took the photo
that's on the greatest hits album cover. Or whatever.
We just take it for granted. Definitely. But
one thing, like, Patterson has always talked
about being important to him. I think, and I
don't know if you've ever seen it, but there's
a documentary that came out 15 years ago called
The Secret to a Happy Ending. Okay, no, I haven't.
And he talks about when he got into Led Zeppelin.
I didn't get into Led Zeppelin because I heard
it on the radio. I got into Led Zeppelin because
I was in the record store and the art looked
cool. And I took it home and it was fucking Led
Zeppelin. And he's always put a lot of care into
the artwork of his music. As a result, I think
because of that, and also because he cares about
the products he puts out as art, not just as
a product. And I'm jumping ahead here a little
bit, but I feel like it just came up naturally
at this point and we can move all around. But
can you just talk about how he approached you?
Because I feel like there was part of it that
you had already done and then part of it he commissioned.
Is that right? Yes. Okay, so let's just, if you
can just tell that story. Yeah, perfect. Okay,
so the painting he picked for the album cover
was one I did a very long time ago. It was during
Corona when I did it. And it's actually so crazy,
but this has only happened with this painting.
During that time, I was watching a lot of Twin
Peaks. Cool. Yeah, and I was really into that,
and it was that night, and I was dreaming, and
I had this weird dream that I was in the Twin
Peaks kind of room, but everything was green,
and it had these gold lights, and then I was
like, weird, I really like this idea. And I'd
never seen, like, I think the room's all red
in Twin Peaks. Like, the floor might be black
and white, but the curtains are red. So this
room was completely all green, but it still had
the long curtains, like, floor to ceiling. And
I was like, I don't know why, but this is really
speaking to me. And then I painted this painting,
and I was also dealing with girl drama and growing
up being petty. And I decided to do the knife
in the head with the green curtains and background.
I titled it, I think at the time it was like
Death of a Soft Girl in the Dream World, something
like that. And I remember at the time I posted
on Instagram. I think that's where Patterson
had seen it. And I think, I didn't know this
at the time, but he had really connected with
it. And this was like multiple years later, he
I think reached out being like he wanted to buy
it. And I was like, yeah, of course. But then
it was one of the few paintings I didn't have
in my solo show here. at the gallery and so i
still had it and it was just kept away in a box
and we pulled it out and he mentioned that he
had been thinking about it for the past like
three years and that he just really yeah he just
really connected with it and that was like so
meaningful because i don't know it's like something
about the dream telling me to paint it and then
having someone else really feel connected with
it it was like special and i was like wow someone
something was driving me to be like you need
to make this painting because it opened up so
much these nice opportunities and So then Patterson
was like, I want to use that as an album cover.
And I was like, please. I would love that. It's
such an honor. And then after that, I created
a music video for him. So that was commissioned.
And a tour poster. So those two were commissioned.
But then the album cover itself was made multiple
years before. Man, that's the ultimate petty
revenge. Right. Exactly. On an album cover. Really?
I think about that. piece a lot you have the
vinyl the 12 inch print print of it yeah is and
that's part of what patterson has always cared
about like making really nice like packaging
for his record and so usually it was a very conscious
decision for him to use i will say i have a few
questions here i guess i'll start here when was
the first time like you became aware of the drive
-by truckers, Patterson Hood. Were you a fan?
Did you, were you like going to their shows already?
And then he reached out or was like, that was
like your introduction to them? No. Yeah. That
was not my introduction. I was really close growing
up with Patterson's kid, Eli, and we were very
close. I think we were in like a play group together
with a ton of other babies. We didn't know each
other. And so Patterson, I would go to their
show with Eli and We'd be backstage playing with
little toys, and they'd be on stage doing their
thing. So I knew of Patterson for a while, and
I think since they had moved to Portland, I just
hadn't seen them in a long time, except when
they come to visit. So it was a shock that it
was like, oh, you're still thinking of this painting.
I was like, wow, that's really meaningful. And
so even though we weren't as close as we were
when we were little, it was a really nice reconnection.
Yeah, yeah. So you were aware of what, like,
Westbury's work growing up? Yes, yes, yeah. Would
you call him an influence, do you think? Definitely,
100%. I remember being terrified of his work
when I was little. I don't know why, but, like,
how eerie everything was, I just always was drawn
to it, but I was very creeped out, and I, like,
liked that, like, I really am interested in this
work, but it also gives me, like, a fear, like,
a feeling of dread or, like, a feeling of, okay,
this is, like, a dark, I don't know, atmosphere
that he's created, so. Yeah, he's 100 % influenced
me. I always loved his work growing up. Me too.
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I saw that. That was
nice. Patterson's story about discovering Led
Zeppelin as a kid is the same story I have about
the drive -by truckers. I was working at a record
store in the Dirty South. It was going to be
on a listening club. They had a ton of promo
copies. Oh, yeah. But they were the full artwork
and everything. It was a CD at the time. I bought
the record the day it came out. I took it home,
and by the time Putting People on the Moon came
on, which is the fourth song, I put it on repeat.
Yeah. And, like, the next day, I came in and
bought Decoration Day and Southern Rock Opera.
And then two months later, they ran Yoshi, Gangstability,
and... But it was the same thing. It was the
artwork. The artwork, yeah. I was, like, the
cover of the Dirty South. Similarly, it was...
I was 18, and it was, like, just... This is,
like, scary. Yeah. But I want to know why. Exactly.
It's not, like... His work is very, it doesn't
have anything that's necessarily very scary,
but for some reason it's just his whole, the
whole energy of the work was like an uneasy,
but I want to explore this. So I really enjoyed
that form of his work a lot. So what does it
feel like to be in some ways like his spiritual
successor in the sense of doing Patterson's artwork
for his music? And how much do you... Did you
like think about him when doing like the music,
when you were doing the more, the commissioned
work, the more intentional stuff? See, I think
when it was actually commissioned and it wasn't
something I'd done in the past, it was so much
harder because I'm thinking about all the eyes
that are so used to West Free and how much love
that he has. And I, it was very difficult doing
the poster because I was just thinking, okay,
I need to make it my style, but I want it to
be Patterson's vibe and I want it to like match
his energy. And that is, it's just so hard to
work with such high, those high expectations
of how great like West Freed was in all those
years of doing all the posters and album covers
and stuff. So it was very stressful. I definitely,
like with the commission stuff, that's where
it got more stressful just because I. didn't
want to let him down. I didn't want people to
be like, oh, this isn't as, it's not, it's definitely
not as good, but it's. I wouldn't say that. It's
its own thing and it's amazing. Exactly. I wanted
to try to make it its own thing. I've stared
at it just as long as I've stared at some of
his other pieces. So I wouldn't, it's really,
as long as you make it its own thing. Exactly.
It's not, it's comparing apples and oranges.
Yeah. But I do think like, when I see it, what
I don't see is like you. copying or even necessarily
being influenced but almost like channeling some
of his energy yeah and it's really interesting
to me that album cover was drawn years before
it was even like wes breed talks about in that
same documentary about how it was like he was
having conversations with the music wow so he
would draw things that they that he didn't see
what the band saw he would he would draw things
that in the songs and hear things in the songs
that they didn't hear yeah When you were doing
the tour poster, were you just listening to the
album on repeat? Yes. Were you trying to really
interact with the music in that way? Yes, 100%.
Because his, especially this album, is very just
visually, it tells a story. And there's so many
great things that I could have chosen to paint
for. He had a few other ideas, like Pinocchio
or the Volkswagen. And, like, both of those would
have also been, like, really cool ideas. And
I think we landed on the werewolf just because
I guess it was supposed to be, like, it's very,
I guess it's just a very big symbol of who he
was trying to make. He's looking a little werewolfy.
Yeah, a little werewolfy. And I like the style.
It's very dark and, I don't know, just mysterious.
So I think it worked. And the whole album just
had so many, like. really good like visually
pleasing things I could have done more with and
stuff so it was easy to have that inspiration
from the album it came easy but it was just like
trying to make I guess it my own in a way that
was also fitting Patterson's whole essence so
that was where it was a little hard so if art
is like one of your main stress reliever what
do you do when your heart is things stressing
you out that's where it's hard because it's the
commission work that's stressful and obviously
that's like work so you know it's gonna be it's
not as easy as when i just get to paint like
a girl but it is way more satisfying i feel like
when i finally finish it so it has the grad like
it feels it makes up for the stress because like
the music video was also very stressful and only
because i was like really anxious about wanting
it to be perfect and i hadn't done stop motion
in a long time so i was trying to do what i was
doing and like during corona and that was years
ago now so yeah it was reopening these like things
I had closed but it was still so nice and I think
it turned out better than I was expecting let's
go back to corona for a minute what were some
of your other coping mechanisms to try and get
through it sounds like painting was the main
one drawing but I'm sure that wasn't the only
thing yeah like we're what were some of your
other things that you did to get through it So
back when I was little and making those little
sets, I did little stop motions with my dad,
and that was more just fun. We were doing Mr.
Potato Head, spinning in a circle, and stuff
like that. So then when Corona came and I was
dealing with finding my own style, I don't remember
how I got the idea, but I had this old dollhouse
that was my aunt's when she was a kid, so it
was a very Victorian -style mansion, and we had
it growing up. I would play with it. with my
dolls but I can't remember how I came to this
conclusion but I was just thinking maybe I need
to do something more than just painting so I
started making my more clay dolls like I did
when I was little and making sets in the dollhouse
and then I just created a kind of just random
stop motion to a Radiohead song. And I was like,
okay, this is really fun. I like doing that.
And I made, I think, three more during that time.
And they progressively got more dark. They were
definitely darker than my paintings. And I don't
know. I think I was just definitely... struggling
at that time and taking it out on these little
dolls just helped. Making them murder each other?
Yeah. I had one about this like crazy doll that
was kidnapping people and dismembering them and
I had my dad help me cut up Barbie heads and
mount them on the walls of this dollhouse. So
it's definitely a change from actually playing
with the dolls in the dollhouse to cutting them
up and putting them on the walls. That's a warning
for other dolls. Exactly. Are those available?
Yeah, those are all on YouTube and my website.
So my YouTube is just Francis Thrasher, and then
my website is Heaven for the Young with a number
four. So as someone else who uses like a moniker,
where did you come up with yours? Okay, yeah,
that is also, I think it was early on before
I even developed my style. I had created an Instagram
just to document my sketches. And even if you
are still on my Instagram, you can scroll down
and see my first posts were. really simple just
drawings about like basic things and i think
that like i came up with the title before i even
came up with my body of work and i was like i
think i was young and i was dealing with a point
of time like not knowing how i feel about religion
and i think i just like the idea that like you
can have heaven and be young like it doesn't
have to be something that you're waiting for
it can be in the moment And I realized I wanted
to create a heavenly look to my work, especially
at the time I was doing a lot more religious
-related stuff. And I think I somehow just came
across that, and since then I haven't thought
of anything better, so I'm just keeping it. I
mean, it's great that people know you by it.
Yeah, yeah. Will you talk a little bit about
some of the more religious work that you did
in the past? Yeah, I did a lot mostly just related
to my... like teenage like edgy yourself like
girls in cemeteries or girls holding rosaries
and crying and bibles yeah yeah so I did a lot
of that at one point of time like in my beginning
of corona era and I think I was mostly just baiting
on what I felt it with religion because I grew
up around like religious people but at the same
time it wasn't forced and it wasn't didn't go
to church or anything But I knew that there is
some form of higher power. I definitely believe
in some form of higher power. But the ideas of
Christianity that was like, there's strict, I
don't know, like borders to how to believe. And
I didn't like that. So I think I was developing
my own way of being spiritual. And I think the
restrictions that some religions have, I was
just doing a little bit of that, like how people
bury their dead and how in other... countries
that might not be normal and that there's other
things that aren't as normal that have become
normalized. So I think I was just dealing with
a lot of confusion and just different feelings.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing that. I was definitely
curious about where's my income. So when you're
drawing and painting, how much of it is basically
something... that is totally about me or from
inside or like how much is it about character
or a person maybe a feud and I guess what I mean
is like how much of it is I'm drawing a character
even if it's a real person and how much of it
is I'm imagining this thing that I'm drawing
yeah I think I definitely come up with the idea
first before I just have at it but I like to
create a whole like when I first started I was
just doing faces with white backgrounds and I
think when I officially found my style was when
I was creating scenes along with the portrait
so I like incorporating different rooms or different
plants or animals and I think that helped me
like build I just something about building like
a scene and I think that's the same with like
building sets for the stop motions like I really
like creating a whole scene that shows something
like an emotion that's not just captured with
just the person. And I like incorporating clothes
as well, obviously. Yeah, so something about
just a whole mixture of creating something nice.
Let's just talk about growing up in Athens, Georgia
for a little bit. This is one of my favorite
cities in the world. Yeah. There's a reason I
keep coming up here to do these interviews. It's
like one of the most culturally abundant, especially
like per capita, any city in America. Will you
just tell people, like, what is it like growing
up in a city like this? Yeah, it's definitely
fun. I've been here my whole life, and I realize
I haven't been away from Athens for more than
two weeks ever, which is crazy. Wow. Yeah. And
so it's my home, and at some point I want to
leave, but it will be hard. Because I think with
Athens, there is such an amazing community of
all sorts of artists. And everyone understands
that we're here and we're trying to make something
of this town and create a very artistic form
of how we all communicate and the community that
is made here. And I think having things like
AthBest or other protests and fairs or things
downtown have just been really nice to build
this community. I don't know. I wish I could
be more involved with the music scene here, but
I am a very big homebody, so it is hard for me.
But growing up, I did go to a lot of shows downtown,
which was, I guess, not the norm for most kids.
And I think that did help me see that there is
a big family involved with music and art. No
matter what you're creating or what you do, that
you're welcome, and I really like that. art community
in like the broadest sense like really lifts
each other up yeah yeah and i feel it like every
time people i see people they are so nice and
i'm like shocked when people like remember me
and i'm like wow and it's just really nice to
hear like good things from all these other really
good artists here yeah you're an amazing artist
i just want to like you belong with them like
you're at home with them yeah i do feel don't
yeah you should yeah don't don't ever but then
make you feel like you don't belong. Yeah, you
definitely do. And it's really nice because really
no one does. Yeah, Athens is very, it's not like
other art towns like, I don't know, like New
York where people are very snooty and they're
like, oh, that's not art or something like that
because I think anything that has like good intentions
or like, even if it's like bad intentions but
in a good use of it, I don't know, like with
negative. art that doesn't make sense like some
people have very hard things to deal with and
art is the way to create that and i think it's
just nice that this community is here and everyone's
just open to when everybody's thinking about
that fact when they're looking at other people's
art they're understanding that hey this person
is putting themselves out there yeah exactly
exactly it takes a lot to put yourself out there
and especially with like new bands and new artists
like i was like I was expecting it just to be
a hobby for me, and then when I really started,
I don't know, like, selling work and seeing that
people, like, connected with it, and I was like,
okay, maybe I can actually create something,
and if I didn't have that feeling, I wouldn't
be feeling this way. Like, it takes the support
and, like, love from the community. Absolutely,
absolutely. Especially, like, the times that
you grew up here. Yeah, exactly. Those were your
hard times. I think even when people had positive
outcomes and experiences with some of what happened
there, like... It was still far. Yeah, we still
lost a lot of really good restaurants and people
that had to move or leave or sadly passed away.
Yeah, there was ups. It's all faced around like
a medium of downs, ups and downs. And having
a really great community. Yeah, yeah. So I'm
here this weekend for Affest. Can you just talk
to me about some of your memories with Affest
as somebody who grew up here? Yes, I definitely
love Affest. It's always... fun like when i was
little like being able to just have a group of
friends and just roam around like without really
a word because i basically knew everyone i saw
yeah yeah and it's just nice because everyone
gets to come out like sell work if they have
work or play music because it shows like there's
stages for all sorts of bands so i think it's
fun just to hop around and see the new bands
and see the known bands on the main stage and
yeah i think i actually was out of town last
year so i missed it but i'm excited to go back
down this year is there anybody you're like really
excited to see this year i haven't actually looked
at any of the side just know like maybe the main
set and doesn't really catch my attention but
yeah but i definitely want to go down see like
the littler band other like people i know i usually
save the last few minutes here to just talk to
give you a place to talk about what you've been
working on lately what you have coming out what
you know, where people can find your work, you
know, what kind of work you're open to, like
if you're open to commissioning pieces. Yeah.
And we can wait a second to let the train come
by so, like, we make sure we capture this clearly.
Yeah, normally it's not this many. It's a tiny
one. It's on two cars. Or, no, three cars. They're
going back. I saw the reflection. Oh, yeah, yeah.
I was like, wait a second. What am I seeing?
Yeah, there's more than I was expecting to come
by. Yeah, what have you got going on? What have
you been working on? What kind of work are you
working on and open to? Yeah, so I have been
studying art at UNG in Oconee in Athens, or in
Oconee, Georgia. And I have enjoyed that, like
starting with figuring out my art major. But
I'm going to try to apply to UGA because I want
to get to Lamar Dodd and actually have a bigger
community of people to work with. At this point
in time, I'm mostly just working on my own. So
you're going to art school? Yes, yeah. I want
to be an artist. That is the goal. I wasn't sure
if some artists, if they find their voice. One
thing I'll say about you that's rare, and this
goes for all mediums, whether it's comedy, finding
your voice is the quintessential part of... And
I think you're always going to be evolving it.
Exactly. But being able to... Have this sense
of self that you can put into your work that
takes years for some artists decades. Some people
never find it So you're like way out of the game
there. I wouldn't you know, I wasn't even sure
if you were gonna get ours I was like, yeah,
because at some point like you They can't teach
you. Yeah what your voice is, right? That being
said like I think that's amazing and they're
lucky to have I'm applying so fully And I've
never taken actually a painting class or any
sort of painting thing. So to actually be like
in a painting classroom and have someone be like,
this is the correct way to do things. This is
how you should do things. It will be hard and
I will have to get out of like my head of how
I have taught myself to do like my painting.
But I think that is something I need to learn.
And I think that's how artists grow. Yeah, exactly.
But I think like... Having that ability to have
almost, like, that direct connection. And your
art is going to grow as you grow as a person.
Yeah. But you've already been able to create
that channel from who you are to what your art
is. And I'll be honest, I feel pretty lucky as
a comedian. Like, I found my voice pretty quickly,
too. But I also didn't start doing comedy until
I had lived and done a lot of stuff, a lot of
public speaking, for instance. A lot of things
that, like, led to me being, like, comfortable
there. Yeah, yeah. So... I just think it's like
the fact that you were able to have that stuff
on your voice. Are you open to doing commission
work for people right now? And if so, what kind?
Where can people reach out to you to get it done?
Don't talk crisis. Where can they find you and
be like, hey, I want stuff? Yes, I do. I do want
work. doing the commission work for Patterson
was like a first and I think like it really showed
me that like I can do it and I really want to
do that because I don't know so doing work for
other people just adds more like that you're
doing work for people it's not for yourself and
I like that like I want people to connect with
my work so I have on my website I have my email
and my phone number so that is my main way of
connecting and my Instagram so my website is
heaven for the young with The number four. And
then my Instagram is the same thing. No, I'll
be linked in the description of this episode
for everybody. Perfect. So yeah, that's my main
way. Anyone can email me, text me, and I'll be
happy. Awesome. Is there anything else you want
to share with everybody before we wrap this up?
No, no. That's been really nice. I really enjoyed
talking. Yeah, this was great. I really appreciate
you opening up about your creative process and
just everything. This is wonderful. Yeah. Thank
you so much for being here and for doing this.
Thank you. Thank you. That was my interview with
Frances Thrasher, a .k .a. Heaven for the Young.
I really think she's got a really bright future
ahead of her. She does have an art show coming
up October 19th at the Ace Francisco Gallery.
So if you're in Athens, Georgia or anywhere near
it, I highly recommend you check that out. You
can also get in touch with her directly, as she
said. If you're interested in commissioning some
work, I think she also has prints available for
sale on her site. It was a real pleasure talking
to a young artist and seeing some of the direct
impacts that art education has had. Thanks for
tuning in. Click that subscribe button because
we've got some great guests coming up. I'm not
going to go through the list again, but you're
not going to want to miss it. And if you feel
so inclined, hit that donate button. That's what
pays for my travel to go do these interviews.
Helps pay for some of the upkeep on this site.
Thank you so much for tuning in. That was my
interview with Frances Thrasher, a .k .a. Heaven
for the Young. I really enjoyed talking to her.
I think she's got a really bright future ahead
of her. She does have an art show coming up October
19th. at the Ace Francisco Gallery. So if you're
in Athens, Georgia or anywhere near it, I highly
recommend you check that out. You can also get
in touch with her directly, as she said, if you're
interested in commissioning some work. I think
she also has prints available for sale on her
site, which you'll find linked in the description
of this episode. It was a real pleasure talking
to a young artist and seeing... Some of the direct
impacts that our education has had. Thanks for
tuning in. Click that subscribe button because
we've got some great guests coming up. I'm not
going to go through the list again, but you're
not going to want to miss it. And if you feel
so inclined, hit that donate button. That's what
pays for my travel to go do these interviews.
Helps pay for some of the upkeep of this site.
Thank you so much for tuning in.