D.M. Franklin Kane

D.M. Franklin Kane: The Hard Truth

Always awkward writing ones own bio. Especially when no one has asked you to.

 You must admit D.M. Franklin Kane rolls off the tongue so
much more nicely than David Malboeuf, my given birth name. Malibu,
Marlboro, Beowulf,- just three examples of the misspellings/mispronunciations
that I have endured during my tenure.

Somewhere around age 20, Id had enough. The punk-a-billy /
swamp-tonk band I played bass for at the time was releasing a 45 and needed
sleeve info. When the frontman asked me to spell my last name with his usual grating
tone of weary disgust I responded in kind with K-A-N-E. Im Franklin F***ing
Kane. It was the first thing that came to mind, and thats that. At least I choose to remember it that way.  The D.M.
prefix was added later. Its all about remembering your roots.

Armed with only a 3-stringed hand-me-down Jazz Bass, I began
attempting to write songs at age 15. Inspired by Roy Orbison, Pere Ubu,
Fleetwood Mac (all incarnations, except the Dave Walker era), Nick Lowe, and
The Who, I worked feverishly to compensate for my complete disinterest in
sports and unrequited interest in girls. Finding my voice was difficult early
on. Chucky The Squirrel was a disheartening early attempt at writing my own
Boris The Spider that, thankfully, never achieved full-demo status.

After a few frustrated months I threw caution to the wind
and churned out some songs that essentially transformed every one of my
adolescent insecurities into an anthem. Every thing about myself that I
obsessed over, hated, and prayed no one would notice I found myself shouting
about at the top of my lungs. I suddenly no longer felt hobbled by those things,
but emboldened by them. Thats when I knew what path to follow. Thats when I
knew where to begin.

That was 25 years ago. Im not shouting as much as I did then
but hopefully still tapping into the same vein with each new batch of material.
I try to approach each song as if it were the last thing I will ever do. Might
be time to lighten up.

Ive been in various bands over the years (Citified,
Franklin Kanes Fist) and have played hundreds of shows to varying degrees of
success, but Ive only ever felt at home when Im alone and writing. There are
people out there who are far more gifted at connecting with an audience as live
performers. So frankly, I dont know what to do about that. I love writing songs,
and I want them to be heard. Unfortunately, it makes little sense for someone
my age to form yet another band and fight for a sad gig at the local watering
hole so I can get a pat on the back from 11 friends. Done with that. 

I also refuse to present myself as anything other than someone who has been writing for a long time, virtually under the radar. I am not, nor have I ever been, relevant to whatever "scene" is happening at a given time. I believe in my songs and know that their audience will find them eventually- if their quest be a noble one
and they are pure of heart. I just need to do my part in getting them out and into the mix.

With that, I am excited to announce the release of The
Hard Truth. This collection of songs explores the age-old themes of Self and our
place in The Universe, from a 41 year-olds quasi-adolescent perspective.

Watch out, Miley.