A Band in Motion: Francis of Delirium on Change, Touring, and Chasing Home

Photo by Shade Cumini

For a band born out of a rock club in Luxembourg, Francis of Delirium has carved a strikingly international presence. Led by 23-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist Jana Bahrich, the project has evolved from bedroom beginnings into an exciting new voice in alt-rock. Their sound which remains raw, emotionally charged and unflinchingly honest, has connected with listeners across the world, amassing over 125,000 monthly Spotify listeners and millions of streams on breakout track ‘Quit Fucking Around.’

Following the release of their acclaimed debut album Lighthouse in 2023, Francis of Delirium have spent much of the past two years on the road, touring relentlessly across Europe, North America and the UK. This summer, they joined Bôa for a sold-out UK tour before returning home to release their electrifying new single ‘Little Black Dress.’ Shot amid the bright lights and chaos of Luxembourg’s Schueberfouer funfair, the accompanying video captures the same blend of youthful energy and introspective melancholy that has become the band’s signature. 

Despite their growing acclaim and features in Clash, NME, and The Line of Best Fit, Francis of Delirium remain refreshingly grounded. Speaking from Luxembourg, Jana reflects on the band’s journey from their first EP ‘All Change’ to the present, the push and pull between home and wider world, and how ‘Little Black Dress’ channels the rush and recklessness of growing up on stage.  

How did Francis of Delirium first come together, and what’s the story behind your band name?

Jana Bahrich: I originally started the band to play a festival in Luxembourg called Screaming Fields in 2019. Back then, it was just a duo – myself and Chris Hewett on drums. We played Screaming Fields, it went really well, and then we started getting shows off the back of it. My current bassist, Jeff Hennico, was actually at that festival and later did the sound for one of our gigs in Germany. The venue was called something like The Devil’s Rock Club in Saarbrücken. It was honestly the worst show ever. There were maybe three people there, and my guitar kept picking up police radio interference. After that, Jeff came up to me and said he’d love to play with us. Two weeks later, he joined the band. Jeff had grown up playing in bands with Denis Schumacher, who’s now our live drummer. As for the name, I had to come up with something quickly for the festival. There was a woman named Francis at my grandparents’ care home who used to always swear at us. She really stuck in my mind, and now I feel like I kind of embody her on stage. 

How has growing up in Luxembourg and creating music there shaped your sound and perspective?

In some ways, Luxembourg has that small-town, suburban feeling where you can get bored easily. This does mean that it can be a good thing creatively. I’d spend a lot of time in my room making music, especially on rainy days, which I actually looked forward to. I also attended Rock Club, which was run by Chris, and Fred Barreto, a professional guitarist. It was inspiring to see someone like Fred making a living from music and made me feel like it was something I could try to do too. 

Do you feel a sense of responsibility or pride representing Luxembourg on a bigger international stage?

If anything, I just hope someone sees us and thinks, ‘I want to start a band with my friends.’ There should be more people in Luxembourg making music – not even for success, just for themselves. 

Photo by Shade Cumini

Your new single ‘Little Black Dress’ just came out – can you tell us what inspired the song and how it came to life? 

I usually write in Luxembourg at Chris’ house. He’s on e-drums, I’m in a vocal booth, and we record everything straight into Logic…very 2025 of us. The drums are captured as MIDI, so we tweak them later, and my vocals and guitar go straight in too. 

The video for ‘Little Black Dress’ was shot at the Schueberfouer in Luxembourg. What drew you to that setting, and what does it symbolise to you? 

The song’s about going on a night out; the mix of hope, disappointment, and shame that can come with that. I originally wanted to shoot a one-shot video walking through town on a Friday night, performing to the camera and maybe provoking real reactions from people – even seeing if someone would throw a drink on me. The idea didn’t quite work out, and with the song coming out in two weeks, we needed a quick plan. I spoke with Jeff, who also edits videos, and we thought about filming something while on tour with Blondshell. We even considered getting audience members involved, but that turned out to be a logistical nightmare. In the end, we went to the Schueberfouer, Luxembourg’s big fair, and just filmed there. Jeff’s girlfriend helped clear a path for us, and somehow it worked out perfectly. 

Your debut album Lighthouse was a big milestone back in 2023. How do you feel your sound and songwriting have evolved since then?

It’s not something I’m totally conscious of, because I’m always writing. But I think there’s a natural sonic shift that happens over time. Our first EP ‘All Change’ was rough in terms of how we just experimented to see what would happen. Then ‘Wading’ felt brighter and more open, ‘The Funhouse’ got darker and heavier, and Lighthouse opened up again. Lyrically, the songs I’m working on now are darker than Lighthouse, but there’s still a kind of lightness in the sound that’s carried over. ‘Wading’ and Lighthouse feel connected. What I’m doing now is harder to define. It’s always easier to see the change in hindsight than while you’re still in it. 

You’ve had an incredible run of tours – across Europe, North America, and now the UK with Bôa in June. What’s been the most memorable show or moment on the road so far? 

The LA show last year really sticks with me. The audience was amazing with how you could just feel everyone’s energy in the room. Afterwards, we went to In-N-Out, returned the rental car, and ended up sleeping on the floor of the airport before a 30-hour travel day. It was exhausting but kind of perfect…we were still buzzing from the show. 

From starting out in 2020 to now having over 125K monthly listeners, what’s been the most surprising or rewarding part of your journey?

Meeting people who connect with the songs is incredible. It’s wild that you can write something in your room and it reaches people all over the world. Recently, I signed someone’s Burger King receipt and someone else’s calculator. People are so funny and surprising – that’s what I love most about it. 

Finally, where do you hope to see Francis of Delirium in the next few years – creatively, personally, or in terms of your audience? 

I just hope we can keep making music, playing shows, and that people keep showing up. I’d love to play in Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. New Zealand especially since I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so I’d have to set aside a couple of days to explore. Another dream would’ve been to support Wolf Alice on their upcoming tour.

Listen to Francis of Delirium on Spotify, Apple Music, or SoundCloud and follow them on Instagram to keep up to date with their latest news.