‘Lucian & Francis’: Plain Mister Smith Shares New Single Ahead of Spring Album

Out March 27, 2026 on Amelia Records/Symphonic, Plain Mister Smith’s ‘Lucian & Francis‘ arrives with Tyson Mostenbocher and serves as the fifth single ahead of the full album scheduled for spring 2026. The artist, former guitarist of the Canadian darkwave band Moev and current cellist in the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, splits his time between Vancouver and London. Releases under the Plain Mister Smith banner have drawn coverage from NPR Music, Wonderland Magazine, CLASH Magazine, NOTION, Under The Radar, Earmilk, METAL, Noctis Mag and Atwood Mag for their blend of sharp lyricism and introspective tone within indie-folk and psych-rock frameworks.

‘Lucian & Francis‘ traces introspective indie-folk and psych-rock lines with yearning guitar figures, emotive string layers and vocals that drift in measured, reflective arcs. Its lyrics focus on the impact of painters Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, delivered through precise, slightly strange phrasing that highlights their boundary-testing force. Lines such as “heinous but genius” illustrate the paintings’ ability to unsettle and impress in equal measure. The result stays true to Plain Mister Smith’s signature mix of dreamy atmosphere and grounded maturity, giving listeners another direct taste of the coming album and connecting with those who follow Tame Impala, Temples and The War on Drugs.

Plain Mister Smith had this to say: “I’ve always been struck by the numinous intensity of both Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon’s phenomenal paintings. ‘Lucian and Francis’ is about how their paintings give him the heebie jeebies combined with a kind of cerebral elation. It’s amazing what humans can do with paints and brushes and a little existential hysteria mixed in…“