SFA: It’s been 10 years since we met you at the Stuttering Foundation Gala in New York City—what have you been up to?
FRANCY GOUDREAULT: Thank you again! Did you know that was my first time in New York City? It was so cool to be a part of that. To be honest with you, right after that event in 2012, everything changed for me all at once! My band, Hello Kelly, went into a long hiatus. There were a lot of reasons, and they’re not very interesting so I won’t get into it. But then I got married! My wife is the best. She’s my best friend. We stayed in Nashville and I worked very hard to learn how to be a music producer. When you’re a songwriter, you must rely on music producers to turn your ideas into songs. But sometimes producers don’t listen when you explain how you want your music to feel. It’s even harder when you have a stutter! So that’s part of why I wanted to learn how to produce music for myself. After a while, my wife and I decided to move back to where I’m from, to London, Canada - it’s across the border from Detroit. And now I get to be a music producer for other artists up here. My favorite part of the job is making sure I listen when the artist explains how they want their music to feel!

SFA: How has stuttering impacted your life during that time?
FG: When the band went into hiatus, I didn’t realize how much that change was going to impact my life. You likely know that if you speak with a stutter, you’re not affected when you sing. Getting to write songs and perform them on stage has always been a very special thing for me. It’s liberating, almost like having a superpower. People who don’t speak with a stutter tend to love that story. I’m glad they find it inspiring. But there’s a second part of the story. I didn’t realize I was doing it, but I had invested my whole identity in music because it made me feel so free. We all do that somewhat. For some people it’s athletics or something else. For me, it was music. But then if that thing gets taken away somehow, you lose your whole identity! That’s scary. It’s like when Spider-Man loses his powers. I started thinking things like, “I’m less of a person because of my stutter” and “I’m not enough.” I had to spend a long time working through those feelings of shame. Now, I try my best to live a life free of shame. That’s why I decided to get a tattoo of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It helped a lot! I love that character because he’s different, but he’s not ashamed of it. He doesn’t let anything disqualify him.

SFA: Hello Kelly has a new album out—what are the band’s plans?
FG: Yes! I’m very proud of it! When I learned how to make music from a healthier place, I decided it was finally time to make another project with Hello Kelly. It’s such a gift to return to your first love with a fresh perspective! We called our new record Sweet Nostalgia. I grew up on music from the 80’s, video games from the 90’s, and Saturday Morning cartoons. I’m a nostalgic guy! When Stranger Things first came out, it completely blew my mind! I loved it so much. But nostalgia also has a dark side. We all know the people who live in the past. Nostalgia is a drug for some people. I wanted to write an album all about that. We pulled influences from our favorite 80’s, 90’s and 00’s bands. Like Van Halen, Weezer, All American Rejects, and more! As a whole, the album plays like a coming-of-age summer movie. I’m more proud of this project than anything I’ve ever made! I believe that we can use nostalgia to remember who we want to be, but you’ll have to listen to the album to see what I mean!

SFA: Anything special on that album that might resonate with people who stutter?
FG: Definitely! There is a song towards the end of the album called “Art.” I was chatting with a friend of mine named Andy who is the host of a podcast called Creative Pep Talk. If you’re a creative person, you should give that podcast a try. It has influenced my life and my work very much! But anyway, he asked me if I had ever written a song that told my story, plain and simple. I said no. He challenged me to write something about how it feels to make music as someone who speaks with a stutter. It was cathartic to put the lyrics on paper. Writing that song helped me to learn that “different” isn’t a “defect,” it’s a “feature.” That’s one of the things my friend Andy says on his podcast. I would love for the song “Art” to help people understand why creativity is so important. Not only for people who stutter, but for everyone!

SFA: What’s next for Francy?
FG: Let’s see, I’ve started to work on my first memoir. It’s going to be all about my journey making music as someone with a stutter. If you’d like to follow along with that, you can find me on TikTok at @vocalsbyfrancy. Aside from that, we’re in the rush of releasing the new album. When you read this, Sweet Nostalgia will be available everywhere! You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your music. We’ll also have merchandise and vinyls for sale through our website. Google “Hello Kelly” and you’ll find us! It might be cool to do a special piece of Hello Kelly merch for people who stutter. A shirt or a hat? If you like that idea, follow us on Instagram and let me know! We’re so excited to share this music with our friends and fans. We’re the most excited about investing in our local scene. There’s nothing more fun to me than stepping on a stage and performing. And the feeling of community is magical. If you’ve ever felt like a weirdo, try going to a local rock show in your town. Shows are full of weirdos and I bet you’ll make friends who understand you. Who knows, you might even decide to join a band yourself!

Find more information about Francy and his band, Hello Kelly at hellokellymusic.com

From the Fall 2022 Magazine