HEARING-IMPAIRED ARTIST CARLA FRANCO UNVEILS THIRD STUDIO ALBUM A FUNERAL FOR MYGRIEF — A RAW AND UNFLINCHING EXPLORATION OF HEARTBREAK, LOSS, AND ACCEPTANCE.
An emotionally precise, concept-driven body of work that positions FRANCO as one of South Africa’s most compelling storytellers in alternative music. Following a South African Music Award nomination for her sophomore album LAYERS, alternative artist CARLA FRANCO returns with her third studio album, A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF, a deeply personal, conceptually rich project that documents the unravelling of love, identity, and self in the face of overwhelming grief.
Born with hearing loss, FRANCO occupies a rare and powerful space in music, one where sound is not simply heard, but felt, interpreted, and translated through lived experience. This unique perspective has become a defining strength in her artistry, shaping a songwriting approach that prioritises emotional clarity, lyrical precision, and visceral storytelling. In A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF, that lens is more present than ever, transforming vulnerability into something both striking and sonically intentional.
Stripped back yet emotionally expansive, A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF is FRANCO’s most vulnerable and intentional offering to date. The album unfolds as a carefully curated narrative, with each track representing a distinct stage of grief guiding listeners through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and ultimately, acceptance.
At the heart of the project lies a confronting and often unspoken truth: grieving someone who is still alive can feel more consuming than mourning those lost forever.
Over the past three years, FRANCO and her family have experienced multiple losses. Yet it was the collapse of a deeply significant relationship that unearthed a disorienting emotional paradox, one that became the catalyst for this body of work. The weight of that heartbreak, and the quiet shame of feeling more undone by the living than the dead, forms the foundation of A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF.
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Leading this narrative is ALONE IN PURLEY, the emotional epicenter of the album. The track captures a moment of real-time abandonment in a foreign country, setting into motion the unravelling that the album meticulously traces from beginning to end.
The full album track list is as follows: BAD LOVE; MY LOVE; ALONE IN PURLEY; HOT MESS (LIVE RENDITION); HOT MESS; IF I WANTED YOU (with Sophia Frank); VERSION OF ME; HONEST; OTHER PEOPLE and FINALLY (with NTU2KO).
While the album features intentional collaborations with artists such as Sophia Frank and NTU2KO – except for these collaborations – A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF is entirely written and composed by CARLA FRANCO, a striking testament to her strength as a songwriter and her unwavering commitment to storytelling. The result is a body of work that is cohesive, uncompromising, and unmistakably hers.
Sonically, FRANCO resists the urge to overproduce. Instead, she leans into restraint allowing space for her lyricism to land with full emotional weight. This deliberate minimalism amplifies the intimacy of the project, transforming each track into a lived moment rather than a performance. In an industry often driven by scale and algorithmic strategy, FRANCO continues to prioritise intention, narrative, and emotional truth. A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF is not simply a collection of songs — it is a chronological and deeply human documentation of grief as it was experienced in real time.
With this release, CARLA FRANCO does not just follow up on LAYERS she refines, deepens, and sharpens her artistic voice. The album stands as a bold declaration of growth, cementing her position as a leading force in South Africa’s alternative music landscape.
While FRANCO is steadily positioning herself as a leading force within South Africa’s alternative music landscape, her vision has always extended far beyond it. As a dual citizenship and EU passport holder, she occupies a rare and strategic position, one that allows her to expand her reach internationally with intention and agility.
Rather than waiting for permission or validation, FRANCO is actively setting her sights on a global stage, building a body of work that is designed to resonate across borders. In doing so, she not only creates space for her own evolution, but signals — with quiet confidence — that her artistry is ready for broader attention. It’s a position that not only expands her reach but quietly signals that the wider industry would do well to pay attention.
A FUNERAL FOR MY GRIEF is a reckoning. A release. And, ultimately, acceptance.
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