Franni Cash spent most of her twenties as one-quarter of We The Kingdom: two Grammy nominations, three Dove Awards, two No. 1 songs. Then she left the family band at the end of 2023 and nearly walked away from music entirely, paralyzed by the fear of not measuring up to what she'd already done. She looked into acting and seriously considered going to school for interior design.
What pulled her back was friends passing her demos around behind her back and refusing to delete them. She wrote more than 200 songs to find her own voice and narrowed them to the thirteen on her debut solo album, Here I Am, out September 18. Her rule: only the songs she kept reaching for in the car, not the ones that might scratch an itch in the Christian market.
Then the conversation turns to "Raised By Wolves." Franni grew up in a religious cult for twelve years of her childhood, which her family left during her senior year of high school. Her husband suggested the title, drawn from the warning in Matthew 7 about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves. She wrote it with David Leonard and Andy Cherry, and it was David who spoke the opening line: "be quiet little girl." She had assumed a story that specific would isolate her. Instead she found that when something is that personal it becomes universal, because everyone knows what betrayal from a safe place feels like.
On the music itself: songwriter Paul Duncan told her he wasn't worried about her relationship with her family, he was worried about her relationship with music, and sent her on "musical dates" with no goal but enjoyment. Al Green, Elton John and Marvin Gaye on the record player. Long drives in a beat-up 1978 Corvette off Facebook Marketplace. Six producers worked on Here I Am, with Franni as executive producer holding it together.
Asked what she wants listeners to take away, Franni lands on one word: validation. She talks about narrative therapy and learning that not all twelve of those years were bad, because her grandmothers poured scripture into her, and that's what "Jesus Girl" is really about. She pushes back on the idea that people outside the faith are simply choosing sin. In her experience, someone misrepresented God to them.
The episode closes with bravery. Franni grew up believing women were less than men. On the Brandon Lake tour she felt the Holy Spirit tell her she was brave and should ask to open the second leg, and minutes later her guitar player picked a worn card off the dressing room floor that read, in gold letters, "I am brave." She asked. He said yes the next day. Then Amy Grant invited her to lunch, listened to "Darken the Doorway," and asked her to join The Me That Remains Tour.
"Don't let anybody keep you small or silent." - Franni Cash
ABOUT FRANNI CASH
Franni Cash is a two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, three-time Dove Award winner, performer, vocalist and songwriter. Formerly of We The Kingdom, she co-wrote two No. 1 songs and was named one of the Top 20 breakout artists across all genres. Following her departure from the band, she released her debut EP Good Woman and now her debut solo album, Here I Am, out September 18: thirteen autobiographical songs covering her years in a religious cult, reclaiming her faith, and stepping into her own voice. She has shared stages with Lauren Daigle and Brandon Lake, and joins Amy Grant this fall on The Me That Remains Tour.
IN THIS EPISODE
Why leaving We The Kingdom nearly ended her music career
The friends who passed her demos around against her wishes
Writing over 200 songs to find her own voice
The story behind "Raised By Wolves," Matthew 7, and twelve years inside a religious cult
Why she believed her story would isolate her, and what happened instead
Narrative therapy, her grandmothers, and what "Jesus Girl" is actually about
Musical dates, a 1978 Corvette, and falling in love with music on her own terms
The card that said "I am brave," asking Brandon Lake for a second tour, and Amy Grant's kitchen table
LINKS
Franni Cash: https://www.frannicash.com/
Here I Am (pre-order / stream): https://frannicash.lnk.to/hereiamWE
Tour dates: https://www.frannicash.com/tour/
"Raised By Wolves": https://frannicash.lnk.to/raisedbywolvesWE
"Jesus All Along": https://frannicash.lnk.to/JesusAllAlongWE
"Menace": https://frannicash.lnk.to/hereiamEM
Here I Am vinyl and CD: https://store.capitolcmglabelgroup.com/collections/franni-cash
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frannicash
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frannicash
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FranniCash
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fxcjHw2RUb4fBwuqHufT1
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/franni-cash/694735313
Kurtis Parks: https://www.kurtisparks.com
Worship Leader: https://worshipleader.com
SPONSOR
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, the all-in-one software that helps your church schedule volunteers, plan services, and stay organized. Start free, no credit card required: https://www.planningcenter.com/?utm_source=worshipleader&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_walk&utm_content=episode_185_franni_cash
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