Paul Francke is an American songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 and instrumentalist. He formed the synth pop band Alsace Lorraine in 1998 with guitarist Hewson Chen of the Parasol Records

Parasol Records

Parasol Records is an American independent record label based out of Urbana, Illinois. The label was founded by Geoff Merritt as an outgrowth of the catalogue Parasol Mail Order ....

 group Vitesse. His music has focused on central Appalachian

Appalachia

Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...

 subjects, the band name referring to that region's history as a contested territory. Alsace Lorraine's debut received lukewarm to positive reviews. Pitchfork

Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 compared its sound with St Etienne

Saint Etienne (band)

Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...

, foreshadowing later (2007-) collaborations with Ian Catt

Ian Catt

Ian Catt is a British record producer and multi-instrumentalist associated with several popular indie groups, notably Saint Etienne of whom he has been a touring member. He has also collaborated with Saint Etienne's vocalist Sarah Cracknell on her solo album, Lipslide...

. After Darla's

Darla Records

Darla Records is an independent record label founded by James Agren while he was in New York. Darla Record's first release was a 7-inch by Grifters, an indie rock/lo-fi band from Memphis.- Background :...

 South By Southwest

South by Southwest

South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...

 showcase, he and the group made only a few compilation tracks over several years. He began a collaboration with the Argentinian children's author-illustrator Isol

Isol

Marisol Misenta, known professionally under the mononym Isol, is an illustrator, author of children's books, and singer. She was born in 1972, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she lives to this day.- Background :...

 in 2005. Their work, Dark One, despite again receiving barely positive reviews, led to a PRI

Public Radio International

Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...

interview and performance in 2007.