Q&A: Inside francene rouelle’s Raw and Reflective Debut, ‘off the carousel’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
AUSTIN-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER FRANCENE ROUELLE EMERGES WITH A POWERFUL DEBUT WITH OFF THE CAROUSEL - an 8-track album that dives deep into the complexities of emotional cycles, love and personal growth. Out today via the indie Asian American label mHart, this project is a raw, intimate exploration of the patterns we inherit, the wounds we carry, and the bravery it takes to finally step away from them.
Clocking in at just under 20 minutes, off the carousel is a lyrically sharp and emotionally rich statement that does not shy away from contradiction. It embraces both comfort and chaos, hope and heartbreak, and the messy middle ground where healing begins. Through evocative, confessional songwriting and her signature expressive vocals, francene guides listeners through the intricate terrain of love’s highs and lows, from the desperate attempts to be enough, to the quiet devastation of realizing love can’t always fix what’s broken inside.
With this debut, francene rouelle establishes herself as a compelling new voice in indie music: one unafraid to confront pain, break cycles and invite listeners into a space that is both personal and universal. We chatted with her to explore the stories behind the songs, the emotional truths she unpacks and what it truly means to get “off the carousel.”
LUNA: off the carousel feels like a sharp turn from the dreamy, fairytale world of your debut. What inspired this shift in tone and storytelling?
FRANCENE: “finally a fairytale” was me trying to believe in love again — like rebuilding this soft, dreamy version of what love could be after going through something really toxic. But off the carousel is when that dream started to crack. That shift just happened naturally; I wasn’t trying to make it darker, but I needed to stop pretending everything was okay. This album is more raw, more real… it's about actually sitting with the pain instead of trying to rewrite it into something pretty.
LUNA: The title itself is so rich. What does “getting off the carousel” mean to you emotionally or artistically?
FRANCENE: For me, “getting off the carousel” is about finally stepping away from the cycles I kept finding myself in… especially around love and self-worth. Emotionally, it felt like I was stuck repeating the same patterns, convincing myself things were okay when they weren’t. Artistically, it was about letting go of the need to make things look beautiful or tied up in a bow. It’s that moment where the illusion breaks, and you're left with the truth… even if it’s uncomfortable. But there’s also something freeing in that. It’s scary, but it’s real.
LUNA: You’ve called this project “scary honest.” Was there a particular song that was hardest to write or share?
FRANCENE: Definitely “mr. too perfect.” That one was written when I was at one of my lowest points, and it honestly still feels a little raw. I wasn’t trying to make it sound polished or clever… it was just me getting out what I couldn’t really say out loud at the time. It’s scary because there’s no hiding in that song. It’s the most exposed I’ve felt in my writing, but I also think that’s why it needed to be on the album. It’s part of the truth I was avoiding for a long time.
LUNA: Many of these tracks explore emotional cycles like love, detachment, healing, and return. Did making this project help you break any of your own?
FRANCENE: It’s definitely a process. I don’t think making the album “broke” the cycles — but it made me see them clearly for the first time. I realized how much of what I went through shaped the way I view love, and how I show up in relationships — and that’s not something that just goes away. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), trauma means a lifetime of healing. And I’m learning to accept that. This album is the realization… like me finally admitting, “This happened, it hurt me, and it changed me.” But that’s only the first step. I think the healing really starts after.
LUNA: You recorded the album on your family farm again. How did returning to that space affect the process or the way you connected with the songs?
FRANCENE: I’m gonna be honest — we could’ve written this album anywhere, and we did. A lot of it came together in different places, different headspaces. But the farm was where we finished it, and that part felt full circle. There’s something grounding about being back in that space… not because it’s magical or whatever, but because it’s familiar. It gave me room to breathe, to hear the songs without all the noise. It didn’t shape the writing as much as it helped me sit with what we made and really connect to it.
LUNA: “all the things i’d do” and “mr. too perfect” feel like emotional opposites but are deeply connected. What’s the throughline between them for you?
FRANCENE: The throughline is how I’ve viewed and survived the concept of love. “all the things i’d do” is me bending over backwards, trying to earn love, doing everything possible just to be chosen. It’s that desperate kind of love where you’re constantly performing to be “enough.” And “mr. too perfect” is the other side… when someone actually does love you, and you still feel unlovable. Both songs are responses to the same wound. One is trying to win love, the other is realizing love doesn’t fix the parts of you that feel broken.
LUNA: The closing track, “off the carousel”, feels deceptively upbeat. Why did you choose to end the project on that note?
FRANCENE: I think it’s because healing isn’t just one thing… it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. There’s sadness, frustration, but also moments of relief and clarity. This song felt like the relief part for me. It’s that breath you take when you finally start to step off the cycle, even if you’re still figuring out what comes next. Ending on that note felt honest… like saying, “Yeah, it’s hard, but there’s hope, and I’m ready to keep moving forward.”
LUNA: The visual rollout for this era is so distinct with the monochrome styling, abstract art direction, and the “Fate in Suitcase” video series. What was the vision behind that world-building?
FRANCENE: I wanted the visuals to feel eerie, almost like stepping into a void. When I realized how much trauma had changed me, there was this numbness... like a part of me was disconnected or frozen. The monochrome and abstract art helped create that feeling visually. It wasn’t about making things pretty, but about showing that space where everything is stripped down, quiet, and a little unsettling. That’s where the album lives emotionally, so I wanted the visuals to bring people into that same headspace. Thankfully I had a talented team to help conceptualize and bring this vision to life.
LUNA: You’ve spoken about identity and agency in your music. How does being an Asian American woman in this industry influence the way you tell your story?
FRANCENE: Being raised by immigrant parents has definitely shaped a lot of my music and how I express myself. There’s this constant, unsettling guilt… not always knowing if what I’m doing makes them proud or if I’m living up to expectations. That tension has been a big part of my healing journey and a major reason why I write. Through my music, I’m figuring out how to find my own voice and agency, even when it feels complicated or hard.
LUNA: If this album is about stepping off the ride, what’s next for you now that your feet are back on the ground?
FRANCENE: On September 7th, I’m having my first album release party and show in Austin, Texas, and I’m so excited. I’ll be performing the album live for the first time, and some of my favorite artists (and people) — XYZSA Love and Allie Arnaez — will be doing their own sets too. It means a lot to be sharing the night with people I really admire. After such an emotional project, it feels good to step into this next phase with celebration and community.
