Francesca Battistelli is a Christian singer/songwriter from New York and currently lives in Nashville,TN.  She currently has her hit song "Strangely Dim" rising up the Christian radio charts and is writing for her upcoming third studio album. 

We would like to thank Francesca for taking the time to speak with BreatheCast. 

BreatheCast: So you just got nominated for 'Artist of the Year' today by the GMA Dove Awards, what does that mean to you?

FB: "I can't even believe it, I was shocked. I was there at the press conference, Mandisa, who is a friend of mine, we were on the stage together announcing and she was like, "ok, don't look at my paper just look at yours" and I was like why is she saying that? Then she said my name and I was just shocked. It was very cool and a big surprise, but a great one, it was an honor."

BreatheCast: So you are playing the Cantinas Music Festival this weekend in California with Michael W. Smith & Jason Castro, you must be pretty excited about that.

FB: "Yes we are! It's going to be so fun, it is such a great place to place to play and it's going to be fun."

BreatheCast: Have you performed with Michael W. Smith before?

FB: "Not directly like this. We have done Dove Awards stuff together and I've met him but this will be a really cool thing to get to open up directly for him on Saturday."

BreatheCast: Dave Barnes is on your song "Emily", were you and Dave already friends prior to working together?

FB: "We had written together a few times and I'm just such a fan of his music. Whenever we wrote that song and we knew it was going to make the record I just asked him, "well... do you just want to sing on this with me ? (laughs) He was all about it, so it was just one of those fun, natural things. 

BreatheCast: How would you describe your sound for people that haven't heard of you guys and what artists have influenced your sound?

FB: "You know, I always call my music like a soulful pop thing. A lot of my songs are very autobiographical, just kind of my life and things that have happened to me and I think people can relate to it because I'm very transparent with my songs. Growing up I listened to so many different types of music and artist. I listened to a lot of jazz and musical theatre since that was kind of my parents background. I love old R&B artists and so many different things. From the Christian music perspective I would say Nicole Nordeman had a big impact on me as a writer. She is just an amazing lyricist and just a great artist all together. Sara Grove is another artist that really fits with me. You know, there is so much great music and now being a part of this as my life, it's still so funny and so weird. Like you said, getting to play a show with Michael (W. Smith) and people that I listened to growing up and now getting to work with them, it's all very cool."

BreatheCast: Tell us the story behind your song, "Strangely Dim"?

FB: "That song is based on the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus". We wanted to sort of come at that from another angle and still be respectful to people that love the hymn. I loved that picture of focusing your heart and your mind on the Lord and letting everything else fade away because it can be so easy if you are just looking at your circumstances and looking inward to get stressed out and worried and bogged down. If it's all up to you life is hard, but when we can really just fix our eyes on the Lord then all the stuff of this world can really become strangely dim in the light of His presence and in the light of who He is. So it's really a good song for me to sing every night and be reminded of the truth."

BreatheCast: You recently sang the national anthem at a Tennessee Titans game, how was that? 

FB: "That was awesome! I had never been to a Pro football game and it was mind-boggling. Just so many people and getting to be out on the field. The players were lined up right in front of me as I'm singing, so no pressure. (laughs) But it was awesome and just an incredible experience, so I really hope I can do it again because it was really, really fun."

BreatheCast: Was that the most nervous you have ever been to perform?

FB: "It was up there. I've definitely been nervous like that before but it was up there. There is nothing to camouflage you if you don't do a good job or start on the wrong note. There is such a big delay, you hear yourself about 3 times. You sing and then you hear yourself singing back at you because it's such a big stadium, so it was a bit crazy." 

BreatheCast: If you could collaborate with one Secular Artist and one Christian Artist, who would you choose?

FB: "That's a good question. I'm a big fan of John Mayer's music, so I think collaborating with him on the mainstream side would be pretty awesome. On the Christian side, probably Steven Curtis Chapman though I've actually toured with him and got to sing a song with him. Every night I looked over and kind of didn't believe what was happening, just had to pinch myself. Just to write a song with him would be really cool because he's the real deal. He is everything that you hoped he would be, just a great guy and great artist."

BreatheCast: You haven't released a record since 2011 so new music soon? writing?

FB: "Yea, we are not doing a full tour this fall, just sort of doing spot dates so that I can be in the studio working on my third record. I'm so excited about it, I've been writing all summer. So we've got a couple weeks left of writing and then we go in (to the studio) in September and we are hoping to release the album in April of next year. So just very excited, it's been a long time coming."

BreatheCast: Do you guys have a favorite scripture as a band or a truth that you guys use a lot? If not, what are some personal favorite verses of yours?

FB: "Yea, definitely. Kind of my live verse is Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For I know the plans I have for you' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." Thats my one, because things are rough and you might feel like God has forgotten you, but He never has and He's always watching there watching out for us."