The creation of  Face the City stems from the parallel yet separate artistic lives of Jesse   Wilson and Mad Francis. For nearly a decade, each artist has been refining his artistry and vision; the former an actor and writer on the east coast, and the latter a composer and producer in the heart of Colorado. Each artist has been on an independent course albeit in different mediums to a similar end that captured the essence of self-actualization.

After a chance meeting in the summer of 2007, the two discovered an uncanny resemblance in themes and artistic vision as one described to the other his work as if he were reciting the others’ very own. Collaboration was soon agreed upon.
Soon thereafter, work began to refine a script based on two of Wilson’s original writings The Knights of La Canada and Going Vinyl. Next, songs were chosen primarily from Mad Francis’ newly completed Restless Mind Syndrome. Two additional songs came from the unreleased Fractura and lastly the eerily parallel song The Full Escape from the record Down in the Basement was selected to help illustrate a critical moment in the story.

Although the two share a similar vision, their artistic sensibilities often differ. Wilson writes from a stream of consciousness style reminiscent of Henry Miller, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack Kerouac. He appreciates abstract and modern art that isn’t afraid to reflect a world that is often chaotic. Mad Francis’ music and lyrics are highly structured, reminiscent of a classical time. He appreciates melody in music and well-defined art forms. This collaboration between the two artists creates a wonderful balance and appreciation for the complexity of human fulfillment that is approached in Face the City.