A native New Yorker of Italian heritage and a child prodigy cellist, Francis Rodino survived a solid classical music education in both the US and Italy, before being bitten by the Rock ‘n’ Roll bug and arriving in London as a guitar playing singer/songwriter. Paying his dues and honing his writing and performing skills on the London club and pub scene, Francis built up a powerful live presence - with his band of some of the capital’s finest rock musicians - resulting in a solid and loyal fanbase.

After raising a $50,000 recording budget from both his fans and the public via the SellaBand online platform, Francis and producer/engineer Steve Bush (The Stereophonics, Corinne Bailey Rae) began an intensive year of recording and production, working at the legendary Rockfield Studios, Wales, with final mastering by veteran mastering engineer Bob Ludwig (U2, Coldplay, Radiohead) in Maine, US.

The resulting album is Circles And Squares, Francis’ debut album release. Featuring ten original compositions that are solidly constructed around Francis’ powerful and emotive vocals, Steve Bush’s superb production creates an overall sound that’s a fusion of alternative and modern rock, full of intense, anthemic choruses and haunting melodies, with live performances revealing an intensity that captivates the audience.

Francis holds a personal and direct relationship with his fans through his ever-growing online community, providing a regular stream of multimedia content to subscribers. From online webcasts, blogs and video diaries to “all access” footage and works in progress, Francis involves his fans in the many creative aspects of his musical journey.

Francis Rodino says of his music:

"I wanted to create a sound of my own: intense, intimate, provoking, meaningful. I write about how I feel about life, love, losses and failures, highs and lows, and broken hearts. I'm facinated about our humanity and how we act/react to one another. This album represents experiences that we all live through; trying to fit in, trying to make sense out of what may happen randomly. I try to tell stories through my music that is accessible to different people, from different walks of life."

I've had the priviledge of playing with not just some fantastic musicians, but some even more fantastic people. Each one is a wonderful, individual character, bringing the music to life by adding their own unique colour - whether live or recorded.


Allan Burls - Bass

Fast gaining a reputation as a reliable and solid session player, Allan Burls has been called upon by singer/ songwriters, bands and producers alike for his skills as a bass player and band leader. Allan's passion for his instrument is evident through his live performances and as well as this he has worked successfully in the studio recording with producers such as Andy Whitmore and Steve Bush as well as making TV and radio appearances.



Nik Hollis - Electric Guitar

Nik Hollis has been a regular gigging musician since the age of 16, for years was a key face in the Plymouth music scene playing in various rock/indie/metal bands such as Liberator, Cadaverous, Cane, Snowblind, 16 Sone Mullet amonst others. Nik moved to the big smoke in 2004 and played in a couple of bands before hooking up with Francis in the Autumn of 2006 and has been a member of the band since.




Matt Baker - Piano and keyboards

Matt has been a classically trained pianist from the age of 6, but when he joined his School’s Swingband, he was enticed into playing Jazz, Rock, Funk & Soul and he has never looked back. He went on to study Music & Technology in Edinburgh where he was well-known on the Scottish music scene for his enthusiasm and musical versatility. Graduating with first-class honours in 2007, he left the rat-race and travelled the world over 16 months to expand his musical horizons in Asia, Australia and South America. He moved to London at the beginning of 2009 is becoming known as a reliable session musician and valuable contributor to many projects. These include Francis Rodino, Belle, Byron Gold and The Mars Patrol – who were recently published in the US. As a Musical Director, he has worked at the Nottingham Concert Hall for UniTalent and recently completed work on a film with Mica Paris. He has also collaborated with Jamie Cullum and Jason Rebello (Sting) amongst others. Matt is a composer and producer, creating his own material under his company – In The Pocket Productions.


Andrea Marongiu - Drums & Percussion

Andrea Marongiu is an italian self-taught drummer. He started playing drums at the age of 11, since then Andrea's been an active recording session drummer in Italy and the UK. While collaborating with some of the best musician from his own country, Andrea attended a long distance course at the "European Music Institute CPM" in Milan studying with M° Walter Calloni. He then completed his study at the Jazz University in Sardinia.

In 2005 He left Italy and travelled the world with the "Souled Out showband" on board of the "Royal Caribbean International" fleet.
At the beginning of 2008, Andrea moved to London to improve his music career and started to get know as a very versatile and professional drummer in the London scene. He is now collaborating with singers, producers, bands, musicians and DJs from England in both recording studios and Live sessions.