Françuar

Françuar started in Lisbon in the early 2000s, put together by Pedro Lourenço and Rui Soares, with Rafael Santos and Daniel Lima joining later. They worked through some financial trouble early on, playing an alternative rock style that mixed in post-punk and electronic touches. Their lyrics tended toward the introspective, which you can hear on songs like "Cartas Ao Chão" and "Tenho Medo do Escuro."

In 2007, their debut album "Cartas Ao Chão" came out, with the title track becoming a hit. That song got them some attention, though it also led to a plagiarism accusation in 2010 that was later dismissed. They kept putting out records, like "As Cidades" in 2011 and "Bairro" in 2017, building a following among listeners who liked their moody, layered sound.