Young Franco & Pell

Biography

Young Franco, the stage name of Joseph Da Rin de Barbera, is an Australian DJ and record producer born in 1994 in Brisbane, Queensland, who is now based in Sydney, New South Wales. He developed his distinctive sound while attending university in Brisbane, where he began posting tracks online and performing at local venues on weekends. Making his official debut in 2014 with "Close 2 U" featuring Joy, Franco quickly established himself as a versatile producer capable of blending diverse electronic music genres including hip-hop, house, disco, electro, UK garage, jungle, and dancehall. His breakthrough came with the 2017 gold-certified single "About This Thing" featuring Scrufizzer, which demonstrated his ability to craft infectious, radio-friendly productions while maintaining artistic credibility.

Franco's career reached new heights in 2021 when his track "Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)" featuring Tkay Maidza and Nerve was selected as the official theme song for the A-League, Australia and New Zealand's premier professional soccer league. That same year, he won a Queensland Music Award for "Juice" featuring Pell, a collaboration that would prove pivotal to his artistic trajectory. Throughout the early 2020s, Franco built an impressive touring resume, including sold-out headline shows at venues like The Metro in Sydney and the Triffid in Brisbane, performances at major Australian festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival, European tours with Kitsune, and multiple Asian tours. His work accumulated over 50 million streams on Spotify alone, with significant radio support from Triple J, BBC Radio 1, 1xtra, Kiss FM, and Beats1.

In January 2025, Franco released his highly anticipated debut studio album, It's Franky Baby!, which peaked at number 10 on the Australian charts. The album title pays homage to funk legend Bootsy Collins and reflects Franco's collaborative philosophy, with each track representing snapshots of his relationships with featured artists. The project showcases his evolution as a producer, incorporating new genres like bossa nova while maintaining his signature genre-blending approach. At the 2025 ARIA Music Awards, Franco achieved significant recognition with wins for "Wake Up" (featuring Master Peace) in both Song of the Year and Electronic/Dance Award categories, as well as an Export Achievement Award, cementing his status as one of Australia's leading electronic music producers.

Fun Facts

• Franco is an avid soccer player with Italian heritage, which has shaped his musical identity; his track 'Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)' was selected as the official theme for the A-League, Australia and New Zealand's premier professional soccer league
• The album title It's Franky Baby! is a cheeky nod to funk legend Bootsy Collins, sparked by a phrase coined by collaborator and close friend Pell during a summer beach session in Sydney
• Franco wrote the hook for 'Juice' with Pell during COVID lockdowns, and he still has the original voice recording from when they first wrote it; the song marked his introduction to Pell and set the creative tone for much of his later work
• Franco is a self-described 'genre chameleon' who masterfully blends samba, UK garage, jungle, and dancehall; It's Franky Baby! marks his first venture into bossa nova production, a genre he counts among his top three but hadn't felt confident enough to explore until 2025

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• General Levy - Influential jungle scene legend who Franco has admired for years; collaborated on the album track 'Give Thanks, Give Praise' (Give Thanks, Give Praise (It's Franky Baby!)) [2025]

Key Collaborators

• Pell - New Orleans-based rapper and frequent collaborator; close friend who introduced Franco to the phrase 'Franky Baby' that inspired the album title; their creative synergy marked a turning point in Franco's career (Juice (2020), Fallin' Apart (2020), It's Franky Baby! (2025)) [2020-2025]
• Tkay Maidza - Featured on the A-League theme song that brought Franco mainstream recognition (Real Nice (H.C.T.F.) (2021)) [2021]
• Denzel Curry - Hip-hop artist who collaborated on Franco's discography (Fallin' Apart (2020)) [2020]
• Maribelle - Vocalist who collaborated on multiple tracks including the gold-certified single 'Miss You' (Miss You) [2010s-2020s]
• Master Peace - Featured on the award-winning track 'Wake Up' from It's Franky Baby! (Wake Up (It's Franky Baby!)) [2025]
• piri & tommy - Collaborators on It's Franky Baby! whose sessions felt more like hanging out than formal work (It's Franky Baby! (2025)) [2025]
• Tommy Villier - Collaborator on It's Franky Baby! involved in relaxed jam sessions that organically shaped the music (It's Franky Baby! (2025)) [2025]
• Frank Moody - Collaborator who added layers of creativity to It's Franky Baby! (It's Franky Baby! (2025)) [2025]
• Nerve - Featured on the A-League theme song 'Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)' (Real Nice (H.C.T.F.) (2021)) [2021]
• Winston Surfshirt - Collaborator on Franco's discography (Various tracks) [2010s-2020s]
• Scrufizzer - Featured on the gold-certified breakthrough single that established Franco's commercial viability (About This Thing (2017)) [2017]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Somos el Mundo (Somos el Mundo)
2. Simplemente Amigos - Cover (Simplemente Amigos (Cover))
3. La Cumbia de Superman (La Cumbia de Superman)
4. Dicen - Remix (Dicen (Remix))
5. Andar y Andar (Andar y Andar)
6. Me Han Dicho (Franco Peletti)
7. Perdóname (Franco Peletti)
8. Me Equivoqué (Franco Peletti)
9. No Me Doy por Vencido (Franco Peletti)
10. Andar y Andar (Franco Peletti)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia