Self-propelled into a new role as front man and singer, Franchot Tone rises to the occasion. – Photo by Ben Moon.

By Max Sullivan

Four years ago, Franchot Tone was a guitarist in the reggae/surf/pop band Culver City Dub Collective. He was a producer and a composer by trade. However, it took an old friend from Boston to convince him to add one more tool to his repertoire.

“I said, ‘You’re crazy dude, I’m not a singer’,” recalled Tone of his exchange with his friend, actor and director Jimmy Cummings. “I play guitar. I’m a producer and a composer. I do all these other things, but I’m not a singer. I never thought of myself as a singer. So when he told me this, it really took me aback.”

“But I valued this guy’s opinion” continued Tone. “He said, ‘look, you gotta trust me.’”

Now, Tone looks back and sees his accomplishments. His first solo record, recorded in Jack Johnson’s studio. A spot opening for Ben Harper in Bend, OR, this past month. It’s been shocking for the 39 year old Tone to realize what a gift he’s gained at this point in his career.

Currently, Tone is focused on completing the album. He hopes to release it in September, although he opted not to set a release date for the album.

The songs, he said, come from a variety of different places in his life. A chunk of them were written four years ago in the vein of New Orleans funk, particularly influenced by the Meters. Others were pulled from previous sessions, co-written with another songwriter. Another portion were written in the past year while watching his kids play on the local playground. Tone brought his guitar along and sat for hours while his children played. In this playful environment, the songs flowed easily out of him.

The actual recording process was not always so gracious to Tone. Though he had produced on records before, he had never produced his own voice. It was a bit daunting for the new singer.

“It’s a struggle to be your own feedback,” said Tone of the recording/production process. “All that stuff was new to me, and somewhat intimidating and somewhat daunting, but also very rewarding.”

Tone got a lot of help from his friend and Culver City Dub Collective band mate Adam Topol, who served as co-producer. Topol, also Jack Johnson’s main touring drummer from the beginning, worked with Tone on much of the arranging and producing. The two worked well as a team.

Topol also pushed Tone hard into making this record. There was no band-mate resentment in the picture.

“He was one of the guys who was actually, like ‘Hey man, I’ll help you produce it, you know, when are you gonna make your record?’” said Tone. “And after I moved to LA, he was like ‘come on, man, when are you gonna do It, when are you gonna do it?’”

In the end, the recording process was a blast for Tone and his team. A number of guests sat in, including Will Dog Abers of Ozomatli and Fredo Ortiz, long time live drummer for the Beastie Boys.

“We just had a great time, you know. We were in this amazing studio. We had a lot of my very talented friends come in and play,” said Tone. “We didn’t overthink it, we just did the tracking and the overdubs, and it was a super cool vibe and it came out great.”

Hearing his voice played back to him can be a strange experience for Tone. He always tends to pick out the good and the bad, ever a critic. Often, he has to remind himself that singing is not a competition.

“There’s always the comparison thing,” said Tone. “You listen to a super inspired singer like John Mayer or listening to Ben Harper the other night perform live, and you can compare yourself to those guys who are super accomplished career singers, and then I kind of step back and say, ‘you know what, its not like the Olympics. It’s being an artist and performing, and that’s what I’m doing.’”

Though currently in the Golden State, Tone was born and raised in New England. He went to St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, and had a promising job with John Hancock Mutual Funds. However, like many before him, he became tired of the office life. When asked why he left town for the Pacific coast, he said it was “to become a rock star.”

Tone still finds the musician life style to be a challenge. Though he’s had a great career working with bands like Culver City Dub Collective, he admitted that he still worries about the ups and downs of being a touring musician. When asked the last time he had concerns, he said, “October.”

Since then, though, he’s been very optimistic. The Ben Harper show a couple weeks ago was a big moment for Tone.

“I was looking around at my band and saying, ‘How did this happen,’” said Tone. “Really in awe and gratitude more than, ‘look at what I’ve accomplished.’”

See Franchot Tone at Johnny D’s in Davis Square, Saturday night at 7 p.m.