The grass in the fields is brittle. The sunshine pours down daily. It’s been a dry summer here in northern France, and the city of light has been the city of heat. Few acts right now are hotter than the temperatures here, but one that’s unquestionably on fire is Years & Years, an English electro-R&B group that has been steadily infiltrating the airwaves. The trio’s latest single, “Ties” capitalizes on their now-famous style: a seductive voice, expertly-constructed melodies, and some of the catchiest lyrics this side of Disney. No wonder “Ties” was the hottest track on Whyd this week. And their album “Communion” is rapidly on pace to become one of the biggest of 2015.
The sunshine blazed across a clear sky when I arrived at the Mama Shelter, one of Paris’s trendiest locales. In the mid-afternoon heat everything moves slower, even the servers who polish knives and the few patrons who sip Perrier through black straws. I’m here to meet Erica and Jules, who make up Grand Bain. As we start talking their message hits home for me. Erica, an American, and Jules, a Frenchman, creating art together. And not just music, it’s a story of intercontinental love.
Erica was always passionate about culture and music, focusing on history and French when she studied at UCLA. Her passion for France brought her here to Paris, where she worked as a cook in a top restaurant.
Jules was brought up in a musical family, his father being a musician, and he had been involved in many projects throughout his lifetime. It was during the time that he was working on a new wave project that they sought a singer.
Erica was also looking to get involved with a musical project. She had been writing songs but was hoping to find something more. Calling her roots more “soul” than their current music, her background is more musical theater, soul, and R&B. Despite the potential mismatch, she auditioned for Jules’s old group, and they immediately got along.
That old new wave group did not share the same fate however. Soon after the group dissolved, and Jules and Erica struck out together under the new name, Grand Bain, in early 2014.
Jules’s father has a studio, and Jules works as a sound engineer, two great advantages for an emerging group to get music out to the grand public. Both Erica and Jules consider themselves perfectionists, so it understandably took a while before they had something they were confident enough to share. There was one thing they were sure enough about though, each other. They recently got married here in Paris.
The result of their partnership are three tracks currently available on Soundcloud (my personal favorite being the catchy and powerful “No Country”). They have put the finishing touches on their first EP, to be released sometime in the fall, preceded by their first single and music video which will come out in September.
Jules describes their musical creation as “starting with lyrics, melody/chords, whereas before it was rhythms.” What’s important is to identify cool potential, recognize the beginning of inspiration when it strikes. If it’s not there, you wait. They often go to Burgundy to work on their music together, to take a break from city life.
Not limiting themselves to constantly creating new sounds, they also take bits of older music and re-purpose those songs. Erica said that their upcoming single is actually the first song they co-wrote together. It sat on the sidelines for a while before they came back to it.
Their music could be classified as sad, but Erica’s sunny philosophy changes what that might mean to some people. “I don’t believe that people are sad. Sad things happen to people. The important thing is to not hide it or let it fester. Release it.”
If they could open for any group touring right now, they don’t hesitate when they both said Arcade Fire. They also mentioned Interpol as an inspiration. One listen to “Leonie’s Dream” will confirm that. If there is one driving theme for Grand Bain as musicians, it’s to be powerful. Explore feelings, don’t run from them.
Now that they have a nearly-finished EP and have started working on songs for a full-length album, they are looking to make the move across the world to Los Angeles. Since they sing in English, it makes sense to reach a wider audience who can appreciate the music more quickly. They will be looking for a manager and a way to get set up there.
In the meantime, you can still catch Grand Bain here in Paris, they play tomorrow night at Le Motel and the big release party is October 9th at the Bus Palladium.
When the temperatures soar above 40ºC (+100ºF) like we’ve been having this week here in Paris, there are few things better than an ice cold Heineken, the emblematic beer in a green bottle with a red star that’s available in even more places than Coca Cola (well, maybe, don’t quote us on that). But Heineken is not just cool temperature-wise, they have also been a leading source of inspiration and they are very deep into music culture. They did, after all, create GreenRoom, which is an awesome source for the latest trending news, especially for music.
We read GreenRoom’s posts all the times, from their music services comparisons, to insider Game of Thrones updates. The unique style and voice works perfectly (if you speak French!). And they have shared nothing but good music on their Whyd page since almost the very conception of Whyd. Mad respect.
Now their offering grows, as they have just released a very slick app - My Greenroom - which lets you download their articles for offline viewing. You can also see top lists of the most read articles, and see the articles that your friends have liked, to make sure that you can know what Marie Robin has been reading!
They are also releasing a mix between a magazine and book called “Festival Mon Amour” in collaboration with Snatch magazine. The publication is a limited edition featuring the world of music festivals. You can pick up a copy at places like Collette, Palais de Tokyo, la Gaité Lyrique, and Mama Shelter.
A spectacular June evening is descending along the banks of the Canal Saint Martin, Paris’s premiere place to sit and drink rosé for the apéro as the sun warms your shoulders at 7 pm. It is here, behind an ever-morphing tag and a pathway that we arrive at the Comptoir General, a mix of African influences, antiques, and Caribbean vibes. Three of four members of Dead Sea are waiting with me for pints at the bar.
Their friendliness is instantly apparent. Caro, the singer, was the first to meet me. Her English is great, she even tells me the other guys - Alex and Charles, the brothers who started Dead Sea - were worried about doing an interview in English. I reassure them. We step into the courtyard. The mic clicks on.
This interview was translated from French. Tony Hymes for Whyd in bold.
Dead Sea, the name, is that because you are Jordanian? Israeli? Is there a reason that you chose this name?
Charles: There is no particular sense, it’s just two words that we like, together.
Caro: There is also the idea of voyage too.
Charles: True, it evokes the idea of travel, the sea, death. We listen to a lot of psychedelic music, and Dead Sea sort of goes along with that. Plus the two words go along well together, doubling the “EA.”
Does the image of the Dead Sea as a place, is that something that you like too? Dryness?Low mountains in the distance? Salt?
Alex: Everyone floats.
Me: That’s the psychedelic side, everyone floating.
Charles: Never thought of it before!
Looking at Charles and Alex, both decked out in leather jackets.
And when did you guys buy your first leather jacket?
Charles: Maybe 5 years ago, before we did a lot more psychedelic rock. We had other clothes then, like when we were in a different group we had our name on the back of a jacket. The idea of the Dead Sea is to make rock with machines. It’s not to do electronic music, but to keep the rock spirit.
When did you meet Caro?
Alex: We met her a year ago at the Paris Psychfest. We had made a flyer looking for female singers, and we put them in all of the girls bathrooms, and then Caro sent us some samples and we really liked it.
Did you already have a project, Caro?
Caro: I had already been involved in a few other projects in the past. I attended a music school in England, and I had some folk groups. When I arrived in Paris I didn’t have a project, and I was looking for a group to find. And coincidentally I was at the Psychfest and saw their flyer, looking for a female singer. So it came along at the right time, and the style fit me really well.
You guys released an EP recently, two songs. Are you rather happy with the EP?
Charles: Yes we are happy. We based all of the communications for the group around the two songs and the video. We are at more than 20K listens on the EP, which is pretty good.
Alex: We also have had a lot of reviews on blogs.
What did the reviewers say?
Alex: Overall they were mostly positive.
Charles: In any case, the people who never responded probably didn’t like it.
That’s probable, there is also the side where everyone tries to be a friend to everyone: they do a review, you share it from your side too to help them reach a wider audience too. It’s always going to be positive with blogs of that size. So in that case, what is your biggest criticism of yourselves right now? What is the thing that you are most trying to improve?
Charles: Good question.
Caro: Maybe the scenography,
Charles: We are trying to work with a small company for the lighting, staging for performances, making a logo, we would like to work on the visual side. On the music side, we are just trying to make more songs so that we can have 10 by the end of the year and release an album.
Tell us Caro, what part do you play in the creation of Dead Sea’s music?
Caro: I was pretty happy from the beginning since there were a lot of singers that responded to their flyer, so there was a sort of contest. They sent us two demos, and they wanted me to write the lyrics and melody, which I did, and they liked it. Now I also have a synth so I can play around with that. But mostly it’s the lyrics and melody, which works out well since everyone has their own part.
When it comes to creating new songs, do that come from just jamming around or are there specific places where you find inspiration?
Alex: That could come from a specific place, lots of times it comes from listening to other groups. We spend a lot of time studying different lines and segments, sometimes Charles sends me a synth line, or a drum line.
Charles: Since we are making music electronically, we find a starting point and build from there.
Is it because you are brothers that you jam well together? Is there something in your DNA that links together vibrations?
Alex: I think so, yes, we grew up in the same place, listening to the same music.
Are you both happy, at the same time, with one song?
Alex: Sometimes there are disagreements.
Charles: And when we are all happy that’s when we know the song is done.
Alex: But we do have disagreements, that can last for weeks!
Charles: We have a set of songs that we all like, and it’s that set that we play live.
Imagine one year from now, what are your realistic expectations?
Caro: I think the most important part is to have a full album by the end of the year. We’ve been talking that having only two songs out there can limit us and what we can do in terms of audience. So an album will bring us to the next level. And in a year definitely to do festivals, even small ones.
Alex: And with the album to find a record label.
Caro: Find people that support us!
Are you going to be playing live soon?
Charles: Yes, June 23rd and 26th. The 23rd is at the Bababoum, and the 26th is in a small room called the Buzz, it’s the place that we met Caro!
Caro: Yes! We’ll celebrate my first year anniversary with the group!
Only three words can describe the situation in Paris today: Hot. As. Fuck. With temperatures soaring above 30ªC the populace has firmly planted itself outside, along the banks of rivers and canals. Rosé is flowing like the Seine. It’s a great time to be in the French Capital. So it’s total coincidence that Beirut bursts back onto the world scene with their first single in 4 years, “No No No” and it immediately shoots to the top of the hot tracks. Beirut fans will be pleased with the harmonious rounds, the use of the voice as an instrument, and of course some horns for good measure. Apparently their new album will be coming out in the fall, so we have ample time to chill in the sunshine before heading off to pick it up.
Thanks to Maxime M (again and again!) for getting it to us!
Our good friends Les Disquaires de Paris have been hard at work this year organizing what looks to be one of the most interesting music events in Paris this year: Good For Ears. Taking their core spirit of promoting independent record shops - and pairing those curators with some of the coolest acts coming out of the French capital - Good For Ears is a 4 day musical bonanza happening at 4 of Paris’s most emblematic music venues: Le Divan du Monde, La Plage de Glazart, Nuba, and L’Internationale.
Every night starts with a live concert, with groups ranging from Montmartre to Tahiti Boy to Bel Plaine and Amarillo. Then, each night features a different independent record shop to man the turntables, spreading their wealth of musical knowledge to you all night long.
Here’s a link to their Friday, June 19th event at Nuba to give you an idea! See you there!
On a sunny June morning three years ago we moved two wooden tables from Ikea up two flights of stairs and opened the door to the small, bright office that would be Whyd’s home, in the Paris Labs Innovation incubator in Paris 20ème. We met some of our most faithful music lovers there, we grilled up meats and comraderie, we moaned when the coffee machine didn’t work, and we had discussions that were usually so loud that our neighbors - both next to and under - hated us. What can we say, we’re passionate people!
Three years later, Whyd has a new workspace, still with entrepreneurs and young professionals, but we’ve moved up to Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement. We’re in a luminous, modern space called the “Jungle” with palms and beach umbrellas, alongside diverse companies like the real estate marketplace DingDong, a modelling agency, and even an oyster exporter!
We’re looking forward to a lot of productive days in our new spot!
One of the best things to do when summer hits Paris is to chill on the banks of the Seine. Combine that with some classic underground hip hop and you’ve got a great time on your hands. That bodes well for APÉROBOAT, a hip hop event organized by The Backpackerz to celebrate the new version of their webzine.
The party has sweet DJs spinning the best hip hop all night long, some vinyl traders to help you beef up your personal collection, and projections of rap and hip hop documentaries to round out the cultural aspect. All of this is taking place at one of our favorite places in Paris, Batofar, and the entry is free! Here’s the link to the event.
The dudes at The Backpackerz made this playlist to give you a taste of the vibe. See you there!
The sun is out and it’s hot in the incubator here in Paris. Spring has sprung, nearly into summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to embrace the three dudes from Paris known as We Are Spring. They just released their new EP, capped off with a few shows around Paris over the last few weeks. Here’s the deal:
Released: April 29, 2015
Genres: dreamy pop
Tracks: 4
Who would like this EP?
Fans of Woodkid’s vocals, Elvis’s crooning.
Our thoughts:
There is one word that comes to mind when listening to We Are Spring’s EP: succulent. Each song sounds like it is ripe with sweet juice just ready to be bitten into. There is a richness to the way that the songs build. There is balance.
While it sounds a lot like Woodkid and his orchestral adventures, We Are Spring manages to stay more on the dreamier side, finding the sweet spot between shoe gaze and pop. A highly enjoyable listen for a spring afternoon.
It’s one of the nicest days of the year here in Paris, and while we took advantage of the weather yesterday to light up the grill, today the sun just won’t stop pouring down on us. It’s the big blue sky, a quality of the world that begs for movement, for exploration, to keep going further and further – or just lay back and relax.
Among the potential soundtracks for days like this is Country, a genre that exudes travel, open spaces, being on the road. Harmonicas, guitar strums, songs about whiskey and cheap cigars. Today’s Country Playlist of Reference is curated by Hedd’zding, who was kind enough to give us the story behind the curation:
When did you start listening to Country music?
The first country songs that I listened to were in my father’s car when I was younger and when we were doing a lot of driving.
However, I rediscovered this music style thinks to Whyd and its passionate users.
Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Country music started speaking to you?
Country music is a style which, whatever the song, transports me in a whirlwind of feelings and freedom. So when I take the car alone for a long trip, it’s sunny and the highway is all to me, country music is definitely speaking to me.
What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself?
Like I just said, it’s awesome when you’re on the go.
But also, and it’s a bit contradictory but I love listening to country music when I’m working, it motivates me.
The third moment when I like to listen this playlist and country music in general, is the day after a night of partying when I’m tired. Some calm country songs are just incredibly peaceful and relaxing for this kind of moment.
If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?
It would be “I got a name” by Jim Croce for many reasons. It’s a beautiful song it represents one of the most beautiful scene of Django Unchained, a movie that I love, when J. Fox and C. Waltz cross the mountains to reach the Mississippi. This song really makes me think about the great American spaces, I love it!