French rockers Poste 942 return with #chaleurhumaine, a raw and eclectic album celebrating warmth and connection. We talk evolution, French lyrics, and paying tribute to Kyuss in this exclusive interview.
1. Congratulations
on the release of #chaleurhumaine! What does it mean for you to finally
have the album available in physical format?
It's the
culmination of three years of work with the same line-up! Now we can turn the
page and start something else. We've just changed singer and drummer! Welcome
Cecilia and Julien to the next part of our adventures!
2. The
album reflects on reconnecting after a period of social isolation. How did your
personal experiences during that time shape the songwriting?
It was a
difficult time for all of us, we saw each other less often and we found
ourselves without a singer and without a drummer for almost a year! We composed
together in the studio, two or three of us, no matter what, once a week. When
Virginie arrived, she was able to choose from our ten songs and write what she
wanted.
3. Virginie’s
voice is a central thread in the album. How do you approach blending her vocals
with the raw and eclectic energy of Poste 942’s sound?
We were
surprised by the change of song in French, and sung by a woman! But we liked it
right away! We've been making music for a long time and we like it when things
change and take on another color, it's part of life. We adapt to everything. It
sounds more original, in a softer way certainly, but this album best reflects
what our musical identity POSTE 942 can be!
4. The
record is sung entirely in French—what made you choose this direction, and how
do you feel it impacts the emotional connection with your audience?
We are a
French rock band that sings in French! It seems the most logical thing in the
world and yet, in the world of Rock, everything must be sung in English, it is
THE language of ROCK! We have proof that rock can be very good sung in French!
We have a lot of bands to prove it. It's just that for most singers (and
singers) it seems "easier" to write in English. French is a richer
language, which makes the sung lyrics more "poetic". And therefore,
more complicated to write...
5. Poste
942 is often described as mixing different genres while staying true to a rock
‘truands’ identity. How would you define your evolution between your first
releases and #chaleurhumaine?
My energy
is basically very "grunge", I come from this generation that learned
its first guitar chords with NIRVANA or the PIXIES, and in France with ELMER
FOOD BEAT or the MARACAS, it's a while! Our first album was a bit of a
catch-all of 3 years of diligent rehearsals, a mix of grunge, stoner and
southern hard rock. #chaleurhumaine is more produced because we had all our
time (the COVID confinement) to compose in the studio. So it sounds more calm,
less rushed. We selected 12 tracks from the thirty we had composed! It was
Virginie who decided most of the time, according to her taste and her mood.
6. Can
you share the story behind the title #chaleurhumaine? Why this concept of
warmth and humanity at this moment in time?
It was the COVID lockdown that changed things and kept people away from each other. Everyone misdoes everything, even their own family... I had proposed APOCALYPSE GONZO but Virginie didn't like it too much... #chaleurhumaine, it's very much a return to the real riches of life!
7.
You’re also part of Spaceship Landing: A Tribute to Kyuss, covering the
legendary track “Demon Cleaner.” What drew you to that song in particular?
I think
it's one of the first tracks I listened to when I didn't know KYUSS yet. I
hesitated with "Space Cadet" but... there weren't enough lyrics for
Virginie to be able to express herself at her best! We had a lot of fun
adapting it to our style! I was finally able to use my Lap-Steel Custom in the
shape of a skateboard that I had bought last year! It followed another
compilation in which we had participated in the tour of the band MINDFUNK a few
months before towards the end of April. All this period of the 90s that made me
want to make music by myself when I was in high school! The circle is complete
!
We had a lot of ideas in the studio to adapt this track, especially with my
Lap-Steel among others. As artistic direction, we wanted a slightly
"grunge" rendering because the first day in the studio was the
anniversary of Soundgarden's BLACK HOLE SUN, so we started with an intro with
the same effect on the guitar, the rest came naturally until the end where we
stacked the layers of tracks until the apotheosis, in short, we had a blast
doing that.
8. How
do you balance paying homage to a band like Kyuss while still injecting your
own Poste 942 signature into the cover?
I think
everything should come naturally. Kyuss is a band I listened to in high school!
I was so happy when Witching Buzz asked me to participate in this compilation!
I even did the cover because I was so excited about this project! Captain
Maoos, that's me ^^ I've been running a FB page called MY STONER & Co for
10 years now, with everything I listen to. I make a TOP 9 when I have 9 bands.
9. Looking
back at 15 years of Poste 942, what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned as a
band about staying true to your identity while evolving?
Never give
up! And continue to enjoy playing. The day I get bored, I'll stop, but... that
day isn't coming soon! I just bought a magnificent Les Paul Standard and a new
Fender pedalboard! I have to try my pedals, as I only have 6, it's a real
nightmare for a guitarist ahaha Meeting new people is as essential as new gear,
and Cecillia and Julien's arrival is a real stroke of luck! They live in the
same village as me, we run into each other at parties, it's really great.Bruno
and Ludo have known each other for 10 years now... We can say that it's a love
without divorce, made to last.
10. Finally,
what’s next for Poste 942 after #chaleurhumaine and the Kyuss
tribute—any plans for touring, collaborations, or new experiments in sound?
We are
currently composing new songs, we still rehearse once a week, when someone is
missing, we continue in the recording studio to make demos, put down new ideas.
I think everything comes naturally and the next album will be even more like
us! We have a concert planned at the TOULON media library in November, we will
try to be ready!
Post a Comment