They've been one of my favorite bands since their debut album, United, was released in 2000. Now, all of the signs are poiningt towards Phoenix being your favorite. Their fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, has all the earmarks of breaking the band out. Their first single, "Lisztomania" is a smashing rave up of pop perfection. The rest of the album is a rousing success of 70s disco rhythms mixed with modern guitar licks. The album will put them alongside countrymen Daft Punk and Air in the holy trinity of modern French bands.
Why I gush over the band is their live show, a must-see for anybody who craves live music. It's a full on dance party and good time. Lead singer Thomas Mars, guitarist Christian Mazzalai, guitarist Laurent Brancowitz and bassist Deck D'Arcy become the life of the party on stage.
So cross Phoenix off the list of bands I wanted to have stop by this space. I spoke with my man Christian (second from right in the pic) last week about the making of their new album, getting sea sick on a boat and how they ended up playing three songs on Saturday Night Live.
You took a break after the last album and tour, did you feel the need to do that just so that you would feel fresh for any future projects?
We wanted to take as much time as we needed to relax. I think we didn't do anything for about a year. We knew the next album had to be made with no time constraints or compromises. I think I didn't take out my luggage for a year, which was very nice.
You wrote the album on a boat. What was the thinking behind that?
Well, we took the boat around various points in Paris. We also wrote a few songs at the Bowery Hotel in New York. We wanted to be surrounded by different buildings and sites. Writing lyrics in a room or in a studio can be very boring. So when we looked out onto the Eiffel Tower, we got a different vibe.
Did you get sea sick?
Yes, very much. I wasn't the only one. The boat idea was kind of a disaster. It cost us a lot of money, so we ended up in New York to finish writing.
So by the time you entered into the studio, you probably had a good idea of what you wanted to accomplish.
We knew that we didn't want to sound like our last album. It's Never Been Like That was simple and auto-biographical. This one we wanted something abstract and futuristic.
Starting with "Lisztomania", I've never seen the movie with Roger Daltry, but what did you see in it that film that you wanted to write a song about it?
We haven't seen it either! The song is centered around Franz Liszt. He was a French piano player. He was considered a genius composer. He was admired by everyone, especially women. So it's about the loneliness of a songwriter, but being admired by all these women. We thought it was a very modern idea.
"1901" has those synthesizer elements that seems to be part of your sound. Is that something you wanted to bring back to this album?
We worked with Phillipe Zdar on the album. He's from the band Cassius. We wanted to get back to a more electric sound so he was key, and we grew up listening to his music. It was something we were hoping to mess around with again.
What's interesting about this album is the middle part is mostly instrumental. Last year, you released a one-off single called "21-1-0", and now it turned into "Love Like A Sunset". I love it because it's like a Michael Mann film with Tangerine Dream doing the music.
Ahhhh, yes.
Did that middle section evolve over time?
We started the album with the goal of writing a nine-minute instrumental song. Thomas ended up putting some vocals at the ended, so we split it into two parts. We put it in the middle because it felt like an bridge between the two parts of the album.
We were inspired by a tunnel that you can drive that goes between Versailles and Paris. If you drive it at night, you see all these pretty lights bouncing off the walls. We would take a break from recording and drive through the tunnel. It was very inspiring.
Did you remember what car you were driving?
It was a very nice car, but now I drive a really shitty Peugeot.
Time to upgrade, my friend.
All the money we have went into making this record and renting that boat [laughs].
You usually have one or two songs on an album that we Americans call a slow jam -- like a romantic 70s disco track you would hear at the roller skating rink. Previously it was something like "(You Can't Blame It On) Anybody", now it's "Fences". Did you have disco balls and Al Green in mind for "Fences"?
In a funny way, yes. You can thank Phillipe Zdar for that. He pushed us on that song and it was the last one we finished. We weren't sure if we wanted it on the album, but now we love it.
He has a house in Versailles. It's like a isolated home where he can play loud music. When we took a break during the summer, he would play it by himself and he said he could dance to it. So he yelled at us, "You have to put it on the album." So for us, it's a tribute to electronic music.
Now about the album title -- Did you think about going with Johan Sebastian Phoenix or Ludwig von Phoenix?
We didn't think of those [laughs], but those are good. We picked the most iconic composer to vandalize.
This is your first album away from Astralwerks, and now you are on an indie label (Glassnote). Do you feel more free now?
We always did what we want with Astralwerks. We controlled the sound of the album and our image. We were very happy with them, even though we did have to fight with them over a few things. Now, it was just that our contract was finished. We liked the idea of making an album with our money and with no deadline.
You are also known for having interesting music videos. The new one is straight-forward. Do you have plans to do more elaborate videos?
Of course, we have many, many ideas.
Can you explain the "Long Distance Call" video for me?
[laughs] What do you want to know?
So you're in a studio, a guy walks in with a note, the music stop, he leaves, and you continue.
You have to see this French movie called Le Pacha with Jean Gabin. Watch it and the video will make sense. It's a good movie.
The reason I'm such a huge fan of your band is that your live shows are the best. I know you are low-key guys, but you become superstars on stage. Do you recognize this change in your personality?
[Long pause] Maybe. Actually, yes yes. I tend to forget what happened on stage after the show. It's about being in the moment, I guess. It's a fantastic feeling being able to loose control and entertain crowds.
Do you remember the time you jumped on top of me at Maxwell's?
[Laughs] Of course! Thank you for holding me up. That was the smallest place we've ever played. That was in Hoboken, yes?
Indeed.
We love playing small places. It's good to have contrast. On this tour we're playing different sizes of venues.
At what point in the history of the band did you start feeling like rock stars?
We've never feel like rock stars at all. It's something we try not to be. We like being humble. When we play festivals and we see other bands, we say to each other, "We don't want to be like that."
You're at the point now where you have so many great songs to choose from for your live shows. Are you going to mix up the setlists?
For this tour, we're going to play a lot from the new album. When we come back to the states in September, we'll play more older songs.
Do you get tired of playing "Too Young"?
No, it's always a quest to find perfection. I think finally on this tour, we'll play it perfectly every night. We're rediscovered the song so it will be exciting for us.
What was the deal with playing three songs on Saturday Night Live? Did they run out of funny stuff?
I don't know, They came to us about an hour before the show and asked us to play "Too Young." They said they really likedthat song.
What will you remember most about that week on the show?
The chaos backstage. The actors change their costumes so quickly and people are running everywhere. In the middle is us -- four simple Frenchmen. It was like being in a Broadway show. It was fantastic.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix comes out May 25th. They are on tour next month, and most shows are sold out. Good luck finding a ticket.
I am so PO'ed about how fast the MHOW tickets sold out. Any chance you might have a spare?
Posted by: Meredith | May 12, 2009 at 03:07 PM