La Femme Interview
For us at Mixer, La Femme is at the crossroads of the different creative industries. In addition to their 2 released albums, the French psych rock band has also composed the runway soundtracks for Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent's PFW2015 Menswear show and Celine's PFW2019 Womenswear Spring/Summer. We were able to sit down with the Biarritz-born minds who dreamt up the band, Marlon Magnée- keyboardist/vocalist and Sacha Got-guitarist to ask them a few questions.
Marlon Magnee: Hello, We are La Femme and you're watching Mixer Makers.
Cory Kennedy: Okay, so who is La Femme?
MM: La Femme is a mysterious band from Paris. Yeah, so we started La Femme seven years ago, me and Sacha. Most of the time there are six of us on stage.
CK: Six? That's a lot.
MM: Yeah. And on the record there are more people, more singers.
CK: You were saying that about the female singers, like Grace.
MM: And Clemence who is the main singer.
CK: How did you find Clemence?
MM: Myspace.
CK: Thanks Myspace.
MM: Yeah, thanks Myspace! Thanks Tom!
CK: Thanks Tom! Are you working on your third album?
MM: Yeah!
I think we are good and will enjoy our lives, but I think humanity is going to disappear. - Sacha Got
CK: How's that going?
MM: It's going good, but it's a bit messy because at this moment we're working in all different directions in a lot of tracks.
CK: And how would you compare your first album to your second album?
MM: They are like brother and sister.
CK: How so?
MM: Yeah, it's like children. You love them both the same.
CK: I love them both.
MM: You can't say that you prefer one. But I prefer the second one.
CK: So a lot of your songs are quite pessimistic about the future, but they're also dancey and upbeat. How hopeful are you for our future?
Sacha Got: Me, I think us- we are good and will enjoy our lives, but I think humanity is going to disappear.
CK: It's going to disappear? How long do you think? One hundred years?
MM: It is for sure- even if humanity was pretty and very good, it will disappear anyway. So....
This is so cool. I was very happy when I saw that. People who don't speak the language who like it. When I was kid it was the same. I was listening to the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and everybody and I didn't understand what they sang. - Marlon Magnee
CK: I think it's exciting having Americans sing these French songs, which doesn't really happen that often.
MM: No it's true. This is so cool. I was very happy when I saw that. People who don't speak the language who like it. When I was kid it was the same. I was listening to the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and everybody and I didn't understand what they sang.
CK: Well yeah, because you spoke French.
MM: Yeah. But I was like, "Oh, the vibe is cool. I like this music."
SG: Yeah, France has a chance in the (music) world business. You know, let's give France a chance!
CK: What's been your biggest struggle as musicians and as a band? Or separately?
SG: What does 'Struggles' mean?
CK: What sucks about the job?
SG: Trying to get the money for the next project--
MM: No, I think I know. I think it's hardest when you have your dream, and you want your dream to come true, and nobody believes in your dream, you know? And everybody tells you to go back to your normal life and do normal stuff. This is hard, and I think this is the biggest problem for so many people because they don't cross that line.
CK: Did a lot of people say that you needed to stop playing music and go back to a normal job?
SG: No not really.
MM: For me, I remember my father asked me to have normal studies for security and stuff. But if you do like a job for security, after all you just do all your stuff for security and it becomes your main stuff.
CK: So does he still say that now?
MM: No no.
CK: No, he doesn't say that now!
SG: Wow the sky is so beautiful right now.
MM: Yeah it's pink! It's so beautiful.
CK: Oh yeah, it is beautiful.
[Grace Hartzel and Sacha start reading a poem in a book by Jack White]
Grace Hartzel: Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens.
SG: I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Yes, I can tell that we are gonna be friends.
GH: The end!
Interview made in December 2017
Video interview below:
