Keyboardist Marlon Magnée and guitarist Sacha Got met at high school in the resort town of Biarritz near Spain. In the summer it is full of vacationers, and in the dead of winter there is nothing to do. "There were four bars at one intersection where everyone went to drink," recalls M. Magnée: "But we didn't like them, because if you were different or dressed in a different way, they would call you names and even abuse you. It was hard to grow up in Biarritz if you were different." Not fitting in with the locals, out of boredom, the boys discovered music and started playing.
As soon as the opportunity arose, the group of friends moved to Paris. The first project "SS Mademoiselle" failed because the singer only wanted to rehearse once a week. So they formed La Femme, a band that Ms. Magnée said would be inspired by The Velvet Underground and Kraftwerk and be just as mysterious. This idea seems to have worked for them. No wonder, they listened a lot to 70s French underground and 80s French synthwave music. Soon Marlon and Sasha were joined by other musicians and one of the distinguishing features of "La Femme" - very charismatic vocalists, without whom their concerts are unimaginable. La Femme knew from the beginning that their band had to look great, so they always pay special attention to their stage costumes.
The sound and look were spot on, two problems remained: there was nowhere to play and nobody was interested. The band sent perhaps 50 letters to Parisian clubs asking for gigs and received only a few replies. The first stage was so small that the bassist had to stand at the back of the crowd next to the sound engineer. They only had eight songs and since some of the audience were late they started playing them all over again.
Then La Femme made a move that finally put the band on notice, an amazing stunt that stunned the entire French music industry. The group recorded a short album and decided to travel to America to become famous. So they sent emails to 100 places in the US asking for gigs. Again only a few people answered, but one of them offered to help. "We went to the United States with 3,000 dollars and one girl arranged for us as many as 20 concerts," recalls Magnée: "In France at that time, only our short album was released. The entertainment industry went into a frenzy: "What the hell is going on?" They've only released one EP and they're already playing in the US and we don't know anything about them?” A big buzz started. When we returned to France after the tour, the red carpet was already waiting for us. A good DIY example.”
La Femme was signed to the label that released the records of Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel. La Femme's debut album Psycho Tropical Berlin was well received and shot to the top of the charts in France. La Femme then took every opportunity that came her way, soundtracking Yves Saint Laurent's collection launch and performing at Austin Psych fest in Texas, where Magnée looked like a YSL muse in a giant witch's hat and kimono. La Femme won the prestigious Victoires de la Musique awards in France and was recognized in the Best New Artist category. Celebrities such as directors Jacques Audiard or Romain Gavras and legendary artists Jean Michel Jarre and Hedi Slimane became fans of La Femme, but most importantly, the group's work caught the ears of French youth.
A few years later, La Femme shared the same stage with the American rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers in arenas.
The latest album "Paris-Hawaï" continues the intellectual journey, combining vintage with futuristic and eclectic influences of La Femme. Their work is deeply rooted in the French tradition, constantly recalling philosophers such as Descartes and Pascal. Ingeniously diving into genres, they are reminiscent of musical projects such as Gorillaz, but with a more pronounced existential nuance. La Femme positions themselves not as transient tourists, but as global citizens in an era struggling with issues of authenticity. Paris-Hawaï is another strong statement from the group. It is a publication that perfectly balances cultural respect and artistic integrity, inviting listeners to engage, reflect and appreciate the complexity of our world.
La Femme leaves a very strong mark on the contemporary cultural landscape of Paris. They are worthy of acquaintance and such a concert in the capital. Without them, the map of French music would look very different. The two sides of this city seem to be rooted in their work - brilliance and roughness. It perfectly reflects the vibrant multicultural district of Strasbourg Saint-Denis, where the band works.