WL//WH Interview TV SUNDAZE
photo by @alexebec
On the heels of their boisterous praised third album “Plastic Bags / Packing Tape”, French fuzz rockers TV Sundaze, made up of Corentin (guitar/lead vocals), Romain (guitar/vocals), Jeremy (bass), and Max (drums/vocals), are currently carrying the raw energy of their garage rock sound over the dusty US West Coast venues. Let’s have a nice chat with the rock’n’roll foursome.
Let’s trace back to your personal roots. Where did you grow up, and how did you get into music?
Corentin: We all grew up around Valence, France, which is located between Lyon and Marseille. It’s a pretty chill place to grow up in, but we actually got into music thanks to the great Punk and Rock n’ roll venue we have in Valence called Mistral Palace! We used to hang out there all the time as teenagers and see touring bands from all over the world!
Did you have any artists/bands that you looked to as role models/main inspirations?
Jeremy: It all started out with Angus Young from ACDC for me, even if I moved to bass! Then, later, the band No Guts No Glory, which was a French punk band that paved the way for French touring bands.
It seems you’ve been dubbed the “best American band in France” since the start. What’s your take on it?
As long as we’re not the worst French band in America, we will be fine!
How is your approach to the songwriting and recording process? How has it evolved over the years?
Romain: It’s all DIY, I produced the records; we do all the recordings at the Locaux Rock, our rehearsal space back in Valence. We have a very small recording studio in there, but we can use it as much as we want! We try to record mostly live in the studio. Usually, it’s Drums and Bass live together, and we add our guitars on top. We try to do the guitars on one take to keep the raw feeling and the live energy. We record vocals and add-ons, and then we go to my place (which varies) for mixing. After all this, we send our mixes to François Fanelli (Sonics Mastering in Marseille), our mastering engineer, who makes our records sound like records.
As for songwriting, we always try to come to rehearsal with riffs and ideas, and build a song by jamming together, so it’s very collaborative. Then Corentin adds some lyrics et voila! Most of the time, when a song is “ready”, we record a first demo of it fully live, and while listening back to that, we rearrange the song for the final recording.
From the surf-poppiest leanings of your early days, your sound has become increasingly darker, abrasive and fuzzy, a visceral and raw garage sound fueled with punk energy. Let’s talk about its evolution…
Max: We are a band that loves playing live; it defines us, and so it helped shape the sound of our albums. We saw that what we liked was making people dance, making them react to powerful riffs, and for the last album, all the composition work was done on tour. In addition, there was the desire to get closer to our more Punk influences from the 90s, and Jeremy, our bassist, who arrived along the way, brings a lot to this sound.
Also, we’re not trying to do a specific music style; we just let the songs take us where our heart is. That’s why we like changing the style sometimes, so it’s always honest, whether it’s pop music or full-blown garage!
Let’s talk about your recent third album. Can you tell us about the creative process behind it? What were the most important aspects you wanted to achieve and highlight? Do you have any live favorites yet?
Corentin: Well, it was mostly written on tour! During soundchecks, which I think you can hear, these are songs that are meant to be played live! We would sometimes write it in the afternoon and then test it the night after on the set.
Each time we had fun playing a new song and the crowd was responding well to it, we would keep it for the next gig until it became a demo and eventually a final recording.
There’s also a whole story that built itself in the lyrics of these songs, about a guy constantly fighting with his dark alter ego (William Wilson). We always want records to reflect a story that comes out of our hearts.
As I noticed on the Th da Freak interview, Oh Sees and Ty Segall had a big impact in your country…
Corentin: It sure did! Well, actually thanks to Buzz from U Turn Touring, who loves American garage psych rock, Oh Sees and Ty Segall have been playing a lot in Europe and especially in France! We have seen them in concerts a couple of times, and actually, Romain and I went on tour opening for Oh Sees with our other band OGOD, so we met the guys from Oh Sees, and they were so inspiring!
What’s your favorite part about playing live? Can you remember your 1st gig as a band and your highlights so far?
Jeremy: My favorite part of a live performance is definitely the last song. By then, the audience is usually really pumped, excited, and wanting more! A kind of cohesion develops in the room, as if we were all together to shake the walls.
It’s quite funny, because I wasn’t even playing in the band for their very first concert yet… but I was the one who booked them at the bar where I was working at the time! My first concert with the band, however, was at a huge festival in Lyon, France, in front of 7,000 people. I didn’t know all the songs perfectly yet, so it was quite scary.
One of the concerts that left the biggest impression on me was the one in Tours. The venue was tiny, everyone was super excited, and many people were singing along to our songs and riffs. It was a truly powerful moment.
What excites you the most, besides music?
Corentin: Washing Dishes and cleaning my apartment haha
Max: Cooking for sure! I’m the food expert in the band. Italian origins, you know?
Romain: Connecting with people, and if there’s a beer while doing that, it’s even better, oh and cycling!
Jeremy: Going on trips with my girlfriend on my Triumph motorcycle.
What song most defined the teenage you?
Jeremy: “For Those About To Rock” by ACDC
Max: “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles
Romain: “I Will Follow” by U2
Corentin: Then mine will be “Kid’s Don’t Follow” by The Replacements
With which artist/musician would you like/dream to collaborate?
Corentin: I would love to collaborate with Tim Presley of White Fence, such a great artist in both his paintings and music
Romain: Would have loved to make a record with Steve Albini! RIP Steve…
Are there any contemporary, up-and-coming artists who you’re particularly into or feel an affinity with?
Corentin: Johnnie Carwash from France! And also, The Knopf from LA, we are sharing the stage with them on a lot of gigs of our first US tour that we’re in right now, and they are so great!
Which record/band are you most excited about lately?
Romain: Andy Shauf is great! And the new Caiman record “Dreamcore”, that is coming out on Halloween!
Max: Fontaines D.C ! I’ve seen them live lately, and it was amazing
You are embarking on a US tour. What should the audience expect?
Corentin: We are on this US Tour right now, answering the questions in the van! It’s been such a great time so far.
Audience can expect high-energy live shows! Come to the shows to hear our latest record “Plastic Bags/Packing Tape” in its live arranged version, and also songs from our previous records. And so many cool bands sharing the stage with us! We’re so hyped for our first time on the US West Coast, so the shows are pretty intense for sure!
Many thanks for being our welcome guest and all the best for the tour. Any parting words?
Corentin: Thank you for these great questions! Come to the show, we’ve made a long way from France just to have a good time with you all!
design by @pseudo2ouf
TV Sundaze‘s third album, “Plastic Bags / Packing Tape”, is out now, on limited colored Vinyl 12″/ CD & Digital, via the band’s own DIY label Tape Source Records, in collaboration with Howlin’ Banana Records and Le Cèpe Records.
Keep up with TV Sundaze:
photo by @alexebec
