Wildly talented alt-rock band, Phoenix, return onto the international stage with a monster of a new album. Having creatively percolated for the past year and change, we sat down with front-man, Thomas Mars, to talk optimism in a pessimistic world, The Beguiled, and when Aussie fans can expect to see the enchanting French natives again.
As evident from the moment you press play, this new album is bolstered by very European dream-pop and indietronica sensibilities rich with synths. What was the process like?
When we start going to the studio, the first few weeks are very excitingโฆ Itโs just a world of possibilitiesโฆ What we usually do is we choose some sort of instrumental palette, what instruments we like, and what which ones to bring in, which ones to surround ourselves with. And then I think we are in a bit of denial, what we donโt realize is sometimes if you play the synthesizer an inch closer than the guitar, itโs just right there. You end up playing more. Thereโs a bit of luckโฆ a lot of things are purely the work of the unconsciousโฆ Then it becomes a little harder because once you record a little, you become obsessed. You want the direction youโre going to be worth spending a lot of time, that you wonโt get bored. That this new direction is not just familiar to your brain so you like it because itโs familiarโฆ to keep your interestโฆ thatโs the hardest part.
Ti Amo paints a picture of like a fantasy, a paradise of Roman vacations, and the excitement of falling in love. Did you have specific ideas/memories in mind when you were composing?
What was strange was we were making a record that was in total contradiction with the atmosphere of Paris at the time. The time was dark, it was just a weird environment, and at the same time we were in the studio making this joyful, idealistic, light, simple musicโฆ So I think we just fantasized. It wasnโt really escapism or denial, it was just getting music back to its pure function, which is a world of possibilities, and thatโs all it isโฆ That was our biggest challenge, to then just create our language in the record using English, Italian, French.
Suffice it to say, this album has arrived at a very interesting time in the world. I donโt have the tell you about the events that have occurred in Paris alone recently. The US becoming more chaotic by the day. The entire incident in Manchester. Among the seemingly hopeless and anxiety ridden politics of today, youโve triumphed with that signature Phoenix optimism.
Every time we start a record, we think of it as our first record. It has to be new, it has to be a new sound, it has to be a new direction. And I think itโs always in contradiction with the times, with whatโs going on. And Iโm not sure what it is, whether itโs trying to force destiny, or if itโs pureโฆ if itโs trying to cope with the times. But I know that Serge Gainsbourg would write his love songs during his most heartbroken times, you know? And the opposite, he would write the saddest songsโฆ like Je Suis Venu Te, Dire Que Je Mโen Vais, and he wrote it when he was totally in love.
Maybe itโs a French thing, that youโre always alert of whatโs coming next, or youโre just anticipating whatโs comingโฆ I think we just canโt help ourselvesโฆ When Proust talks about his grandmother, she comes home, and when she arrives, heโs already sad because it means sheโs going to stay there a little, and then sheโs going to leave. So the moment he recalls is the anticipation, when sheโs not really there, and I think I can really relate to thatโฆ It doesnโt help your daily life, but it does enhance creativity, and the fact that youโre constantly in this melancholic state. But this is an optimistic recordโฆ the layers ofโฆ the chord modulation, the lyrics.
Do you find that as time goes on, this optimism becomes a consciously political statement of, โweโll make it throughโ, or is it purely stylistic?
It wasnโt meant to beโฆ because weโre not good at statements in generalโฆ A lot of people think this is one, so I guess it could be. We were nervous when we made this record because, when bad things happen in the world, when youโre a citizen of the worldโฆ [you] act. You enter the resistance. And itโs not that we donโt want to do it, we just know weโre bad at it. The four of us, growing up, making musicโฆ it was a stream of consciousnessโฆ Itโs always chemistry, itโs never calculated. Weโve always found that this has more depth, and personality, and tells more truth about us.
My personal favourite track is Fior Di Latte, primarily because it was so reminiscent of my experiences travelling overseas, falling in love with the city and the people.
Iโm very glad itโs your favourite, because itโs my favourite too. I remember them looking at me like, โAre we really going to have a chorus thatโs just โFior di latteโ?โ, because itโs really awkwardโฆ We loved the sound of it and we didnโt want to change itโฆ Itโs my favourite song to play live so far.
In addition to working on this new album, Phoenix has also been building the soundtrack for your wife Sofiaโs upcoming film, The Beguiled. What can you tell us about the soundtrack and the film?
Itโs in Cannes right now. When I saw the first references for the movieโฆ Sofia, she knows exactly what she wants. Sheโs pretty remarkable when she gives her references, and they will work exactly with the tone and the atmosphere of the movie. She knew she wanted synths, she knew she wanted dark synthsโฆ thereโs something contemporary about it. Thereโs always a gapโฆ music helps to make it feel more contemporary. To show her personality. The first two things we tried were the ones that worked right awayโฆ the first harmonies, those long notes, and slow chord changesโฆ We spent a lot of time working on it, slowing it down, and just changing the pace of it. Itโs really fun when you match with the visuals, and then suddenly, things make sense, and they shouldnโt make sense because they donโt come from the sameโฆ itโs not the music of the time. Scoring a film can be difficultโฆ We got lucky right away.
I have to say, us Australian fans were disappointed when we realized the world tour didnโt include us. Any hints as of when we can expect to see you guys visit us here down under?
I think early 2018. Weโre still trying to figure out whereโฆ the bad news is you have to be patient, but the good news is when we come down, the shows weโll be playing will be much better than the ones right now [Laughs].
Phoenixโs new album Ti Amo is out this Friday. For more information on the release head here.
