Brian Molko is a Scottish-American musician and singer, notably known and even adored for being the leader and co-founder with Stefan Olsdal of the group Placebo, founded in 1996, 26 years ago. And, it’s far from over since the group is back with a new album: never let me go. It’s their eighth album after 13 million records sold, a bit like the resurrection of music that Placebo has been able to shape over time.
franceinfo: never let me go seems a bit like an urgency to get back to basics. What was the starting point?
Brian Molko : The starting point was in 2016, when we made the decision to do this retrospective tour, 20 years of Placebo. We said to ourselves: “We have to be careful because we really have a rather dysfunctional relationship with our old songs”. We then decided to start composing things during the breaks of this tour to continue to feel like artists.
This process of renewal, of looking for something new, it’s imperative for me, I really don’t want to bother myself with Placebo. You really have to push yourself to find different methods, stimulating situations, things to say that you find important, to do something that nourishes you.
“I write in times of emergency. I have something inside me that itchs. If I don’t let it out, it will continue to itch. Often these are emotions that are problematic, difficult, sad, angry, frustrated.”
Brian Molko, from Placeboat franceinfo
I’m lucky to be able to go through a fairly cathartic process, it’s almost a form of therapy and the positive thing is that it touches people, emotionally. There is this human connection. “We must not be too comfortable or comfortable in everything we do“, it was one of the mantras of my dear friend David Bowie that he repeated to me all the time.
Did the music allow you to find yourself?
Not really. No. I am in a state of constant evolution. I constantly get lost, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the journey that matters because the journey is actually the destination.
When we listen to Placebo, your voice comes out. What relationship do you have with her?
I don’t really consider myself a guitarist. I know how to write a song. I know how to find melodies that are catchy. I would say that with my voice, which fortunately is quite unique, there is a certain excellence and maybe one of my only certainties is that I am a good singer.
I would like to talk about the song Beautiful Jameswhich is really a hymn and I obviously think of Nancy Boy since you positioned yourself very quickly on the defense of the oppressed, on tolerance. Does that also define you to have always been where you wanted to be?
It was essential. We decided to have the courage to present ourselves in the way that was imperative for us and we were given scenes to do that, so it was a little bit like a process of self-discovery.
“We realized very quickly that there were a lot of people like us who felt like ‘outsiders’ and they were the ones who became our audience.”
Brian Molko, from Placeboat franceinfo
Did your childhood dream come true with Placebo?
Yes, because at the age of 11, I looked at my father and I said to him: you dress up like that every day and you go to the same place to sit behind a desk? Oh no, that’s not possible. If I do that, I’m going to get incredibly depressed. So, even at the age of 11, I said to myself: I’m going to have to find something else to do because I don’t understand the metro, work, sleep. It’s really not for me.
I went to drama school, but even that wasn’t enough for me. When I graduated, I said to myself: this is not really what you want to do. What you really want to do is form a band.
You found it with Stefan Olsdal and you also say that a band is also an evolution. We divorce often. And yet, this marriage has lasted 26 years with Stefan!
Yes ! Together, we can truly create magic. It’s not just a collaboration. We’re very lucky to have each other because we can do something together that’s bigger, more effective, more emotional than if we were doing it alone. We need each other to do magic.
Placebo on stage on November 10, 2022 in Maxéville, the 11th at the Accor Arena in Bercy, the 13th in Bordeaux, the 14th in Rennes…