“I found myself a singer at the last moment”

Every day, a personality invites itself into the world of Élodie Suigo. Friday October 11, 2024: author, composer and performer Thomas Dutronc. From February 2025, he will go on tour throughout France with his fourth album “It’s never too late” under his arm.

When Thomas Dutronc appeared on the scene, and even if gypsy jazz did not correspond in any way to their style of music, it quickly became apparent that he was a clever mix between the discretion and elegance of his mother, Françoise Hardy, and the funny and rock side of her father, Jacques Dutronc. It also quickly became apparent that he was going to matter in the musical landscape. The success of his first album is confirmation of this. Just like Frenchy which became the best-selling jazz record in France in 2020 and the second in the world. With artists such as Iggy Pop, Diana Krall and Jeff Goldblum at his side. From February 2025, he will be on tour throughout France to perform the tracks from his new album It’s never too lateor 11 stories written with David Chiron, his lifelong friend.

franceinfo: In It’s never too lateyou tell us about friendship, love, the importance of human relationships and in the background, finally, transmission. Are you all its ingredients?

Thomas Dutronc: I don’t know. We have had a good reception from the press for these new songs. I liked the fact that you called them stories because that’s kind of what I wanted. Each song takes us, draws us in, gives us an emotion, something. We had time to work on them well and I am attached to all the songs. Many say it’s my best record. I’m happy with it. I think so too, but it’s hard to gain perspective. With each album, the artist comes in saying: “It’s my best, it’s great!“It’s rare that a guy comes along to sell his new thing saying it’s a bit rotten. I saw my mother do it. Promoted on television, forced to sing I listen to music drunksaying: “yes, it’s not my favorite song on the record“. This, in which she was right, to be frank.

This album reveals a very romantic and ultimately nostalgic side. Your mother loved this part of your personality. She didn’t have time to listen to this album. What do you keep from her?

I am a little boy who lost his mother. I believe that whatever the age, we become a little boy again. We remember these shared moments from childhood. It’s not very funny. There are other more joyful things in life. But there you go, I think about her a lot and it’s true that I miss her a little. She would have supported me in all these promotions, she would have followed all that. I would have had a good ally. She was kind of my first fan so it was nice to see her when I was promoting and releasing a new album.

Music has always accompanied and lulled you. What does it represent?

Personally, I make a small separation between song and music. For me, it’s not the same and I really love both. It’s true that initially, it was the pure music that attracted me. Listening to Bach or Mozart, or great jazz players, is fantastic. While waiting to see you for the show, I was listening to Wes Montgomery, the album Boss Guitar. With his way of playing, we enter a somewhat parallel universe, it’s almost a little mystical, it makes you dream, it takes you elsewhere. Then there is the whole romantic side of Chopin. That’s the joy of music, it’s that we can achieve very refined, very subtle emotions, which we wouldn’t reach without its songs.

“Music can give you a boost, ultimately, it’s a kind of drug that’s good for your health and good for the soul.”

Thomas Dutronc

at franceinfo

It’s never too lateis that it? It’s the desire to share moments with others, to make sure that we get better. And it’s surprising, because the title of the album was born at a time when it was 2 a.m.?

Yes, it’s silly, but really, it wasn’t inspiring. It’s a phrase that came to me. It was “It’s much too late” because I wanted to go to bed, in fact. Yes, it must have been 2 a.m. What’s complicated with this one is that there are texts where I was much faster, I really came back to the text many times. It’s a melody that is quite short and you can’t add feet like that by cheating.

This is your fourth album, the voice is much more refined, much more composed. I have the impression that the Thomas Dutronc of yesterday has grown up, he has matured, he has lost his carefree nature, but at the same time, he has kept it.

It’s true that I was perhaps hiding a little before.

“I started my first album, I didn’t want to sing.”

Thomas Dutronc

at franceinfo

I found myself a singer at the last moment. So since then, I have applied myself, I have made progress. I met extraordinary musicians and obviously, the tour “Dutronc & Dutronc” and the two albums with my father must have taught me things too because I tried to take things head on. I told him: “Listen, leave it to yourself, I’ll take care of everything.” I put pressure on myself, it had to be good because he is demanding and very critical. All this has made me progress, to also sing more rock songs and I want to go towards things that I don’t know how to do. I’m not a great traveler, a great adventurer, really, but I love the journey that music, friends and people give me.

See you for the tour which will begin next February. Looking forward to being there?

Yes, making songs and being on stage are the two greatest joys of my job.