The pandemic had left Albin de la Simone speechless, hence happy endingan instrumental album launched in 2021. Little by little, he found his way back to writing and, on The next hundred yearsit is with a pleasure tinged with comfort that we reconnect with his voice and his gentle manner.
First a musician, then an author, Albin de la Simone has already said that he only made his own songs because he had this taste for writing in him. Without that, he would undoubtedly have continued to accompany other creators – he notably played with Salif Keita and Vanessa Paradis – or to produce the songs of others, which he did for people like Pierre Lapointe, Carla Bruni, Apple or Miossec.
However, when the pandemic arrived, the young fifties no longer wanted to write songs. At all. “I didn’t see the point of it and I didn’t see the point of listening to it either: hearing someone tell me things about their intimacy was the opposite of what I felt, he says. , in videoconference with The Press. I just wanted to hear soft music, something uplifting. »
So, for the first time in his life, he made songs without words, which he collected on a record called happy ending (2021). Two years later, he finds that this experience has liberated him. Three of the songs from his record The next hundred years are built on music recorded on his previous album: Wonder (which has not changed title), Your mother and me (on the subject of Cottage) And Leave (It’s raining). That is to say, he managed to put words to existing melodies, which had never happened to him.
Writing makes me experience a feeling of permanent failure: it’s always bad, except for the little moments when it’s good, just Albin de la Simone. My relationship to music is simpler, more fluid.
Albin de la Simone
“I’ve always written the lyrics first because I’m sure that the musician who’s going to come after – which is me – is flexible enough to adapt to the lyrics. In fact, the text will sing me the melody. »
A romantic?
The next hundred years does not revolve around a net thread. There are love songs (the very beautiful Wonder), a break (leave), moments of discouragement (Your mother and me), a nostalgia for the past (Little little me) and cravings for fullness (Coming). Things that the French songwriter approaches from the angle of softness and poses on music with solemn finery. There is something romantic about this disc.
Albin de la Simone, many of whose songs have a smirk, would he be romantic at heart? “I would tend to say no, but at the same time, my writing is still driven by excessive impulses,” he admits.
Evoking the next 100 years or this idea of merging with the forest, it’s surreal, it’s romantic, or it’s surreal romanticism… But it’s true that in this disc, there are powerful impulses , desires to take off a little.
Albin de la Simone
His director Sage, from the group Revolver, and he wanted to emphasize these “elks” musically. “You can do that with strings, synths or brass, establishes the musician, who is himself a skilled arranger and producer for others. I wanted the brass to have a strong presence. That they aren’t there when I sing and that, when I stop singing, we leave room for them. »
The next hundred years, on which drummer Robbie Kuster (Patrick Watson, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Yannick Rieu) plays, is the first of Albin de la Simone’s records that he does not produce himself. “Sage is very, very attentive. It has its paw, but it’s not stuffy, he says. He brought things that make me feel a little exotic about my record. The confession is followed by a slight amused smile.
After his reunion on record, Albin de la Simone hopes to reconnect with his Quebec audience. He regularly comes to Montreal to work in the studio with artists from here (he will be at the helm of Beyries’ next album), but would of course like to present his new songs in concert. He was just waiting for news from the Francos at the time of his interview with The Press. We cross fingers…
Song
The next hundred years
Albin de la Simone
VF Music/Tot ou Tard