It’s an album which proves that rock in France is still alive: the duo Bandit Bandit has just released their first record, “11h11”, after having roamed the French stages and well beyond for years. After a turbulent history and songs that take on another meaning today.
With Bandit Bandit, the songs often take on the appearance of a dialogue, voice-guitar. So on voice, Maëva, on guitar, Hugo. Both have been composing and writing for years, making French their language of choice, when many others prefer to hide behind English. It must be said that the duo was first in love, from the meeting was born the desire to make music together and today, they remain united as ever. “This album has a bit of a divination feel to it, enlightens Maëva. There are texts that resonate even better today, on the evolution of our relationship or that of the group, as if it were a snub to what might have happened.“.
At the center of their texts, love, breakups, toxic relationships, in a powerfully honest way. For Hugo, the evolution of the group is clear: “We had the ambition to make rock in French, with French songs in rock, and the song cursor was perhaps a little more advanced on this album. The texts too, we really enjoy writing them and we feel much more legitimate in doing so today.“And this alchemy also works internationally; the Bandit Bandit have scoured the European and world stages, as far as South Korea last year, for feverish and moving concerts.”I think that’s one of the reasons why I make music, explains Maëvait’s really about exporting my music as much as possible, seeing people who sometimes don’t even understand the lyrics“. In Korea, Hugo still hallucinates, “we felt like the Rolling Stones!“
Abroad, we are often told that rock in French is exotic.
Maëva, singer of the band Bandit Bandit, at franceinfo
With a real story behind the guitars, Bandit Bandit manages to transform all their emotions, even the darkest, into inhabited music that their rage on stage transcribes wonderfully.
Bandit Bandit, rock for two | Yann Bertrand’s column
Bandit Bandit, 11:11 (Backdoor Records). Album available. On tour, November 28 in Paris, La Maroquinerie.