When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Anto: My older sister had CD's of Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie, Nirvana Bleach & Rage Against The Machine's Evil Empire : I took'em because the cover were cool. Then listen to them & it changed everything for me, I was in love with that music, that rage and pure energy!It was the true starting point, I never gave her back those CDs....
Franck: As a kid, my first musical memories are the singles of the Beatles and all the 60's french pop hits that we listened to with my mother and Depeche Mode with my sister. After I discovered the "true rock'n'roll" with Nirvana, Guns'n'Roses & Metallica, that was a good start for musical education.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
It's usually easy and pretty natural between us. The fact of being a duo might help. Anto comes with a riff, then we play it together in many different ways like a jam. When it sounds good and feel good, we try to add a vocal layer to this. Sometimes drums or vocals come first. Then we give it a structure in order to get a "song": we both like to have something catchy, with a good chorus people will remember too.
Who has influenced you the most?
Anto: I would say: the bands I listened to when I was younger: RATM, Nirvana and a lot of punk rock bands too. I was more attracted by the guitar sound and the power of the riff than shredding. Then I discovered more classic rock like the Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Black Sabbath etc. who completed those influences as a musician and guitarist (and guitar geek)! Also some of those guys, speeches and their attitude influence us for sure.
Franck : All the classic rock bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Stones... from the 70's, also a big touch of punk rock and all the good bands from 90's that some call "grunge" !
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
Anto: I listen too a lot of new bands, new music in the scene and different kind of music. I'm very curious. I don't like everything but I always go for a try. I go to gigs, exhibitions...Art / Artwork is important and part of the music identity too. I'm a graphic designer too, that's maybe why! As a guitarist I always try new sounds, new pedals, new set-ups to see where we can get and maybe create new songs for EJB with it.
Franck: listening to new bands from the stoner-garage-blues-psyché scenes and also discovering some forgotten bands like Spooky Tooth, Candlemass, Masters of Reality or Witchfinder General. I continue my musical education everyday so it helps me to find new inspiration.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
The band was created in Paris in 2015. As it's a big city with lany busy musicians we decided straight away to be a 2 piece band and then work a lot that way. Anto had to cover the low ends, and we both had to sing to have a complete spectrum like a 4 or 5 instruments band! If we were in another city maybe things would have started differently! But Paris is a great city with a really cool scene for fuzzheads so we put it at volume 11!
Where'd the band name come from?
It's just a cool name according to us! You know you are going to see and hear some badass rock n roll garage or something like that, not some Salsa-Jazz-Funk orchestra or EDM or whatever!
We brainstormed a bit and this came out: yes, we are Electric Jaguar Baby! Everything in there and you will easily find the right references..
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
The next James Bond theme (my first choice) or superheroes movies (Batman, Marvels, X-Men...) or a Bullit remake!
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
Anto: The real Song for the Deaf because it's a major song for the whole scene soundwise and as an influence, it's punk, stoner, rock'n'roll and catchy.
Franck: "Serve the servant" from Nirvana, that's not the most famous but i particularly like this one. It's a perfect synthesis for a good song: good musical construction, weird lyrics but not too much, very good melodies and fucking good tones! ...and a f***g singer... and a f***g cool band!
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Bavaria: I used to give my guitar to someone in the audience at the end of the gig. Some dude in Bavaria threw it on the drums instead of giving me back. The guitar got a big ding, but could have been broken and Franck could have had his finger cut between the guitar body and the drums! The video is somewhere on Youtube....
Baviaria II: After a show, we paid a shot of french liquor "Pastis" to everyone. We were supposed to sleep at the promoter's house, very close, like a 1 minute drive. But we didn't want to leave the backline in the van, so we drove for...20 seconds and got stopped by the police and ended up at the Police office in the middle of the night, not speaking a german word and trying to get the hell out of here...Out at 7am we had a 10 hour drive to North of France. And we did it. It was the best gig of the tour with the best energy and best crowd!
But eh we still love Germany!
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
We are a live band ! We toured several times in Europe and that's what we love: long drives, going to unexpected venues, playing with great bands, meeting good people and sharing this live energy between the stage and the crowd. That's a unique feeling that no livestream gig will replace!
Franck: We write songs mostly for live shows and touring. During the tours, we meet a lot of people passionate about rock music and it makes you want to continue playing everywhere. We are passionate about rock music and we make new friends everywhere on the road. One sure thing is: Rock ISN'T Dead at all and above all we have fun and share this in the scene (bands, promoters fans, labels).
A great riff, super choruses & a lot of fuzz !
What one single album do you wish that you'd written or performed on, and why?
Anto: RATM first album: the sound, the energy and each song is perfect and so powerful!
Franck: "Revolver" or "Rubber Soul" from The Beatles (again....) my favorites, they sounds so cool and are classic albums that people will still listen to in 300 years.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
Anto: All that we've written together, but I would say that we are very proud of our upcoming album. It's maybe more mature and consistent.
Franck: I'm proud that we always find new ideas for writing news songs, new recording techniques; and I like all our songs actually.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
We would say Mr Jack White is today the best songwriter (and he goes with a lot of sonic experimentations too)!
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
I have so many CD's from my teenage years, but I prefer vinyl now that we're "allowed" to play some! The artwork is bigger, better, the wax is now in crazy colors; the sound is great and it's still the same feeling: you put a record on, and you go thru from start to finish!
Not a big fan of digital playlists unless I'm on the go or driving.
Franck: I'm not digital at all, i like beautiful objects from rock'n'roll. Now that's vinyl area, before it was CD and I kept them all and they are all organized, I'm a collector.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
Anto: Beer, you have more excuses and occasions to get one !
Franck: Whiskey and wines especially (hey man, I'm a fucking french), beers are when I'm thirsty.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
The Hometown of the band is Paris. Fargo was also super cool but unfortunately now closed. You can go dig at Music Fear Satan, Walrus or Supersonic Records is great too!
Franck: I come from Lyon, and you can go to Dangerhouse and Tiki Vinyl Store, 2 small shops with good choices.
We'll be releasing our sophomore album: 12 tracks written during last crazy year. It's called "Psychic Death Safari" and reflects those weird times. It's filled with our best songs so far so we're very proud of it!
We are planning to tour as well and as always because we are a live band (6 european tours so far, all 100% DIY). We'll work on music videos, live sessions and continue to play rock n roll!
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Thanks for reading this! Stay curious, stay wild and support the scene!
Franck: and see you soon in live next to you!
Fuzz on !
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ELECTRIC JAGUAR BABY
FROM PARIS WITH FUZZ - MMXV.
Rock_Roll_Psych_Fuzz_duo
