Hero Fisher interview

There is a glint in Hero Fisher's eye as she sips red wine in a Sydney bar. Blonde hair tumbles onto her shoulders and a cheeky smile exudes an instantly beguiling impishness and engaging charisma. It is little wonder she is feeling particularly ebullient today as, a couple of nights previously, she had wowed the same room with the launch of her debut EP; her solo set of live songs receiving a rapturous reception. It's not just the Sydney public that are paying attention either. Last November, Andrew Wyatt invited her to record one of her songs, Break My Heart And Mend It, in Prague with an orchestra he was working with to record his own solo album. Soon, she would head to the UK to perform at the Royal Opera House alongside the likes of Boy George, Jonathan Pierce and Alison Mosshart in a dance production written by Wyatt and Mark Ronson and orchestrated by Rufus Wainwright. "I am so excited about the show," she exclaims. "It's such an amazing mix of worlds, and I feel so lucky to be involved." With her star clearly ascending at pace, it's safe to say that you'll be hearing a lot more from this Sydneysider in 2012.

A perfect English accent suggests that she was not born-and-bred in Australia, yet it also belies her French upbringing. “I ended up in Australia about two years ago because I needed to get away from Paris, which is where I grew up for most of my life. I have got Australian parents and I guess I initially just wanted to see what they had run away from.” And so she ended up in the Harbour City, where she instantly fell in with a creative bunch of like-minded musicians, such as Bobbysix favourites, The Preachers. Friendships were formed. Music was made.

While Hero (which is her real name, incidentally) was happy to nestle in the bosom of Sydney's musical family, initially she found working with others to be a strange experience. “I'd been playing solo all my life, so then I had huge fear of collaborating with anyone and just this fear of having to look someone in the eyes and say, 'This is the reality of the song. It's not that good but we can work it out,' rather than 'Hello everybody, this is me in my perfect state,' which never happens. Having a producer was new to me as well. That was full-on. But it was great and a really good learning experience and I'm so glad that I did it.” The eventual result of such collaborating is a stunning debut EP. “At this point, what I like about songwriting is that I don't feel convinced about anything,” she says of her creative processes. “I'm really enjoying it. I like that I'll come up with some brilliant idea and think 'This is genius,' and then a week later I'll be like, 'No. It's shit.' The songs are at a point where the subject is about letting things flow past you rather than being up against them, being aware that you'll always change your mind and that it's fine to do so.”

Her folk musings are born from a love of some of the all-time greats. As talk turns to her influences, one name continues to crop up. “Bob Dylan is my number one hero. He's my god. He has influenced me so much and I just love how naughty he is. He is a totally mystery. It's impossible to understand the man. I also love Billie Holiday. She's one of my favourite singers and I love how she sings everything right after the beat. There are loads of others... Neil Young, Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell.” Mitchell is certainly a good reference point, as would be Laura Marling. Wise yet yearningly poetic lyrics over acoustic guitars and flourishes of strings make for an achingly beautiful listen and one which you would be foolish not to embrace.

You can catch Hero at the Royal Opera House throughout April. For ticket information, and to purchase her wonderful EP, head to http://www.herofisher.com/. 

Interview by Heidi Pett and Bobby Townsend.

François & The Atlas Mountains - E Volo Love

As well as being a palindrome, E Volo Love is the latest long-player from Domino's first ever French signing. The album's eleven songs were created by French born-and-raised (but UK-based) songwriter François Marry while he cycled and wandered the French countryside. They were then laid down in a church in Saintes, the town in south-west France from which he hails.

The record references a range of influences, all the way from Aphex Twin to the African and Middle Eastern sounds that start and end the album with Les Plus Beaux and Do You Want To Dance. The French lyrics and tasty Afrobeat lilt of the former kick proceedings off with a dreamy vibe that continues throughout. Elsewhere, Edge of Town belies its winter imagery (“Sitting by the fire/Drinking alcohol”) with perky-yet-soft, summery electronica and delightful harmonising. Muddy Heart takes the album in a guitar-led, European indie/folk direction. An interesting tale of Marry literally burying his heart until he is reunited with his lover, the song sounds remarkably like something Shout Out Louds would come up with in one of their more pensive moments. Changing direction again, Cherchant Des Ponts offers classic French chanson. With female vocals over delicate percussion and strings, it is reminiscent of Carla Bruni and is really rather lovely in its elegance.

E Volo Love is not an album that demands your attention by slapping you around the face, rather it gently woos you with its unfussy yet inventive tunes and its whimsy. While the record offers lyrics in both French and English, the language of a romance that François & The Atlas Mountains bring is universally evident.

Review by Bobby Townsend. It first appeared in Sydney's Drum Media.

Justice at Festival Hall, Melbourne

French electro duo Justice filled the Melbourne Festival Hall with lights and sound last Friday night, at a sold-out, all ages show. Jess O'Callaghan was there for Bobbysix.com:

The evening got off to a good start thanks to a solid set by Sydney five-piece Canyons (they play indie-club-pop with a saxophone!). Next, special guest Busy P somehow took us from Black Sabbath through Owner of a Lonely Heart to Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp, a feat probably made possible by his awesome French accent and lovely hair.

Melbourne Festival Hall was full by eight-thirty. To fill such a space with bouncing, singing-along bodies is no easy feat, but there were obviously a number of Justice die-hards present, with homemade fan-shirts and squeals of "this is actually happening," a constant throughout the night. Their songs may be sparse on lyrics, but the crowd knew them all (and belted them back) to the French electro duo (Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge), when they played to what has to be one of the most enthusiastic audiences I have ever been a part of.

Justice somehow combine a rock vibe with electro dance music, and do it all in a French, deadpan way, as if that’s how everyone parties. The mixes were different enough from their albums to keep the set interesting, but familiar enough to please the fans. While they didn't seem to care too much about working the crowd and were set back in the stage (unlike the warm-up benevolence of Busy P and his crowd-charming hair flicks), the focus was instead on the lights and making the audience jump about.

The lighting was almost as spectacular as the music and pretty theatrical at times, opening with an ambitious amount of fog and their trademark luminous cross in the middle of the stage. D.A.N.C.E saw beams of what seemed like sunlight coming through the bars of the backdrop and a faux organ, made of incandescent tubing, accompanied the second half of the set, sliding across the stage. By the encore - a spectacular version of Never Be Alone, I was well and truly a convert to the world of French electro.

Review by Jess O'Callaghan.

StereoStar Sixty-Nine - Ambulance Shotgun

Jonjon gives StereoStar Sixty-Nine's album a listen. He's unlikely to do the same thing again: 

What do you think of when you think French music? I think of Phoenix, Air, Cassius and, if I must, the Plastiscines. Most countries would be happy with bands of that ilk representing their cultural exports. I don’t think any country would be happy with StereoStar Sixty-Nine. Perhaps it makes more sense from a French perspective, although I doubt it. It is difficult to describe how bad Ambulance Shotgun is.  

How bad? If someone told me they were a Flight of the Conchords-style comedy act, I could believe it, and if I didn’t know better I would believe it. But they’re not. They take themselves seriously. Very seriously. Apparently a concept album, Ambulance Shotgun is the worst album I have heard in years, perhaps ever. I am not exaggerating. It’s not bad in a “follows commercial music conventions” way, it’s just bad. Imagine the worst, cheapest 80s keyboard soundtrack, laughable autotuned vocals and cheap production - Blood on the Dance Floor for example (look 'em up, you can thank me later), except meant to be taken seriously by adults. What a concept!

This album has one good point - there are nine tracks, yet the runtime is just over 28 minutes. Be thankful. I cannot recommend this album at all. 

Review by Jonjon

Win the new Justice album!

Do you like awesome French electronic music that mixes indie, disco, rock, sci-fi funk and pop with chunky, fuzzy basslines and dance hooks you could hang your coat off? Yes? Do you also like FREE STUFF? Of course you do. Well, read on.

The exciting news for those of you that live in Melbourne is that JUSTICE are heading your way! Tickets went on sale today for what will be their only performance in the city. The epic, brand new, live experience will feature all of their hits and tracks from their, frankly, amazing new album, Audio, Video, Disco. The Festival Hall will host this night of French genius on Friday 6th January 2012. For ticket info, click here. You want more good news? It's an all-ages show.

It's sure to sell out, so, if you snooze, you lose. You'd better buy your tickets right now.

Meanwhile, Bobbysix.com has teamed up with Fuzzy to give you the chance to win one of four copies of Justice's new album, Audio, Video, Disco. To stand a chance of getting your hands on one of these bad boys, all you need to do is follow @bobbysix on Twitter and send us a tweet. It can say whatever you like (be nice though, hey?), so long as it has the hashtag #justice

If you don't have Twitter [you should really get in the 21st Century, but] you can simply email info@bobbysix.com instead with the subject "Gimme Justice". Because we're nice, we'll send CDs to anywhere in the world, so this comp is open to EVERYONE. Hooray.

Justice are also hitting up FIELD DAY on New Year's Day. Tickets are on sale now.