French duo Papooz are aiming to chase positive energy.
The band are reacting against the darkness, amplifying their light in the process. For new album ‘None Of This Matters Now’ the group holed up in the South of France, utilising a studio built by the band’s drummer, Pierre-Marie Dornon.
Songwriting partnership Ulysse Cottin and Armand Penicaut drove the record to fresh heights, with their drifting alt-pop melodies pinning down their expressive qualities.
Out now, Papooz play London next month – ahead of that, we caught up with the duo to discuss their favourite songs, gadgets, books, and more in Culture Clash.
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MUSIC…
Ulysse: I’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about music. I recommend a documentary called The Wrecking Crew; it’s a session musician crew from LA to amazing musicians such as Hal Blaine, Barney Kessel and Carol Kaye. They played on so many records at the time that the labels couldn’t put their names on the records as people would see that is always the same guys playing. They played for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Frank Sinatra. It’s full of amazing anecdotes and recording techniques.
Also, go watch the Muscle Shoals documentary, about a white session musician crew who played for so many Black soul artists, an amazing one too.
Otherwise I’ve re-watch Old Boy for the third time. I’m still always so impressed by this movie! Armand: The most recent stuff I re-watched was all Nolan’s Batmans with my girlfriend. It is so good, but also so depressing to watch on a 13 inch Macbook Pro.
I’ve been also binging on Hasbullah’s videos on instagram. It’s the best thing I’ve seen so far. He looks like Wallace Ford from cult movie Freaks. So evil and yet so sweet. I’d love to shoot a music video with him, but he’s way too big now.
BOOKS…
Ulysse: I was reading the life of Serge Gainsbourg. I’ve learned how he had to hide during the Second World War as a young Jewish child and how he struggled to have success in France. We’re travelling through the Paris of the 30s to the 70s with a lot of characters of this time it’s really interesting!
Armand: I’m always reading two or three books at the same time. I just finished the autobiography of Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead bass player). Now I alternate between Tolstoi (Anna Karénine), Paul Léautaud’s diary (Extraits Choisis) and a new book of unpublished Joan Didion articles (Let Me Tell You What I Mean). It’s a geographical and temporal stretch to be in 1920s Paris, in 70s California and in Saint-Petersburg at the same time, all of that while lying in bed.
MUSIC…
Ulysse: I’ve been listening a lot to ‘Blood On The Tracks’ from Bob Dylan which has this really inspiring drop e tuning. Older he did ‘More Blood More Tracks’ which is really cool, too. – I’m still an addict to Beach Boys albums, especially: ‘Friends’, ’20/20′, ‘Wild Honey’ and ‘Surf’s Up (Brian Wilson is kind of a god for me).
Armand: My latest discovery is Katy J Pearson’s album ‘Return’ (2020). She’s that cool chick from Bristol who’s got some kind of celtic Stevie Nicks cocaine-free vibe. Great record. I also tried to get into the Grateful Dead world. Very hard to enter. But so rich and interesting.
GADGET…
Ulysse: I’ve been recording tracks with my Poly 61 from Korg which is a really cool analog synthesiser from the 80’s. But most of my free time is spent on my Stratocaster guitar playing blues or jazz! Armand: I’ve been re-using this old and shitty YAMAHA DRM10 drum machine to demo stuff in my studio.
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‘None Of This Matters Now’ is out now. Catch Papooz at London’s Lafayette on April 22nd.
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