Fréro Delavega: Le coeur éléphant

A new clip for the track Le coeur éléphant by Fréro Delavega, the song coming from the duo's album Des ombres et des lumières.

While the album - their second - was released in November last year, they've enjoyed continued success since their initial appaerance on The Voice in 2014.

Despite not actually winning, they were part of Mika's team and subsequently had a significant chart success with the single Sweet Darling and a debut album that reached number one in France.

Des ombres et des lumières has already spawned the singles Ton Visage and Autour de Moi.

They've got a huge schedule of live dates over the summer and have organised dates from March leading up to a show at the Accorhotels Arena in Paris on April 7.

Martin Solveig: Do it right

A new single and clip from Martin Solveig for the track Do it Right.

The new song comes in perfect time for summer, and its release coincides with the French Open Tennis championship in Paris, an event Solveig's been associated with since the release of his 2011 Smash album, with the tracks Hello and Ready to Go bringing hin to international attention, thanks in some way no doubt to the memorable videos.

Since then of course, he's worked with Madonna and has released tracks like +1. This release sees him collaborate with Australian singer and rapper Tkay Maidza.

The new video is a colourful and arty affair, and with more attention on France over the next few weeks on account of the Euro 2016 football, it will no doubt help to keep his profile high.

Solveig's got a full schedule of live dates over the summer, with regular appearances at Pacha in Ibiza as well as festival appearances across Europe including Creamfields in the UK on August 24.

Editorial: June 2016

I know, it's been quiet round here apparently. Not too many updates over the past few weeks, but these things happen. This blog isn't my day job, and there's been a lot of stuff going on to occupy my time outwith then recently.


While the number of posts may have been *ahem* 'more selective', there's been a huge number of visitors, with another record month in terms of traffic. Thanks for visiting, and hope you come again soon.

That being said, I'm hoping this month to get things back on track and quickly. There's plenty going on over the next few weeks, with the summer festival season getting into full swing. With events from We Love Green in Paris over the weekend to massive events like Hellfest and Glastonbury some of the biggest events of the summer.

Also worth remembering that the fete de la musique at the end of the month sees music on the streets of towns across France, from large scale events to community gatherings, A-listers to buskers in an annual performance that puts music back in the heart of the country's cultural landscape.

I'll be keeping an eye on these and other events throughout the month.

Meanwile, the schedule of French music releases continues as well as French acts touring in the UK. Selah Sue plays London on June 8 and M83 have got shows in the UK, and the likes of Christine and the Queens and Caravan Palace are playing at Glastonbury, Air and Rone also make British festival appearances this month.

As always, I can be contacted on johnkilbrideAThotmailDOTcom, with the appropriate punctuation where you'd expect it to be. I'm always pleased to hear from record companies, PR companies and promoters, so do get in touch.

The blog is also on Twitter as @viveleroq or you can find me at @karnag

If you're around Facebook, remember to like the French Music Podcast UK page, where you can get regular updates with both fresh and vintage French music.

Thanks as always to the French Music Office in London and to the Institut francais in London for their help and encouragement.

Merci et à bientôt

John K

Festival: Pitchfork Music Festival Paris

With the summer festival season getting under way, details have emerged of one of the more interesting festivals in Paris this autumn.

The Pitchfork Music Festival Paris is held over three days in October at the Grande Halle in La Villette, and promises a taste of some of the most interesting contemporary acts.

So far for this year M.I.A., Moderat and DJ Shadow have been unveiled, along with Bat For Lashes, Daphni and Minor Victories.

Minor Victories consist of members of Mogwai, Editors and Slowdive and are something of an indie-rock supergroup. Their debut album is released next month.

More names will be added to the bill in the run-up to the event, and they'll almost certainly be quality additions.

Pitchfork Music Festival Paris is held on October 27, 28 and 29.

Renaud: J'ai embrassé un flic (clip)

A new video for the new single J'ai embrassé un flic by Renaud.

I like the video, a simple idea, the singer doing his bit to distribute some love on the streets of Paris.

While the song commemorates events in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack, the single comes at an interesting time, with tensions between many oft he public and the police force under stress like never before.

The song is vintage Renaud, funny and touching, clever and honest. He fully understands the paradox of the situation, where a few decades ago he would have been facing the police in the street with open hostility rather than embracing them. I suspect the feeling would have been mutual.

Where does this put Renaud amid the current state of emergency and anti-police tension? He's probably just glad to be here and able to articulate some of the strangeness that followed the horrors of last year's attacks.

Hopefully we'll get to hear his thoughts about what's going on at the moment before too long.

France at The Great Escape 2016

The Great Escape festival begins in Brighton today, a major event showcasing some of the finest emerging talent as well as an opportunity for music business professionals to get together, discuss, swap notes and hear some interesting sounds.

It's the closest thing in the UK to SXSW, with hundreds of acts playing in dozens of venues across the town.

The event has in the past featured some of the best French acts and this year is no exception, with 12 acts from France featuring on the bill.

The event has in the past seen the likes of Christine and the Queens, while last year Jeanne Added, Hollysiz, Saycet and Camp Claude were among the French acts.

Jain might have been nominated for a Victoires de la musique award in February for last year's Zanaka album in the breakthrough album category,  the Yodelice produced collection going on to sell massively on the back of the number one single Come, but there's a rare opportunity to catch her in the UK as she plays Brighton this afternoon at the Queen's Hotel and at Paganini Ballroom tonight.


Hyphen Hyphen picked up the Victoires de la musique award for breakthrough act in February, following their Time album from 2015. I've liked their busy electro style since I featured it last year, and they're at Brighthelm on Friday afternoon and at Prince Albert on Saturday afternoon.


Her are one French act who have been making small but significant inroads to the UK recently, and they're playing Brighton as the last of four dates in Britain that saw two shows in London earlier this week.

Their Her Tape Number One EP  was released last year and it presented an act overflowing with very interesting ideas. They've followed it with Her Live tape One six track EP featuring live versions and covers of released earlier this month. They're at the Queen's Hotel this afternoon, and at the Hope and Ruin this evening.


Also on the bill are Fakear, who plays a set at 2am on Friday at Komedia, DBFC who play Horatios on Friday afternoon and Prince Albert on Saturday evening. Holy Oysters play on Saturday at Brighthelm and M. A. beat platy tonight at Patter and on Friday at Horatios.

Pollyanna meanwhile plays a shot n Saturday afternoon at the Spiegelpub and at the Queens Hotel on Saturday night,

David Guetta: This One's For you

We'll be hearing a lot more of this David Guetta track between now and the summer.

This One's For You is the official anthem for the Euro 2016 football tournament, being held in France in June and July.

It follows a long tradition of mediocre football-related songs over the decades. Zara Larsson is a winner of the 2008 Swedish version of Britain's Got Talent, and she's recently been in the top five the UK with the song Lush Life.

Guetta meanwhile faces accusations of plagiarism over the new song, with claims that the song is more than a close relative of Lean On by Major Lazer.

If France hopes to get a higher profile for French music onthe back of Euro 2016, it's a bit of an own goal. While Guetta's certainly an international French brand, there are plenty of more interesting musical acts in the country at the moment, plenty of which could have come up with something ahead of the tournament. Imagine what someone like Justice could have come up with.