Editorial: April 2016

March has been an astonishing month for traffic to the site, not just setting a new record but smashing
 any previous record into little pieces. I can't think of a better way for us to mark our sixth anniversary.

If it's your first time here, thanks for coming, and I hope you come again. If you've been here before hope you're still enjoying it.

It comes after a month that saw me battle the flu, but also a month that featured our interview with Feu! Chatterton.

I don't know if it was their first English language interview, but it was thrilling to get the chance to question one of France's most impressive acts in recent years.

Hopefully we'l have some more interview pieces on the blog before too long. Watch this space.

March again saw terrorism rear its head in Europe, again the francophone music world stood up defiantly. Belgium often gets a raw deal in terms of international recognition, but the country of Brel and Stromae has always been close to our heart.

It's shaping up to quietly be a vintage year for French music. Last month Christine and the Queens played a sold-out show in London, their May show at the Roundhouse in London has also sold out.

April sees the long-awaited new album from M83 emerging. It may be titled Junk, but the content will be far more than that.

The Printemps de Bourges festival is held this month, marking the start of the 2016 festival season. With LEJ, Grand Blanc, La Grande Sopie, La Femme, Dominique A and Nekfeu it features some of France's key acts, both emerging and established acts

This month also sees Record Store Day on April 16, I'll be taking a look at the French flavoured releases this year in the UK and France.

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