By: Lizzy Schliessmann April 7, 2015
Ten years and going strong, French band Yelle, continues to surprise the US with it's innovative dance tunes. This electronic pop group has been keeping the energy up since 2005. Their combination of highly-energetic melodies and crazy fun lyrics keeps their crowds dancing from beginning to end. It's no surprise that their newest album is titled Completement Fou, or "Completely Crazy". We had the chance to speak with the ever lovely Julie Budet to talk about the newest album and her musical inspirations. Enter to win tickets to their upcoming show at the Mezzanine on Thursday, April 9th.
What is unique about your newest album?
JB: I'm really proud about the way we worked on this. It was the first time we opened up the creation circle. I'm super happy about it and the way it turned out. Sometimes when you try a different way of working it’s good and this one was really a new experience. It was a really interesting process because we worked half the time in Brittany and the other half in Los Angeles. As I said it’s really good to experiment with a new way of working and to push your limits.
Do you write most of the music and lyrics?
JB: It is always collaborative. We have a main producer and writer. We all get together and make the album. For this album we added a few more people on the team, so it was also something new for us to work together on the writing process.
What inspires you to write a song?
JB: It really depends on the day. Sometimes it’s just a little sentence in your mind. Sometimes it is just a melody. Sometimes the beat comes first - there are no rules. It is just something that happens. There is not a magical recipe of some sort.
What is the biggest difference in how your music has progressed?
JB: I think we are more confident because we’ve grown up. It’s all about the evolution. We started when we were 21, 22 years old and now we have 10 years on that. We have stronger ideas of what we want. With this album we are not afraid to experiment with things. We are still really excited about touring and playing music for over 10 years. I feel good and in a good place.
What is the biggest difference between fans in the US compared to France?
JB: I don’t think there is a really big difference. I just see people enjoying the show in different ways. People in France are kind of shy. They don’t express themselves as loud and crazy. Compared to the US, people get intimate with the music from beginning to end like singing aloud. In the end, it’s good to see the fans enjoying the music.
What was your favorite show to play?
JB: I would have to say one of them would have to be a show in San Francisco. We played the Mezzanine on Halloween one year. It was insane. Halloween is not big in France. When we arrived it was really crazy. People were already in costumes. When people are singing and screaming, it’s a really great experience to share with everyone.
Why are you passionate about your music specifically?
JB: It is a really deep thing. The acronym for Yelle is “You enjoy life”. It’s really about sharing this energy and this love. I think I get this from my father, because he is also a musician. He is really into sharing something with other people. That love and that energy. When I am on stage I really feel like I have something to do. It is sharing that strong feeling.
You can check out Yelle and their adorably vivacious performance on Thursday, April 9th at the Mezzanine.
