We have a secret weapon at The Standard in the form of a French-Moroccan music maven named Annie O. After years in the music industry representing greats like Lou Reed, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and Peter Gabriel, we nabbed her to curate The Annie O Music Series, a regular concert series in the airy Penthouse of The Standard, East Village.
On Tuesday, June 14, French duo Her ascends to The Penthouse for their first US show. Annie asked band members Victor Solf and Simon Carpentier a few questions to get us all familiar. Get to know the duo in person, and let francophilia take hold of you.
On Tuesday, June 14, French duo Her ascends to The Penthouse for their first US show. Annie asked band members Victor Solf and Simon Carpentier a few questions to get us all familiar. Get to know the duo in person, and let francophilia take hold of you.
Annie O Presents: Her
Tues., June 14, 7-9pm
The Standard, East Village Penthouse
Free with an RSVP to aohayon@standardhotels.com
How did your collaboration come about?
We've known each other for a while. We first met in high school, and we had another band for 6 years. We really started working on Her 2 years ago.
Do you think an artist's background affects the type of music they create?
Of course, it always does, but you can choose to add other influences and make your own path. With Her, for example, we tried to only listen to American and British bands, watch American talk shows, etc. It really helped us to improve our image and sound.
Can you let us in on the process of your EP? When and where was it recorded? What was the songwriting process like?
We recorded 18 songs 2 years ago, and we only had 4 days. Afterwards, we chose the main subject of Her Tape #1—it was obviously a woman—and we talked about feminity and love encounters. The songs came naturally out of that, specifically "Quite Like," "Five Min," "Her," and "Union."
You've been quoted as saying this EP is "all about the woman." What do you mean by that? Is it about a particular woman?
The answer is in the intro of Her Tape #1, but you'll need to learn French first.
Are there any specific tracks by other artists that you're currently listening to and/or inspired by?
Kendrick Lamar's performance of "Untitled 1" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
What are your summer plans?
Some festivals, some studios. We are currently working on Her Tape #2 and a feature with another artist that'll be out soon.
Are you already in the process of creating a follow up album to the EP?
We'll see. We're not really into an album, actually...certainly not in 2017.
You have great music videos. They look like mini films. Are the visuals as important as the music to you?
Of course. It really helps the music to become stronger and bigger. It's also a smart way to make people understand who we are and the story we're trying to tell.
I understand that the show at The Standard, East Village is your first show in the US. We're all very excited about it. What are your expectations and what would you like to achieve?
We're very excited, too. It has been a dream for a while, especially in NY. We don't really have any expectations, except that we hope you'll enjoy the show and we'll do our best to have a proper US tour soon!
If Her had a super power, what would it be?
Tough question. I would have the power to bring Frank Zappa back.
We'll see. We're not really into an album, actually...certainly not in 2017.
You have great music videos. They look like mini films. Are the visuals as important as the music to you?
Of course. It really helps the music to become stronger and bigger. It's also a smart way to make people understand who we are and the story we're trying to tell.
I understand that the show at The Standard, East Village is your first show in the US. We're all very excited about it. What are your expectations and what would you like to achieve?
We're very excited, too. It has been a dream for a while, especially in NY. We don't really have any expectations, except that we hope you'll enjoy the show and we'll do our best to have a proper US tour soon!
If Her had a super power, what would it be?
Tough question. I would have the power to bring Frank Zappa back.
