Photo courtesy of La Femme.
This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies, and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists from Scout Willis, Tinashe, and Role Model. This week’s installment is brought to you by Sacha Got and Marlon Magée of the indie French psychedelic group La Femme, who just dropped their painfully catchy single “Ciao Paris!” from their forthcoming album (their first in English). Inspired by 60’s surf music and a dash of Caribbean calypso, the song is a literal goodbye before the boys head on over to North America for their fall tour. The equally addicting retro-inspired music video finds the band trailing through France—filmed just before the crowds poured in for the 2024 Olympics—kitted out with berets, mopeds, steel drums and keytars as they list off what they’ll miss most about their hometown. But before taking flight, they made us a playlist full of funky French summer sounds and revealed the sexiest language of all time.
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Favorite US city to tour? L.A., NYC, AUSTIN, NEW ORLEANS.
Favorite sound effects? Reverb and space echo (mix of reverb and tape delay) ’cause it’s very trippy.
Where do you dance? We love the 60’s, rock and roll, northern soul places, night clubs with good Italo disco and new wave but also sometimes in some rave parties in Berlin. We love the beginning of the party when there is no one and you have space.
Who are your style icons? Poison Ivy, Clara Rockmore, Elvis, George Brassens, Fantomas, Michael Jackson, Austin Powers, Willy Wonka, David Bowie.
What song is your national anthem? “DOUCE FRANCE” – CHARLES TRENET.
What artist, dead or alive, would you love to collaborate with? ROSALIA, QUENTIN TARANTINO, STANLEY KUBRICK.
What’s the sexiest language? ITALIAN.
What’s your earliest musical memory?
SACHA: Going to see a concert of an orchestra directed by my grandfather in a church in Paris and throwing up because I ate a bad flan.
MARLON: Dancing with my dad on The Rolling Stones when I was 2 years old, and seeing my mother playing with her orchestra of New Orleans jazz.
What album is playing in heaven? Planètes by Jean Hoyoux. Or classical music, bagpipes, rock steady, New Orleans jazz , and gospel of course, sacred songs of the world.
Which city are you dying to play live? NAPOLI.
Tell us more about the inspiration behind your recent single, “Ciao Paris!” It’s inspired by 60’s surf music and yeye, but also with a touch of Caribbean calypso with the synth arpeggiator.
You’re planning the Olympic opening ceremony. Who’s bearing your country’s torch? SACHA BARON COHEN.
Which 60s fashion trend do you want to make a comeback? THE TURTLE NECK, jabeau shirt, colorful sixties dress like Twiggy.
The world is ending. What are you wearing?
SACHAL: 3 piece suit with tassel loafers.
MARLON: A Mad Max outfit, with a Canadian army jacket for be protect from the cold with lots of pocket.
After the power cut, a group of kids carried the Olympic flame from the train through the Paris catacombs to the underground waterways and across rooftops, parkour-style. Where would you have taken the Olympic flame? On a board on a wave in Biarritz.