Dominique A revisits on Some lights his repertoire accompanied by a chamber orchestra and an acoustic trio. A side A, orchestral, another minimalist, some unreleased tracks and two discs which retrace more than thirty years of career. The singer from Nantes, who built his work step by step, keeps almost the same voice and has never neglected his quest for beauty. Interview.
5 mins
RFI Musique: How did you approach working with the Geneva Chamber Orchestra who asked you to revisit your repertoire in a symphonic version?
Dominique A : The symphonic part required relatively little work from me because it was mainly David Euverte, the arranger, who was involved in it. It was a huge undertaking for him. I was in the position of interpreter and inspector of the finished work! (laughs)
One of the initial postulates was that we be in an acoustic register on both records and that there be no electric group to change the subject. I knew that in terms of sound it would be simpler. There was constant back and forth between David’s proposals and those of Yann Arnaud who produced the symphonic part. Pianist Julien Noël made the link between the two records, the symphonic project and the acoustic trio. And then, there is an experience that was useful to me, that of being a reciter for Peter and the Wolf. It’s a show in which I participated two years ago and which I will perform again in December with the Orchester national des Pays de la Loire. Even though I was not a singer, I had integrated the sound of the orchestra.
How was the choice of songs made? Was it inevitable to find “The Courage of the Birds”, “The Twenty-two Bar” or “The New Memory” in a symphonic version?
I saw three obligatory passages: “The courage of birds”, “Goodbye my love” and “Immortals”. But for the rest, I was quite free. “The Twenty-two Bar”, I didn’t include it at first. It’s just because Cinq 7, the record company, told me “it would be nice if…” and we stumbled upon an orchestral version of “Everything will be as before” that I looked into. The problem with “Twenty-two Bar” is that it’s a duet. I didn’t want to bring in a female voice just to get to the end of the song. From the moment the idea came to dramatize it and make three verses with very marked musical identities, it became interesting.
The other pieces were either songs that I was very fond of and which had been forgotten – “Le Ruban”, “Comme l’Enk” – or pieces like “L’Écho”. It was a fantasy to hear certain pieces of La Fossettewhich was a very minimal record, in a symphonic register.
What does the formula “ Some lights ” for you ?
It’s a direct echo of the album Towards the lights. The song “Some Lights” is on it. These were important moments in my journey, with Eleor. I wanted these records to be well represented.
I found this idea of scattered lights quite accurate. It is a metaphor for the quest for songwriterto seek out little moments of grace. In my mind, a career is reduced to that. It is not a question of continuously seeking an absolute, but they are markers in an artistic journey. This ties in with the song “Des Moments de Plaisir”, which is on Miossec’s first album.
As a listener, I will also look for those few auditory lights, things that carry you.
What is it to make a song? Is it a small piece that we chisel?
It’s always a satisfaction! From the moment the writing returns, there is always a form of disbelief. We wonder where it comes from. It’s always a little dizzy that I love. There are times when it doesn’t work at all, nothing happens, and there are others where the floodgates are open. You must grab the poles when they become taut. I feel like I’m looking for this in a visceral and organic way. If it were to disappear, I would wither away! It keeps me alive! (smile in voice)
On being a singer, I think about the cover of the magazine The Unrockuptibles in May 1995. It marked a milestone in your beginnings. There was this title: “ The French song you won’t be ashamed of “. Today, where are you in your journey as a French singer with Anglo-Saxon influences?
Oh, we’re touching on Neanderthals there! (laughs) I was not the instigator of this front page. When it appeared, I was really pissed! I didn’t like French songs at all and it paralyzed me to be linked to that! I told myself I was a pop or rock singer.
Today, I’m quite comfortable with it and I even listen to very old school. People have been talking to me about Jacques Bertin for several years, I listened on the internet, and I see why people refer me to him. The additional baggage I would have is the English new wave of the 1980s. But there is no ambiguity: I do French song. And the more it goes, the more I feel connected to this story.
Moreover, this story passes more through the left bank than through the yéyés. Gainsbourg’s cynicism always stopped me, for example. I like the first degree, I’m quite literal. That’s why I really liked people like Marc Seberg, because it was so romantic without hindsight… But there is an implication!
I’m quite impressed by a young woman like Zaho de Sagazan. I feel a commitment without second degree, without irony, without a sideways glance, like “ I’m not fooled by what I do ”, and I like that.
Dominique A Some lights (Cinq7 / Wagram) 2024
In concert at the Philharmonie de Paris on December 1st.
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