Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
We only found our band name after we started playing together. The first “name” for the project was “Rainbow Ponycorn” but we obviously needed something a bit more serious considering the type of music we’re making ^^. We couldn’t really find anything so our bass player made a list of idiomatic expressions (words or phrases that only exist in one language) to choose from and “Esprit d’Escalier” was one of them. It’s an old saying that means “finding what you should have said after the fact” and we thought it was a fun one.
We started in early 2018, quickly released a self-titled demo and played a lot of local gigs before releasing our first album “Predictable Anomalies of a Lunatic Geometry” on February 29th 2020. Then COVID hit and we took the time to work on some new material.
Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
We are all from around Orléans in centre France. I (Renaud) started the band with my long-time friend Vincent on the bass, then I met Baptiste at a concert I was playing with another band and we instantly hit it off very well. Last but clearly not least, I found Matthieu online through a message board and he was very enthusiastic about the project. Needless to say, this was the start of a great friendship and a great musical emulation that pushed us all to new heights in terms of musical ability.
Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
Every member has a different musical background and varying tastes but in terms of the influences you can hear in our music, I mainly like post-hardcore and experimental stuff (Dillinger, Mars Volta), Baptiste is a jazz and prog-head (Haken, Neal Morse, Dream Theater), Vincent likes post-rock (Mono, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ross) and Matthieu is into jazz and extreme technical metal (Obscura, Archspire, Beyond Creation). Now that we mostly write and compose as a band, I believe all these very different influences can somehow be heard in our music.
Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
We have all played in several bands before and we all have multiple projects. Although this is not how we earn our living (except for Matthieu who recently became a professional musician), I’m sure we would all like to become professional at some point, provided our different projects get enough traction ^^. But even if that doesn’t happen, music will always be an important aspect of our lives, that I’m sure about.
What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
Manchild – Eels
Comeback Kid – Do Yourself a Favor
Spectres de Mouse – Mouse on the Keys
Sleep Token – The Summoning
Doja Cat – Demons
Kublai Khan TX – Swan Song
Trapped Under Ice – Pleased to Meet you
Dua Lipa/Calvin Harris – One Kiss
Chimaira – Inside the Horror
Blur – Girls & Boys
Clara Luciani – La Chanson de Delphine
TOPS – Anything
The Mars Volta – Graveyard Love
Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
Our goal is to promote our newest release by playing as many live shows as possible next year. To this end, we are currently booking two tours that will see us playing in Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands/Switzerland, and maybe even Austria/Hungary/etc…
Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
We have already been working on our next album for a few months and although no track is ready to be released just yet, we wrote quite a lot of stuff already and we plan on playing some new tracks when we tour Europe next year.
If you could play at any venue in the world, where would you choose?
The Royal Albert Hall! A legendary venue that’s been played by countless legendary artists over the years. It would really be an honour and a privilege to play there someday 😊
Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
It’s a tough question to answer but in terms of how it influenced me and how I still come back to it after all these years, I would have to say “Mechanical Animals” by Marilyn Manson.
Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
I listen to a lot of mainstream music, especially R&B/Hip-Hop. I really love Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat (her last album is such a banger) and bad-bitch music in general ^^ I don’t feel that guilty about it but it sometimes surprises and perplexes the people I meet ha-ha.
Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
Well, this brings us back to “Mechanical Animals” by Marilyn Manson ^^ It’s the first CD I bought with my own money and it really changed my world because of all the imagery, on top of the amazing music. I later discovered David Bowie and understood the influence he had on Manson (especially for this album) in terms of concept, image, photography, fashion, everything… This translated into a strong desire to create art that is coherent through every media you know? I believe what we create is not only about the music, it’s meant to create a coherent universe which embodies a philosophy, a way of thinking or a vision of the modern world… Whatever you want to call it ^^ The music is the central part but the lyrics, the videos, the artworks, the stage presence, the narrative aspect of it all… to us, it all must blend into one big coherent work of art, with purpose and meaning.
As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
That’s a simple one ^^ Thank you all! We are really, glad that our music resonates with you and that we were able to connect through art 😊 This is only the first part of our journey 😉
Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
https://www.facebook.com/espritescalier
https://www.instagram.com/esprit_escalier_band/
https://www.youtube.com/@espritdescalier1343
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