Name: Exsonvaldes
Members: Simon Beaudoux, Antoine Bernard, Cyrille Nobilet, Martin Chourrout
Interviewee: Simon Beaudoux
Nationality: French
Current release: Exsonvaldes' new single release "Countdown (live at Studio Ferber)" is out now. Their new MAPS is available via Finalistes.
Recommendations: The work of Swiss artist Jean Tinguely (who inspired our song “Cyclop”). And watching reruns of "Columbo" late at night!

If you enjoyed this Exsonvaldes interview and would like to know more about the band, visit their official website. They are also on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.
 


For a while, it seemed as though the model of the bedroom producer would replace bands altogether. Why do you like playing in a band rather than making music on your own?

Alone you go faster, together you go further. At least that’s what they say. But for us I think we go faster and further together. Writing as a band, especially as a 3-piece, gives you instant feedback on each and every ideas you have, melodies, lyrics.

It’s also about having more ideas, of course, and the possibility, if not the need, to decide quickly. To choose. And writing music is a lot about choosing, because spending one hour or one year on a song doesn’t necessarily have any influence on the final result. Conscious and meticulous choices do.

What, to you, are some of the greatest bands, and what makes them great?

It’s hard to say, because I think what makes a great band is the internal alchemy, the craftsmanship, and these can develop over time. And I don’t know any band from the inside apart from Exsonvaldes!

But bands like Radiohead or Phoenix seem to have a good internal balance of friendship, ideas, hard work and method. I like that.

Before you started making music together, did you in any form exchange concrete ideas, goals, or strategies? Generally speaking, what are your preferences when it comes to planning vs spontaneity in a collaboration?

Usually before we start writing, we talk a lot about what we want to do, how, why. Tempo, mood, lyrical theme. And then once the ground is set, we start writing with full spontaneity, and see where it takes us.

So rules control the fun I guess!

There are many potential models for creativity, from live performances and jamming/producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?  

The three of us together in the same room, usually our studio, with a guitar, a piano, and a computer. We usually spend one day on an idea, and by the end of the day we usually know if it's good, and worth pursuing, or not.

It's only later, once the song is finished, that we learn how to play it, to record it or to play it live.

Tell me about a piece or album which shows the different aspects you each contribute to the process particularly clearly, please.

I think a song like “Change” is a good example.

We tried to add a bit of complexity in the chord-progression, the bridge, the lyrics, but it all sounds simple. At least I hope!

What is your sense of ownership like as part of the collective songwriting process? What is the balance between the lyrics, melodies and harmonies, and the groove in terms of your sound?

Once we’ve worked together on a song it becomes an Exsonvaldes song and it belongs to all of us. Even if it was - it sometimes happens - a demo that one of us brought to the session.

But most of the songs were written from scratch anyway!

What tend to be the best songs in your opinion – those where you had a lot in common as a band or those where you had more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

I think you need both to make a great album. Songs in which everything and everyone seem to be in their right place. For us it may be a song like “Change”, or “Countdown”. And songs that add a little spices to the mix, new ideas, new directions.

On Maps, it’s probably “Dansé” or “Barbican”. Or “Party People” - our Canadian friend Laurent Bourque helped us with the lyrics on this one.

What are your thoughts on the need for compromise vs standing by one's convictions? How did you resolve potential disagreements?

Convictions are great, dogmas are not. So when we disagree we talk things through as much as we can and see who is the most convincing.

We don't really compromise, we don't bargain, we collectively decide.

Do any of the band's members also have solo projects? If so, how do these feeds into the band's creative process?

Martin and I have an electronic-pop duo named Ravages. Also we sometimes DJ. And in the past I've played many acoustic solo shows. Martin also produces for other artists, and Antoine has a mastering studio.



I think our work in Exsonvaldes is always fueled by whatever we do outside of Exsonvaldes. New ideas, new instruments, new sounds.

In a live situation, decisions between band members often work without words. From your experience and the performances of your current tour, what does this process feel like and how does it work?

We've been playing together for more than twenty years now, so it’s usually easy and fast to learn new songs.

After the release of our second album, we played a lot of house-shows and for that we had to learn how to balance our live sound without any amps or microphones. That’s probably when we learnt to really play together. To listen to each other.

The foundations of our live show are strong. We almost always agree on what works and what doesn’t, what’s fun and what is not.

How has the interaction within the group changed over the years? How do you keep things surprising, playful and inspiring?

I think now we really know what we are good at, I mean what each of us is good at, so we tend to focus on that, and trust each other more.

I think there's less ego in the band than there was at the beginning. Or at least it's a collective ego!

Have you worked with outside contributors - from sessions musicians via producers to other songwriters? How did this change, improve or challenge the established dynamic and how do you look back on that?

Yes, it's very important for us to collaborate with other people sometimes. It forces us to reevaluate how we work. Martin and I often co-write with other artists and a great part of how we work ok Exsonvaldes now comes from these outside sessions.

Also in Exsonvaldes, we like to sometimes bring people from the outside to work on a song, a lyric, a melody. On Maps we asked our friend Emma Broughton (Blumi) to collaborate with us on “Barbican”.

And our live bass player Quentin wrote “Dansé” with us.



Most bands eventually break up. What makes you stay together? What are essentials for a successful band?

We broke up a few years ago when we started to feel a bit of exhaustion and discouragement, and we got back together when we felt like it.

That's probably why we are still together today. Freedom and excitement are important. And commitment.