Interview Lombre: Rising star of French rap

Just Focus – Hello Shadow! A very connoted artist name, where does it come from? Could you tell us more about yourself and tell us about your background?

Lombre – I started writing at the age of 12 in a bit difficult for me, I needed an outlet and it was revealing. Not to mention that music was a childhood dream for me… I put all the chances on my side to be able to develop my project and live from it. I grew up in a family where my father was a director of an amateur theatre company, so I found myself breathing in the smell of boards very early in my childhood. This is clearly what inspired my dreams. And since then, I have never let go of the love I have for the stage, the exchange, the show. In 2016, I wanted to move forward artistically and personalize my project a little more. So I gave life to "Lombre", this spoken word with various inspirations. I chose this name because my texts are very often introspective, they talk about us, this shadow that is always with us but that we do not necessarily assume all the time, this darkness that comes to life and all its meaning when we play with it, when we put it forward. I wanted a pictorial name and at the same time it is true that this idea appeared to me quite naturally … Then also, my name is Andreas: André in Greek, it means "The man" and "El Hombre (The shadow)". So it was obvious pretty quickly (laughs).

I chose to pursue a career in music because we only have one life. I was never the one who tried to hide behind things but rather the one who tried, who went to the end of things. Music was a dream for me and I always forced myself to believe that I would make it. Result of the races: I live and I'm so proud of it… Dancing, I stopped because, when I left to study, I had to make a choice. But it stays in my heart, there, warm!

JF – Your titles often make a link, or even an opposition, between darkness and light, why this choice?

L – It's true that since I started writing more than 10 years ago, I have always been passionate about this exercise of playing with paradoxes. To make them confront each other, or even ally sometimes. It began to take a big place in my artistic identity and I decided to make it one of the pillars for my project. The idea is therefore to talk about our darkness, our open wounds to try to heal them together and to go together towards the light, towards the hope of better days. That's kind of the process.

JF – Winning the first Claude Nougaro Writing Prize opened doors for you?

L – Definitely! That was the starting point of the whole adventure. In 2016, my project existed for 1 week and I directly tried to send my file because I felt ready to defend it on stage. I was lucky enough to be selected and, in the end, to be part of the list of winners of the edition. Bigflo & Oli were the godfathers and hooked with my project. Since then, we have never really left each other and they continue to give strength to my project and my person. It makes me super happy. Going back to this award, it allowed me to gain some credibility very quickly, and it helped me enormously.

JF – You have shared the stage with big names, some are even part of your influences like Georgio or Bigflo and Oli, how do you see this stage that went from fiction to reality?

L – Yes, it's crazy! Every time I list the first sick parts I did, I am so proud, especially when these artists are part of your personal influences, that they have nourished you. It's the culmination of a trick… After, to be very honest, when we're there, on the night of the concert, that's not really where we realize the thing. At that moment, we play, we try to offer the best of "Lombre" for the public, it requires a lot of concentration. It is later that we realize the chance to have had this moment to open for one of his influences…

JF – What was the trigger for the writing of your music?

L – When I was 11, my parents separated, and there I needed an outlet. Writing fell on me and, in turn, I fell in love with it. It is this separation that makes me write about the darkness to bring out light, because I had a real desire to get out of this darkness during this weird time. It is thanks to this period that I am where I am today. Hence the fact that I believe more than anything that, sometimes, difficult phases are often beneficial for the person you become. We leave stronger. Anyway, I stop because I could talk about it for hours (laughs).

JF – How do you view your new EP released on September 10th? Did you have a clear idea of the values you wanted to convey?

L – I consider him as the one who clearly defines the identity of my project for the first time. I took the time to make this EP, to meet THE real I needed to surround myself and make everything stick. I am very happy to have worked with Clément Libes (Kid Wise, Bigflo & Oli) who understood the identity and soul of the project, and who helped me forge this identity that was necessary for me. It's cool to explore, but it's also good to set a clear framework for things. This EP is 6 tracks that I love more than anything and that resemble me deeply. I hope it will be the same with people.

The idea I wanted to convey is the present hope, despite the darkness but also to highlight subjects that are not always obvious. I wanted to transmit values of sharing, exchange, "we are not so different in the end", in this world where appearance and confrontations are very present, where you must always be the best. Tired of it!

JF – How was the creation of this EP?

L – After my EP released in 2017, I promised myself that the next one would be the most accurate reflection of who I am, what I wanted the project to be. Indeed, the first one had been a bit "sloppy", but it was normal too, it's part of the development.

In the end, I took 2 and a half years to prepare these 6 titles, and especially so that they sound as I wanted to represent Lombre. That's what was the hardest part. I worked with several musicians, real to try to find the magic recipe for what this second EP was going to be. Finding the balance between the production and the text was a complicated step. I had the chance to be accompanied by this genius of Clément Libes, by Léo Bouloumié for the final realization, and I am really proud of it!

COVID made me push back the release date because, originally, it was supposed to be released in May. But for reasons of promotion etc, we made the choice to postpone it to September 10th.

JF – How do you approach the current environment?

L- It's complicated for everyone I think. You have to be strong, not giving up, keeping your spirits up, but it's not always easy, that's clear. We can not resume the activity that makes us vibrate, find people, it begins to really weigh in the legs … It feels more like suffering than being in the action. Now, from a personal point of view, I am happy because the promo for the release of the EP went very well, I feel a little craze around my project so inevitably it makes me happy and makes me relativize.

JF – Do you have any other projects in mind?

L – Full !!! The main thing for me so far is to develop "Lombre", but I have plenty of ideas for projects that I would like to realize in the future. I'm in a hurry to put all this in place!

JF – What can we wish you for the future?

L- May the project live! That the EP is listened to and appreciated by as many people as possible, and that the community of shadows continues to stretch, that together we can advocate the messages that touch us deeply!

JF – Thank you Andréas for answering our questions

L – Thank you for the Just Focus interview! See you soon!