[Interview] Parcels: "Daft Punk were like teachers for us"

The band Parcels was at the Bikini in Toulouse to defend their first album simply entitled Parcels. The opportunity for JustFocus to meet Jules and Louie, two of these talented musicians who chain hits. Between their departure from Australia for Berlin, a production signed by Daft Punk, an album and a collaboration with actress Milla Jovovich, they tell us about the crazy epic they are living.

Is this the first time you come to Toulouse to play at Le Bikini?

Jules : It's the first time, yes. We heard a lot about the Bikini, we had a lot of expectations and we were not disappointed. This place is extraordinary.

Louie : The sound is perfect.

What is Parcels for you?

Louie : Our band is really our first source of expression for us.

Jules : It's a dose of personal experience but also of group.

Your success was fast, do you realize it?

Jules : Not yet, no. We are so caught up in what we are doing, by the group that we do not see what is happening all around. But sometimes we take a step back and congratulate ourselves so as not to lose our footing.

How did you meet?

Louie : Most of us met at an alternative high school in Byron Bay, Australia. There was a music program that was very encouraging for us, so we were all kind of in the same band. So there were many other groups before Parcels was created.

Jules : The others started being in groups very early. In my early years, I played in a lot of different places and did mostly jams. I didn't have a band until I was 15-16.

In Europe there are more opportunities, more people. It worked, it's amazing, I recommend it to anyone who lives in Australia!

You currently live in Berlin. What did you look for in this city?

Louie : We didn't really have any expectations. We just wanted to leave Australia and live in Europe especially in relation to the band.

Jules : Yes, for the band it was very exciting.

Louie : In Europe there are more opportunities, more people. It worked, it's amazing, I recommend it to anyone who lives in Australia! (laughs)

How would you define your style of music?

Jules : We were inspired by many different styles and eras. I guess to define us, we could say that it's a mixture of Pop in general. But we like to add sounds of very different styles: joyful music from the 50s/60s, orchestral music, pop from the 70s/80s and the electronic side of the 90s. And then we add a touch of the present.

Do you like the comparison with the Beach Boys?

Jules : Yes, we really like their musicality and their way of making music, their dedication to harmony.

Louie : It's also a group of long-time friends like us, partly brothers, it's quite inspiring.

According to Spotify, you would be the most listened to in France. How do you explain that?

Jules : Is that true?

Louie : Yes, Paris is the number one city right now. I think we find our inspiration in French music so maybe the French recognize it. But also maybe simply because we have a French label.

Jules : We also did a lot of firsts in France. We played in Paris and it was amazing, everyone was dancing. The Olympia was full.

What is your best memory of a concert in France?

Louie : We played at Bercy in the first part of Phoenix, we were very sensitive to that.

Jules : We weren't very well known and we were playing with a cult band, the room was just gigantic, it was super cool!

Why isn't the song Overnight on Parcels, your latest album?

Jules : Because it's an old song and we recorded it in another studio. It was impossible for it to stick to the sound level, it didn't make sense with the rest of the album. And then we wanted to move forward with this title, record the album ourselves, it was also a choice to surpass ourselves, to go further.

This track was produced by Daft Punk, how did you meet them?

Jules : We met them at our first show in Paris, they came at the end of the concert and invited us to their studio. With no other expectation than jamming. Overnight was a demo on my computer and we fiddled with it a lot.

What do you think of them?

Jules : They're amazing. They are my idols as producers, songwriters and composers.

Louie : On an intellectual level as well. They really think deeply about music, its meaning, but also about what the music industry means. They were like teachers to us.

Daft Punk came at the end of the concert and invited us to their studio. With no other expectation than jamming

What did they bring you?

Jules : I think a lot of confidence in ourselves. They showed us a little bit what we had inside us or at least what they thought we had. What strengths and weaknesses we had… without really saying it. They showed us new things about music and recording by giving us new answers on how to capture a moment. It's very tricky to pay attention to these little things.

Did you realize the significance of this meeting?

Jules : Of course! (laughs) We know how fortunate this is. This experience will stay with us for the rest of our lives, we will never forget it.

You recently released the cilp Withorwithout with actress Milla Jovovich, how did she get there?

Jules : She saw us at one of our concerts at the Cannes Film Festival. She had commented on one of our photos on Instagram saying she was a fan. We thought it was funny at first but when we met her at the concert we realized that she was really cool. Then we asked her if she wanted to make a video with us…

Louie : And she said yes! And what came out of it was really cool.

Your plans for the future? Is a second album in the works?

Jules : Probably. Making an album is a big process, we put a lot of effort into it. The release of the album "Parcels" was the big moment and for the next few months we are on tour to present it.

Louie : The making of our album is like a big project that we consider finished. Everything that follows will be a completely different project in itself.

Jules : But we don't know what it will be yet.

Interview by Louis Rayssac

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