It was a meeting of instrument, styles and cultures that worked. A highly talented Australian musician with a soft spot for jazz and a cute French brunette chanteuse who took a theatrical approach with poetic lyrics about love and lust. Over fifteen years later, David Lewis and Belle du Berry are still collaborating. They join me for a morning coffee at Folies in Belleville to talk about their self titled side project.
David and Belle first met during their stint together in the Parisian cabaret circus fusion Cabaret Sauvage (now the name of the venue in Parc de la Villette). The pair sparked in more ways than one and moved on to form part of the internationally successful Paris Combo (‘Living Room’ 1999 reaching gold platinum).
The side project is a breath from Paris Combo with a debut album ‘Quizz’ released independently last September and an extensively tour of France under its belt. “(This project) gives us a freedom and opportunity to do something other than the group, playing other sounds,” says David. Also, he explains, when they go back to work on Paris Combo, they don’t feel they need to put every idea into every song… and so in sorts there is another freedom to express themselves while acknowledging the framework of a certain genre and audience.
While the new project expands with drums (Denis Hénault-Parizel) and bass and guitar (Remy Kaprielan), it is Belle and David who write and compose. “The subjects are more personal and varied (than Paris Combo)” says Belle. And how has her writing changed over the years? “Well, before, I was single and writing about love and the search for it, all those things. The songs now are more reflective; about inspiration (Magic Spirit), the passage of time and relationships.
Faux Amis, for example discusses cultural exoticism and misunderstandings. (You say ‘I like you’, I say je ‘t’aime’) “It’s about when we didn’t speak each other’s languages… it was more appealing,” they say together and laugh.
Though with their track record of collaboration these amis don’t really seem so faux at all.
Belle du Berry and David Lewis are in concert at the Européen 5th March.
