Interview With 'Plastic Age'

Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?

We are Apolline, Nicolas and Gaëlle, we are all 21-22 years old and we are from Nevers, Bourgogne region in France. We put up together this band in 2012 as Apolline posted an ad in our high-school.

At our first rehearsal we didn’t even know how to play our instruments but there was that common feeling between us and since that day we work ourselves up without any musical disagreement. We discribe our music as a Pop-Punk genre, catchy melodies and enraged energy all together.

What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?

Before we met, we all wanted to form a band and make a living out of it later on. We all have other interrests but music is our common dream making us go 100% about it. If this doesn’t work out we might rethink our goals but for now every effort goes into playing music.

Tell us about your latest EP and why our readers should check it out.

Our first EP is composed of six tracks and was released in 2016. We are proud of it and of how it sounds as a result of Bronx Sound Machine’s Dom work ; a work that made us carry on. Two years later, we released our first album – 'Blood Red Roses'. It’s our baby, our reason to defend our music in France and soon, abroad. Our fans say that some of the tracks stay glued to their ears after the first listen and that there is nothing negative to say about it so, have a listen, try it and who knows ? Maybe adopt it ?

Who would you say is the bands main song writer or is it a group effort and where do you draw your inspiration lyrically and musically from?

Apolline: I write the lyrics and the melody but the whole band writes the song. Inspiration comes from any influence I get in touch with. I get touchy in the presence of beautiful songs like those of R.E.M., The Jam, David Bowie, Nada Surf and even those not really from our universe like Elliott Smith’s.

Arrangement is also influenced by what we listen to. We are not copying over but we « play with the hands of ». We mostly work in the service of the song without any thought on what is inspiring us. Regards on the lyrics, I write a lot about movies and about scenes I have given to be in or to witness. Human behaviour is a particularly inpiring theme for me. I won’t push until antisocial behaviour but I enjoy writing about human’s dark side. I try to give a neutral render to my lyrics in order to let everyone the possibility to identify himself through a unique reading.

As a band what do you believe is your greatest achievement to date and why?

Our main goal is to make a living out of music. The day when we will be able to pay our bills from our music, from our songs and from our passion will be the day when we would have achieved our greatest endeavour. We know we are not going to make history but we at least count on bringing our contribution to the history of Rock by bringing French Rock out there!

Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?

Apolline: Yes! I host a radio show in which I could invite the singer and bass guitar player of a legendary french band, BIJOU. It’s like a french version of JAM. He is such a nice person so there we had a great time!

Nicolas: Back in 2016 I intended to the Rock night of Nevers à Vif festival. There was Psychotic Monks and J.C. Satàn playing. And between those bands there was Pogo Car Crash Control – a most violent concert: the band, the crowd all together in a rage and out of their minds. The Pogos were playing an incendiary set. The bass player was playing his line with his face miming strong words. The guitarist was barely droping his instrument after throwing it up in the air. Singing in french was giving a biting sensation to the whole atmosphere that made everyone get in synch. Once they finished we went up there to meet them and congratulate them. We saw them at their merch stand but their were completely changed persons. Like stepping out of the stage completely metamorphosed them into really nice and enjoyable persons with a big smile on their faces. Real Rock band can do this. Change its personality from the moment their foot touches the stage and until they leave it behind. The only difference between before and after, is the sweat.

What do you enjoy most about touring?

Meeting lots of new people, discovering incredible places and share all this big adventure with our super team. Everything comes as a surprise. We can’t know for sure what will happen before each show. Touring is not an easy thing but if we could do this for the rest of our lives we WILL do it! If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect? Nothing at all. You either like our music or not. That’s all!

If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why? Apolline: I would tour up with our friends from La Rancœur, a great French Rock band (even if when the lyrics are French I can’t swallow it up) that we’ve met in Niort last year and with whom we had a great time. Maybe the best understanding with another band we had so far, so it would be a loss not to see eachother again for a great tour!

Gaëlle: I would like to go on tour with Tame Impala. They’re great on stage. I could attend to their show every night.

Nicolas: I would tour up with J.C. Satàn. They tour not so much now but I am a big fan of their albums and of their shows. Every time they play somewhere it looks so great. On stage they pull a great experience, they throw a great sound, they all have out of sync personalities and a great level in mastering their instrument so if we would share the same stage it would be really great and very educative.

You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?

Apolline: I would pick out Meg Myers. It is a very recent discovery, that intrigued me at first, that I admire a lot and today I find my reflection in her. Musically we have some points in common, like in writing lyrics. We would have a long talk about this and about the original way in which she transcribes her emotions into her music.

Nicolas: I would spend an hour with Johnny Marr (no resurection needed) a guitar player that I love and that I find very original in his way. We would be like teacher and pupil – some tips and licks and then we would jam together too.

Gaëlle: David Bowie! Because he was an fascination, artistically and musically speaking. We would talk about people we would embody on stage how it would allow us to remain exposed.

And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Apolline: I can’t tell, I never saw it ! All my favourite Chrismas movies are all english movies (especially “Love Actually”).

We just want to say thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

Thank you !

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