Transcript of an interview I recorded with Guillaume Bernard of KLONE - 20190917. Full article here. MAL-
Okay, on the line now, Guillaume from KLONE. Thanks for joining me today. GUILLAUME- Yeah, hello. MAL- Let's just backtrack a little bit. Let's just talk quickly about the 'Unplugged' album in 2017. When did the idea of form for that album? GUILLAUME- We decided to record the CD because I remember we was working with a guy in France, who proposed to KLONE to play with Anneke, the ex-singer of THE GATHERING. And he was speaking about to do a show or two or three show in France for her tour and I remember we play at Paris, the first show, and it was a special experience because I was really afraid to play without distortion on guitar. And it was a real challenge for us to do this first gig. And finally, when we did the show, I remember that all the people say that it was amazing and finally, we as a booking agent to propose to KLONE to do a tour in France. And also to we was wondering about the fact that we maybe we have to record an entire CD and finally we decided to record this CD, Unplugged'. And the other thing is that we we played this album live and recorded, all the people from the band was playing all together. And we take we took maybe two or three, three days to record the whole album. So it was a really good and short experience, you know, because when you record the CD it takes a lot of time. And and for this one, it was a really quick experience and a really good one. And it was a really good thing, you know, because was a for the last album, maybe we work on it for for three months, six months, sorry. So it's not the same no, we don't work on the same thing. You know, when you work with only guitar and voices and percussion, it's easier than when you work with five or 6 people in the band. MAL- How did the album go for you? Did it sell well? GUILLAUME- Yes, it's not easy when you play guitar, you know, to have the good song mix. So I remember the thing is we need to practice a lot of acoustic guitar to have a good way of playing the songs. And for example, when you listen, the album, you record the composition of the album and the gigs we did after the release of this album. For me, it should be better for KLONE to record the CD after all the show we did because you know when you play a lot of times the same song, even if it's in acoustic, you play better and better. So for me, this album is good. But if we talk about nuance, I don't know how you say it, nuance. And it's a good thing because we learned a lot of things that we decided on you know, it takes a lot for KLONE to just after to just after doing this 'Unplugged' album, it was easier for us to come back again with electric guitars. It was easy to play. MAL- What has the band been doing since the 'Unplugged' album? Did you did you take some time off? Or did you go straight to working on the new album? GUILLAUME- Not really because you we did a lot of show for the 'Unplugged' album. And it was a really great experience. But finally, we don't have the time to take off. I also have a side project with other bands, with POLAR MOON and also CLOUD CUCKOO LAND. And so when I don't work on KLONE I work for other bands. And also with KLONE, we also took a lot of time to work with a theater company in France. And really we did a lot of gigs with that. And it was also a great experience. And the thing is funny because when we was working with a theatre company, the show for this company was speaking about a journey also, talking about immigration and things like that. And it was talking about people who decide to go to another country and it's sometimes difficult to do this process. And this is funny because finally, the new album called 'Le Grand Voyage', 'The Great Journey', even if it's not the same journey as 'Le Grand Voyage' is like an interior journey, you know, MAL- So who's writing the songs on the new album, 'Le Grand Voyage'? Is it done by the whole band, or mainly just a few of you? GUILLAUME- I'm the principal, the primary contributor for this album so I write all the music and the singer works on the lyrics. So I was alone at first when I was composing, you know, I was alone with myself with my question and with my feelings and I was with my computer, working on it. Record the ideas about guitar ideas. I also was working with drum parts and you know, I finish a song, I send it to my friend and I asked them what what you're asking about the song and if it's okay for them, it's okay for me and it's a good way to work you know, we decide what is good or not for KLONE. I speak a lot with the singer. And I know when when both are happy. I know that we can learn this way. MAL- Now the album title is 'Le Grand Voyage'. What is this voyage that it is alluding to? Is it telling us a story? GUILLAUME- Yes, it's a story. But you know, I know that the singer don't like to give a lot of explanations about his lyrics, for example, because he likes the way that people can do their own interpretation. Realize that the people go to bed and listen to music and do the own story in their head. For example, for the singer, 'Le Grand Voyage' means something, but for me it will mean another thing. And the same for the people and it depends about what you are living in your lives. MAL- You want people to get their own interpretation of it. GUILLAUME- Yes, yes. Where were we would like to give a lot of explanation about the lyrics because everybody can read it. And everybody can feel about what's the singer say, and it can be very different 'Le Grand Voyage' in this album because you can feel something interior it can also speak about death because it kind of a Grand Voyage. You know at first the title was 'The Great Journey' and we like the meaning of this title but finally we decided to change it and to take French word because it's not meaning the same thing for us you know, it's a little bit more poetic maybe you when you read it. We like the meaning of the title. We prefer to write it in French because I think an Australian guy like you can understand it even if it's not the same word in English. And we are not shy about the fact that we come from France. We think 'Le Grand Voyage' sounded more poetic. MAL- How long did it take to get this all done from start to finish? Was it a long process? Obviously a lot longer than three days for the previous album. GUILLAUME- Not 3 days for this album. I think I begin to work on this album four years ago and maybe I write something like around 20 songs. I like when you will send an album that all the songs have to be good. And the songs tell a story. So eloquent, everything is clear. And I need to, all the songs have to make one song, even if we have 10 tracks on the album for me, it's like if it was one track, all the songs have to be one. MAL- So you've been doing it off and on over the last four years basically. GUILLAUME- And you know when you record this song when you are working with the other guys, everything takes a lot of time, and sometimes you wonder if you are in a good way or not. So you have to deal with this. MAL- When will the album be released? GUILLAUME- The 20th of September MAL- And what is the plan for KLONE after the album release? GUILLAUME- You know we will do rehearsal because we have to prepare a show for we will have a lot of French duties in October and November. And now we do the promotion of the album with a lot of interviews in all the country possible it's really cool to work with Kscope because we.. it's a new signature for KLONE in so it's a really good thing then we have to work on the show and I know that we will tour in the rest of the world maybe at the beginning of the after the next year. So we are speaking with a lot of guys and you know when since we are signed the deal with Kscope we have a lot of new people who will contact the band and and wanting to work with KLONE so we have a new guy who is working to book show for for supporting the rest of Europe we were speaking with a new manager but the thing is we have a lot of proposition we have to think about what is the best and that we really want to tour once again a lot so that would be the principal activity for the band next year. MAL- Hopefully we'll see you back in Australia sometime soon. GUILLAUME- Yes, I really hope too that we will come back again because you know we we did the tour in Australia with VOYAGER three years ago. And it was really amazing for us because it's the first time that we go so far away from home and return after the show in Australia that was really cool. And it was really amazing to play for new audience and to have great returns after the show from all the Australian guy it was really motivating. It's really cool to be supported by you, for us it was really a great experience too and and I also remember we had a good time with VOYAGER and it was really amazing for us to play in your country you know and and we will do all the best to come back again. And so I know that we knew we have a booking agency in Australia and we are speaking about a new tour in Australia for next year. And at first we were supposed to play at a prog festival, a big tour with another big band but I'm not sure you will have this next year. So we try to find a new way to come back again and and also to find a good band to play with. So we are talking about all the details. You know it's really complicated for us to organize a tour in Australia because it costs a lot of money. We want to do it in the best condition possible. So it takes time but I'm sure we will do it. MAL- Guillaume from KLONE, thanks so much for talking to me. Best of luck with the new album and 'Le Grand Voyage'. Best of luck with it, I really like it and hopefully we'll see you down here again in Australia very soon. GUILLAUME- Thanks a lot. Thanks for your support and I hope to reach we reach you maybe next year. Comments are closed.
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