Jessica93: «I was tired after six years of doing music alone»

There was bass player Henry Adam in the room with us, who drunk his beer relaxed and sometimes adding on something, but unfortunately he was too far from us and his remarks weren’t recorded.

Rockcult: Your last album Guilty Species was released at the end of last year. What do you think about your fan’s reaction, are you glad how they met the album?

Geoffroy Laporte: The reaction was good. Guilty Species is kind of different approach. And people were happy. So far it has a good reaction, so it’s cool.

Rockcult:Why did you decide to play with the band now?

Laporte: Mostly because I was tired after five or six years of doing music alone. I wanted some change, and the best change was to bring people in it. And it brings more freedom in the creation, like I can do the songs differently. And I do not have to write all the lines, for example, like the bass player can write.

Rockcult: Do you want to continue record music with the band or alone?

Laporte: Yeah, we’ve already recorded two songs for the next 7-inch, we recorded it live. So yeah, now it’s gonna be like a proper band.

Rockcult: Are you planning to release these two songs as a single?

Laporte: Yes, it’s may to be a single. Like two tracks — a-side, b-side. [These songs] sound more like crazy.

Henri Adam: And it supposed to be out in September.

Laporte: Yeah, it can be September-October.

Rockcult: And what about the songs from Guilty Species? Maybe more singles from it?

Laporte: We did a few singles from it on YouTube with videoclips [R.I.P. In Peace and Mental Institution], but… There are totally new songs,  and we’re gonna start working on the next album. So Guilty Species is like [waving his arm like “already done”]. There’s really nothing to do with it anymore. But we just are playing all the songs [from Guilty Species] live, and a few songs from Rise, and that’s it. So yeah, now we are playing all Guilty Species on stage.

Rockcult: How much time did you spend recording all the albums?

Laporte: Hmm. For Who Cares it was a long process. We’ve been recording it for… I think it took one year. We did it like some parts of the year, you know. And sometimes I came back to the studio to retake something, like bass. So it took time because we didn’t have any contract, and I gave the product when it was finished.

For Rise I had a schedule, so I did it in one month. It was supposed to be one week (laugh), but I was anger [because of this], so at the end it took a month.

And Guilty Species we did in two weeks. I wasn’t drinking (laugh), so it took only two weeks.

Rockcult: Did something change in your creative process during recording these albums?

Laporte: Yes. Now with the band it’s totally different. Now I’m gonna write the songs without that main riff. I think I’m gonna cut it, I think it’s gonna be maybe more rock’n’roll songs. It’s not gonna be what was before, with one riff that plays all along the song. There’s two some kind of feeling on Guilty Species, but the next one is gonna be totally different, I think.

Rockcult: Did you want to collaborate with some artist or a band?

Laporte: It’s not something I have in mind, saying to myself “I have to do it”. But if an opportunity comes… I haven’t done it so far. And I think that playing in a band, it looks like this, it looks like sharing the creative parts.

Rockcult: How difficult for you was to quit your ordinary job and completely concentrate on music?

Laporte: It wasn’t difficult because I don’t have any degrees, I haven’t been in school that much. I stopped early and then I started working. But every time I had an ordinary job it was like…either I get fired or quit because I have difficulties to manage with boss, I hate to be on time, I hate to have a boss. So it was difficult. When I decided to make music as my daily job it was early, I was 25. And it took time to earn money with it, about 7 years. For seven years I had only 10-20 euros per day.

In France we have Security State Money – if you don’t have a job, you have like 400 euros per month. So it helps to survive when you’re a musician. So it was more survivor so far. Now it’s okay, but when I was younger it was more like… I remember some month I was living with only 30 euros. Once I paid the rent and then it was only 30 euros. So I ate only hot dogs or pasta with ketchup (laughs).

At that time I was really thinking it would be like this on my life. You know, I didn’t expect to have millions with my music. Once you accept the fact that you gonna live like poor musician. I mean, you make the choice, and if money comes – it’s great.

You have to get free of the idea of having a family. You only live for your own. You can’t risk, it’s stupid, you know. You need to make a choice.

Rockcult: Did you like playing in Russia when you were here for the first time?

Laporte: Of course. It was in December 2015 in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. And it was really fun, you know, I was surprised…hhhm…that my music was already known, because in Moscow it was like an one hundred fifty people. I would expect like thirty people. And it was like “Ooh it’s crazy! So many people coming tonight.” (laugh) So it was a good surprise, we were really glad, and we came back.

I really love Russia, I know some words: I had a girlfriend for five years, she was Russian.

Rockcult: Are you listening to other music recording your albums or just switch it off?

Laporte: It’s hard to say, because… When I was younger, I was really “eating” of music, but getting older and older it’s not that much anymore. Sometimes I can get some passion from the band and I listen to it a lot, but it’s not the same. I can spend a few months without listening to music properly.

So when I record an album I more focused on what I’m doing. And I’m not listening to much music because I’m listening to what I’m recording a lot. When the song is finished I like to have it in my phone and listen to it, because I have to work on the remix of it. So I’m listening to the same old shit for days and days (laughs).

Rockcult: But what artists or albums inspire you when you’re not concentrated so much on your own work?

Laporte: I like to think that my music is inspired by old things I was listening to a long time ago. That’s why sometimes when I write a song it takes me time to understand where it comes from. And some people listening to it say “Oh, it looks like a riff of that band”. And I’m like: “Mmm, Ok”. I used to listen to this song a lot. And it takes time to digest of it and to give it back. So what I’m listening now, I think it’s gonna feel like the inspiration in my song maybe 10 years later.