Interview The Teenagers

French sensations The Teenagers aren’t actually teenagers. Which isn’t really a surprise, as Klaxons aren’t really klaxons, and we highly doubt Liars are completely incapable of telling the truth. They released sell-out single ‘Homecoming’ back in May, and are about to follow it up with ‘Starlett Johansson’ next month. We caught up with the band following their appearances at Carling Weekend in Reading and Leeds.

You’ve not long relocated to the UK - how’s it going?
Quentin: I’ve been living here for the last three years and I really like it! It’s so much more lively than Paris - which by the way remains the most beautiful city ever. I have my closest friends from Paris and the rest of The Teenagers now, so it’s even better.
Dorian: We’ve just moved to London with Michael and we enjoy the life here, it’s exciting, we are now doing our first record, everything is perfect…

On your blog you cite playing Reading and Leeds as ‘a dream come true’. Was it as good as you hoped it would be?
Quentin: Basically we were the first band on the bill, but hey, it’s better than nothing. Since we are such a new band it was crazy to be booked, and it was like major pressure, but we really had fun doing it. Hopefully next year we’ll play later on though.
Dorian: For me it was a dream to go to Reading and Leeds just as a visitor, in France I’d heard about it since I was a real teenager, Nirvana, Metallica, Weezer - all the big bands have played Reading and Leeds, so I still really can’t believe we did it.

How has the tour with Tilly and the Wall been? Have you learned to tap dance yet?!
Quentin: It was only a few dates, but we loved their American accents. And crazy tap dancing. They are always singing and dancing backstage, which is fun for moody French people.
Dorian: Someone told me I look like a guy who tap dances in the streets of London, so now I don’t really like tap dancing at all, but yeah the tour was fun and sweet.

What’s so exciting about adolescence that makes you write about it so much?
Quentin: You basically have your life ahead of you. Everything is possible. Or impossible depending on your vision of things. But I guess we were hopeful teenagers. Expecting good things to happen. Also it’s a cool time in your life where the balance between freedom and liberty is perfect. Adulthood is way too dense, too much stuff to deal with, no?
Dorian: When you’re a teenager seems easier, and you don’t have any responsibilities, it’s the period in your life when you’re rebuilding yourself and it’s just fun all the time. We’re a bit nostalgic sometimes, aren’t you?

Are you working on an album yet?
Quentin: We are now. Making real songs out of our initial demos. It’s really amazing! It should be out at the beginning of 2008 and we can’t wait to finish it and put it out!
Dorian: It’s really exciting to do that first record. We are in the studio right now with amazing people and we learn a lot every day. I can’t wait to have the finished CD in my hands.

You’ve done a lot of remixes for other bands - what is it like when your songs are given a re-jig by someone else?
Quentin: Sometimes good, sometimes awful. But it’s always nice to see how people project their universe on a Teenagers song. But yeah, sometimes it just sucks.

You’re often cited as one of a bunch of ‘hot new French bands’ emerging - who else do you recommend we look out for?
Quentin: Kitsuné and Ed Banger are at the moment the hottest properties in electro, not sure about anything else really.
Dorian: It’s cool, we don’t really care too much about that anyway. We’re just doing our own thing.

What should we look out for on your forthcoming tour?
Quentin: New songs, yeah! We have already played about forty gigs so far, which is a lot, and nothing at the same time. We are touring for Vice with Crystal Castles who we love and Yo Majesty who we also love, and that’s going to be great.
Dorian: We will play with a drummer soon, so the live shows are gonna sound bigger. I can’t wait.

Finally, what’s next for The Teenagers?
Dorian: We release our next single, ‘Starlett Johansson’ on 22nd October through Merok Records.