With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share five records THEY love. Photo (c): Non deux non
One week from today, Lùlù will release their debut album via Howlin’ Banana Records (France), Dangerhouse (France), and Taken By Surprise (Germany). It’s one of those records I genuinely can’t wait for you to hear. With members of Irnini Mons, Pogy et les Kéfars, AVIONS and more, Lùlù deliver the kind of upbeat, catchy, and energetic guitar pop (sung in both French and Italian) we absolutely live for at this site. Just listen to the teaser singles—this is the good stuff.
To build the excitement for June 6 just a little more, we asked Lùlù to share some of the records that inspired their sound. The band’s primary songwriter Luc Simone was quick to respond—and no surprise, Lùlù’s taste in music is top shelf and right up our alley. So dive into the musical world of Lùlù, and don’t forget to pre-save and pre-order the debut LP!
Luc Simone (Lùlù): “When I started imagining what Lùlù would be like, I mainly started by figuring out what it wouldn’t be. I didn’t want to sing in English, I didn’t want to play any instrument on stage, and I didn’t want it to be complicated in terms of logistics (plot twist, it is a logistical headache… but a rewarding one).
The other thing I knew, and it comes with the simplicity I was aiming for, is that I wanted to make hits. My other bands were getting more and more complicated on the musical and personal fronts, so I wanted to take a « back to basics » approach and just spit out verse/chorus/bridge songs. Ideally in less than 3 minutes.
All of this to say that looking back on the music and the albums that have inspired me during the writing of Lùlù’s first LP, I can see a lot of diversity but also a common tendency to streamline everything in order to get to the melodic and emotional core of things. Hookiness as a mindset and efficiency as your tool.”
1. Sheer Mag || First Three EPs Compilation
“What a record. Not a single filler in there. Sheer Mag has always struck me as a band who did its own thing without anyone really mimicking their style. Sure, there is a new wave of glammy, punky, rock and roll bands but none that worship riffs like Sheer Mag does. Besides my love of metal, I’d say Sheer Mag is the one band that helped me focus more and more on riffs when I’m writing. They also have soul, that indescribable quality, which is something that will show up quite a bit in my selection, and hopefully on Lùlù’s record.”
2. Hoax || Third EP
“Hoax’s influence on Lùlù doesn’t really show up in the music, although there is plenty of nods to hardcore on the record. But Hoax blew my mind in my twenties. It was the most primitive, low-brow, cro-mag shit I’d ever heard at the time, but it was also so… catchy? I could whistle the riffs getting out of an overcrowded bus, as a perpetually pissed-off post-teenager. In their own unmistakable way, they have soul too. You can hear the devotion bleeding out of the speakers and that spoke to me. Hoax has always been an inspiration in terms of how you can make simple and catchy music in any genre, be it indie pop or skull-bashing hardcore.”
3. Kael et les Remords || Diagnostic
“I swear I didn’t choose this one to embarrass him, but this is our lead guitarist Theo’s band. My parents have never really listened to French music: my dad’s tastes are more anglophone and my mom being Italian, I knew Italian music better than French pop. Listening to Diagnostic was the first time French lyrics moved me. The words are simple and match exactly how Theo speaks, which is what I strive for writing in French. The music is also impossibly catchy here and, listening to this record, I knew I wanted to play music with Theo. His playing is so fluid and subtle, it feels like listening to someone telling you a story. There is a thriving power pop scene in France right now and for once I felt like it was something I wanted my band to be a part of.”
4. Masshysteri || Masshysteri
“I’ve had a long-documented love for Sweden, ever since I was 15, and Masshysteri was my gateway to Sweden’s punk rock history. The Hives are another Swedish band that’s had a tremendous influence on me, but I think the strand of Swedish punk rock played by Masshysteri has influenced a different side of Lùlù’s music, which is more melancholic. Swedish punk rock, from Ebba Grön/KSMB to Masshysteri or Sekunderna these days, has a forlorn quality that’s entirely unique. I suppose spending most of the year in the cold and in the dark will do that to you. This album is also of the all killer no filler type, instantly catchy thanks to its shout-along choruses that make you want to learn Swedish. “Snutten kan inte höra musiken !” (Pigs/cops can’t hear the music)”
5. Freda Payne || Band of Gold
“Well, I’ve been mentioning bands that had soul so it seems fitting to end this with a proper soul record. I could have gone for a lot of soul singles, anything blessed by the Holland-Dozier-Holland touch, but Band of Gold is a soul record that I find impeccable from start to finish. The sound is warm, her voice is both fierce and vulnerable, the orchestration is lovely and the music is uplifting in the best way possible. Listening to Unhooked Generation, I often find myself wincing because of how good everything sounds. Soul music has been a big influence on Lùlù’s record because it combines raw emotion, the proverbial soul, and the best crafted hookiness the music industry ever offered. You can hear it in the backing vocals, the handclaps or the bongos that are buried deep, deep, deep in the mix because I play them so badly.”
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Howlin’ Banana || Taken By Surprise
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