For all the bad press that McDonalds has got over the last couple of years, we can happily thank them for bringing The Lovers to a wider audience.
The advert featured a wonderful little ditty called La Le by The Lovers – Fred de Fred and Marion Benoist. A couple of French Sheffield dwellers and friends of Jarvis Cocker, The Lovers make music that's part Gainsbourg sultriness, part Yorkshire electro and entirely wonderful. The Lovers are so pop that they'd make your granny dance and so sleazy that hotels are redesigning rooms in their honour as we speak.
We caught up with The Lovers to talk booze, Bardot and vegetables…
Who are you and where are you?
We are The Lovers. Fred is from Marseille and Marion from the Basque Country. We met five years ago. As to be successful is the show business you have to go to bed… we slept together and now our bed travels round the world with sometimes some guests in it! After rejecting several offers which 'did not fit in our bed', we are going to sign with a 'crazy' label in London.
Describe yourselves for us, would you?
A love story between Monty Python and Jacques Tati.
How did you go down in Singapore?
Fred serenaded girls in the audience! They all asked for encores. It was wonderful. We had such a good time and came back full of perfumes, colours and people. We are going back there later in the year for another three shows including a private party in the French Embassy!
Jarvis Cocker?
Wine and life Connoisseur. Very sensitive person. Our definition of a Poet.
Where is better, Sheffield or France?
France? We don't know where it is anymore. We twin Sheffield (our 'wife') with the Minervois, a beautiful part of the Languedoc. We like them both as the people are very warm and friendly and still looking at the stars in the sky. We have also discovered Manchester (our 'mistress') through our friends from The Birthday Party Nights. All this small world is a great life!
What's the best way to listen to your album?
La table! Le lit! Lalalala…
A woman has five potatoes to feed three children – how can she give them equal portions without using fractions?
She could mash them with some olive oil!
What are you spending all the McDonalds money on?
We spent it all on vegetables and a sponsorship of five acres of Rainforest in Amazonia
Preach about some you love (not related to the band) in 100 words
Human Being. The Human Being is not an individual but a world which we are making all together! Life is too short to be spend it with the Ego.
What's on The Lovers' iPod?
Ohlala! its actually the question which held us back for a while as all depends on the Yorkshire weather. We like any music that moves us, which make us dance, have fun, love and give a French kiss.
Spike Jones: You Always Hurt The One You Love.
Henri Salvador: Que Si Que No.
Kimmie Rhodes: Love Me Like A Song.
The Stooges: 69.
Brigitte Bardot: Oh Qu'il Est Vilain.
Caron Wheeler: The Wind Cries Mary.
Johnny Cash: Hurt.
Alan Vega: Jukeboxe Baby.
B52s: 52 Girls.
Palast Orchester: Kiss.
Tom Waits: Somewhere.
Eddie Cochran: Nervous Breakdown.
Jimmy Scott: Nothing Compares To You.
Yma Sumac: Gopher.
The Smiths: How Soon Is Now.
Favourite movie soundtrack?
Ohlala encore!
La Strada by Federico Fellini. Music by Nino Rota.
Motorhead have Cheese & Chives Ruffles on their rider. What's on yours?
1884 (Domaine de Sainte Luchaire, wine from our friend of Aigne, Minervois) and friends around.
Say something rock and roll.
Everything is kitch but nothingness!
What are you going to do right now?
We are going back to bed to forget what we forgot!
Visit The Lovers at The Lovers Myspace page
Get free downloads, find out more and buy The Lovers album at The Lovers website
[interview by Stuart Heritage]
