Album review

Elsa

De lave et de sève

Paris 

07/05/2004 - 

Music fans may well be forgiven for asking “Elsa, who?”, since the former French pop Lolita has neither been seen nor heard on the recording front since 1996! In fact, Elsa has been busy, taking time off from her singing career to have a baby, make a handful of TV films and fight a long, drawn-out court battle with her old record company. But now she’s back in the spotlight with a feisty new album, De lave et de sève, proving that the sweet “Petite Elsa” of popular imagination has finally grown up.

RFI Musique: How does it feel, now that you’ve turned 30, to see that a lot of people still think of you as “Little Elsa”?
Elsa: (Laughs) Well, firstly, I have to say that I think it’s a real sign of affection, people still thinking of me as “Little Elsa.” But people haven’t actually seen anything of me for a long while now, you know, and maybe when they do set eyes on me that image will be gone for good. I think the last image people had of me was as this young teenager, then after that there’s just a big blur in people’s minds. I really needed to take a break from things and move on. And I must admit, it would be really frustrating today if I bring out my new album and find I’m still stuck with my teen image. That would be a huge problem. Apart from that though, I’m really touched to see that people still remember me after all these years. That’s really something! I don’t feel as if I have to justify the fact that I’ve grown up and changed, though. You only have to look at me to see I’ve moved on!

Your time away from the music scene actually ended up being longer than you thought because of a long, drawn-out court battle with your record company...
When you’re caught up in proceedings like that, you simply lose all your motivation and your get up and go. It actually got to a point where I lost my desire to go back to music, too. Things are much harder to accept and live through on a personal level when the decisions are taken out of your hands. I ended up becoming completely preoccupied with the court case and its outcome. I was really upset about the fact that you could work on a project and then someone would just let it sit and rot away in a drawer. It’s horrible to be considered as a product and nothing else! It reaches a point where it’s not about being an artist any more, or even a human being. I actually got to a point where I thought about calling a halt to my career for good, and then I decided “No, I’m damned if I’m going to go along with this and let them fuck up my life like this!” The record label I was having problems with had already fired guys like Indochine and Marc Lavoine… And, in retrospect, I can only say I was right to dig my heels in and fight!

Were you ever tempted to turn to the film world instead?
To be honest, things aren’t any better in the film world at all. Increasingly these days, films are financed by TV companies and it’s the TV companies who dictate what happens. Even if you’ve got a really great project, if you don’t get the major stars they want on board, the project will never get off the drawing-board… The film world’s just as tough as the music world. In fact, I’d say that maybe it’s even tougher right now!

Getting back to your album for a moment, I notice quite a few important people were involved in the making of it...
Well, putting Franck Pilant in charge of the studio orchestra was an obvious choice because I love the group Aston Villa. Then there’s Asher Ash, a songwriter I worked with on my last project before the plug got pulled on that. I knew I really wanted to have him on board again this time round. Benjamin Biolay also wrote me two songs, Mon amour and Ne dis pas que tu m’aimes. I was really enthusiastic about both of them from the word go. And then, of course, there’s Etienne (Daho), who I recorded L’or et la poussière with. Etienne’s someone I have a lot of affection and respect for on an artistic level as well as a personal level. I really identify with his song writing and what he does musically. He’s such a sweet guy, so smart and elegant, and I have to say he’s generosity itself.

So you’ve got everyone on board - Daho, from the old French pop school, and Biolay, from the new generation! Incidentally, what do you think of this ‘new wave’ on the French music scene?
Well, I don’t really know what this ‘new wave’ is supposed to be. There are so many different styles around right now, there’s everyone from Overhead and Mickey 3D to Carla Bruni and Bénabar… Where’s the ‘new wave’ in all that? I have to say when I listen to music at home my tastes tend to be more rock, but not French rock. I‘m into bands like Coldplay and Radiohead and singers like Joseph Arthur and Lénine. I have to admit I’m not a big fan of French music. I like M, probably because of the Anglo-Saxon influences in his work. Oh and I love Aston Villa, of course!

What’s your take on TV reality shows like Star Academy and Pop Star? Are you a fan or not?
When you know how difficult it is to break into this profession, I think it’s totally justifiable for kids to try and have a go on TV shows like that. What I really hate is the system, the way shows like that work… It’s very tough for someone who’s suddenly been catapulted into the spotlight and tasted a glimpse of fame to be dropped back into real life afterwards. It can be a violent shock and I don’t think producers necessarily prepare candidates for that. Let’s face it, this profession is not just about being locked up in a castle singing someone else’s songs - anyone can do that! The one thing I regret is that there aren’t any decent music shows on French television any more. Apparently, people aren’t interested in shows where artists get the chance to express themselves… But I’m not so sure about that, you know, let’s wait and see…

Elsa De lave et de sève (Mercury / Universal) 2004

Frédéric  Garat

Translation : Julie  Street