Hello everybody ! We’re joined today by LAFAYETTE ! How are you doing?

LAFAYETTE – We're doing great! It's pretty hot in the rehearsal room, but we'll survive. (laughs)

You have a lot of exciting things happening at the moment, but I'd first like to go back to the band's beginnings. How did LAFAYETTE come together?

Flo – It all started with Julien, Jiben (our bassist) and me. At the time, we were playing in extreme metal bands called In Arcadia and It Came From Beneath, but both projects were reaching the end of their journey. We felt like we'd hit a bit of a glass ceiling, and we were looking for something new. So we got in touch and thought, "Why not start another band?" We wanted to explore different influences and a different musical direction, and that's really how LAFAYETTE was born. We officially got started around the end of 2023.

Julien – The nice thing is that we'd already had plenty of opportunities to play together with our previous bands. We've been close friends for years. So when the opportunity came up to start a project with Flo (especially since we spend a lot of time together outside of music as well) it was really exciting to build something together. From the very beginning, our main goal was not to set any creative boundaries. We didn't want to lock ourselves into a specific direction. We simply wanted to make the most of everyone's ideas and strengths.

Why did you choose that name? Why LAFAYETTE?

Olivier – It's a shame we don't have enough time to explain it! (laughs)

Flo – It started the way it probably does for every band: you spend time brainstorming and thinking about the kind of sound or feeling you're looking for in a name. From the very beginning, we wanted either a first name or a surname -something along those lines- but in French.

Julien – We wanted something that reflected the fact that we're French, without sounding overly patriotic. We were looking for something lively, something that would also resonate in English-speaking countries, especially in the United States.

I don't know if you've ever watched True Blood, but there's a character called Lafayette who's one of my absolute favourites in the series. I think he's incredible. There was also that whole bayou atmosphere, that completely wild vibe where every possible influence is mixed together into one character. We had several names on the table, and then Lafayette came up. We immediately felt it had this unifying quality. To us, it's like the family name of everyone who joins us and works with us: the sound engineers, the videographers, the audience...

LAFAYETTE is us, it's you, it's everyone. Anyone who loves LAFAYETTE and helps move the project forward is, in a way, part of the LAFAYETTE family.

Flo – Exactly. It really has that feeling of being a family name. It's not a first name that represents a single individual. It's something collective. And for all those reasons, when that name came up... You know how sometimes you're brainstorming and suddenly one idea appears, everyone looks at each other and thinks, "That's it. It ticks every single box."

Julien – It's a bit like the mask from V for Vendetta, which later became the symbol used by Anonymous. Originally, it represented something very specific, but over time it took on a completely different meaning and became a symbol in its own right.

That's how we see LAFAYETTE. Of course, there's the Marquis de Lafayette, the journey, the connection between France and the United States, adventure... There's a whole symbolic universe around it, especially this idea of bringing people together. At least, that's how we feel about it, and that's what the name means to us today.

And now it's simply become our name. Although... there are a few Lafayette bakeries in Lyon. (laughs) One day we'll sort out the rights!

Flo – And don't forget the Galeries Lafayette!

Julien – There's even a Lafayette Pharmacy just around the corner from where we live. They didn't even give us a discount, even though I asked! (laughs)

Your sound already blends a wide range of influences, and you all have significant live experience, which is quite rare for such a young band. What would you say is your biggest strength today as an emerging band?

Flo – First of all, there's the logistical side of things: the amount of music we release. We're incredibly prolific at the moment. I think that's worth mentioning. Not necessarily from an artistic perspective, but simply in terms of output. We have loads of ideas, we spend a huge amount of time together, and I think that's something that really sets us apart from a lot of the scene. We release a lot of music.

Julien – We never really stop. Even when we're finishing the mix of one track, we're already recording the next ones, while also writing new material at the same time. It's a constant cycle of ideas, which also allows us to establish our identity pretty quickly.

There's never that moment where you release something, take a snapshot of the band at a given point in time, and then disappear for two years without evolving or putting anything out. We're always eager to release new music.

One thing I really liked was Flo's original idea, which was inspired by hip-hop artists. In hip-hop, you can release tracks that are completely different from one another. One song can be built around an orchestral soundtrack, the next around a simple beat, and it all makes sense. Later on, those songs can be gathered into mixtapes. That's completely normal in that world, whereas it's much less common in metal.

So we thought we'd release songs regularly, and then, if people wanted it, eventually collect them into something bigger. That's basically the approach we're taking.

Flo – That's the logistical side. Artistically, though, which is obviously the most important part, I'm not sure there's one thing that completely separates us from every other band. What really makes the difference, I think, is our range of influences.

We come from an extremely heavy background, we grew up listening to some of the most extreme death metal and black metal out there, but Olivier's arrival also brought stronger influences from a more mainstream, melodic scene.

Julien – There's also the rock side of things. That's where Olivier and the rest of us really connected, because we all share that love for rock music. It means we can write a chorus that sounds almost like Soundgarden right after a verse that's flirting with Oceano-style brutality. And that's incredibly fun to do. I think that's probably one of our biggest strengths: fully embracing those huge contrasts.

Flo – When we released This Prison In Me, which is one of our latest singles, we had just as many people telling us it reminded them of Muse as others saying it sounded like Lorna Shore.

To me, that's exactly where our artistic strength lies: being able to move freely between all those influences without closing any doors. We can start a song with a very rock-oriented atmosphere, completely tear everything apart halfway through with something brutally heavy and dark, then come back with soaring, almost lyrical choruses.

Olivier has an incredibly high vocal range, which allows us to explore clean melodies that you simply don't hear in a band like Lorna Shore or in many extreme metal bands at all. That's the kind of contrast we're already exploring today, and it's something we'll probably push even further on our upcoming tracks.

You recently released the EP This Prison In Me. What milestone does it represent in Lafayette's journey?

Julien – I'd say this is the EP where we really started to define Lafayette's identity. Across these four tracks, you can clearly hear what we are, what we love, and what we want to create. We became much more direct in our artistic vision, and I personally connect with it a lot more. Of course, Oliv's arrival played a huge role in that. We had a genuine musical connection with him. We clicked on the styles we love, the harmonies, the way we write music... It honestly felt like all the planets aligned. To me, this EP marks a real step forward, and it already sets the tone for everything we're working on next.

Flo – Releasing an EP always feels a bit like taking a final exam. You spend months working on the songs, preparing the artwork, the music videos, the whole campaign... Then, once it's out, you tell yourself, "Alright, that milestone is behind us."

We already have our eyes on what's coming later this year, but looking back, this EP is really special. It's the first one with Oliv, so it carries a lot of weight in the band's history. It was his chance to fully express himself. Bringing someone into a band is something very personal. We spend an incredible amount of time together; pretty much every day.

This EP also allowed us to see what the four of us were capable of creating together. We already knew how talented Oliv was, and we'd had a real human and musical crush on him, but until you actually release songs, you never know if the chemistry will truly work. In the end, this EP helped solidify this new lineup. I actually think it's even more important to the band than we sometimes realize.

Julien – It's also one of the rare projects that I still genuinely enjoy listening to. Usually, after hearing your own songs thousands of times while making them, you just can't listen to them anymore. But with this EP, it's the complete opposite. I keep coming back to it with real pleasure. Everyone brought so much to these songs, and I think that's one of the reasons why this record means so much to me.

Flo – And what about you, Oliv'? This was kind of your final exam!

Olivier – (laughs) Yeah, absolutely. It had been a long time since I'd recorded anything, so it was already an important moment for me. On top of that, I was joining a band that already had strong momentum. With the change of vocalist, people could naturally wonder what the future of the band would look like, so we really wanted to show that Lafayette was still moving forward with the same ambition.

Thankfully, everything came together very naturally. We immediately had plenty of ideas, whether for the lyrics or the music, and everything just clicked between us. We're really proud of this EP, and it makes us even more excited about what's coming next.

How did you feel, Olivier, when you joined the band?

Olivier – Honestly, right from the very first song we played together, everything just clicked. I remember it was on Forever Yours, which ended up becoming the lead single.

Julien – And it was quite a technical challenge too. He basically came in and said, "Yeah, I'll start with this one." We were like, "Okay..." (laughs)

Olivier – Yeah, exactly. The strength of this band has always been that, sure, there are heavy, aggressive parts (lots of metal bands do that) but what really stood out to me was the melodic quality they already had. That was the real challenge. So I figured we might as well jump straight into the deep end. Forever Yours: either it works, or it doesn't. Let's start with that one.

And... yeah, it was great. There was an immediate connection between us. We also had the Sylak Festival coming up just a month later, so it was like, "Alright, let's do this." It all happened very naturally.

Did you already know each other before that, or did everything happen at that moment?

Olivier – I already knew Julien. We'd crossed paths a few years earlier because we had both attended the same music school. As for the other two, Flo and Jiben, we knew who each other were, but we'd never really spoken before. So that first rehearsal was really our first proper meeting. I already knew Julien, but with Flo and Jiben, everything started there.

Julien – And we have to thank the real genius behind all this: Sylvain Sarrobert, the bassist of Sidilarsen. He's a great friend of ours, and he'd also gone through that same music school.

When I called him asking if he knew any singers -male or female, we were open to anything- he immediately said, "Dude, Oliv." I replied, "Yeah, okay... but do you have anyone else in mind?" And he just said, "Oliv." (laughs)

So... it was Oliv. I called him and said, "Sylvain told me: Oliv." He came over, and... well, here we are.

Olivier – Everything happened very naturally, and at exactly the right time. We honestly couldn't have hoped for a better situation.

You were just talking about the different musical influences within the band. How do you manage to blend all of that together in the studio?

Flo – We don't. (laughs)

Honestly, we have a pretty straightforward approach. Sometimes one of us just raises a hand and says, "Okay, I've got an idea." If it's good, we keep it. If it isn't, we throw it away. It really is as simple as that. We don't overthink it. If it works, it stays. If it doesn't, it's gone. Of course, there are discussions, like in every band, but...

Julien – We usually start with a foundation. I write a lot of demos at home, but I deliberately avoid locking anything in. That's when the best ideas tend to happen. Then, once everyone starts working on a song together, that's really where the band's strength comes in. For example, on Hell For Leather, which is on the EP, Flo immediately told me, "Wait, what if the chorus -or what acts as the chorus- was actually the intro?"

Jiben is incredibly talented when it comes to sound design and electronic music; that's really his world. He'll say, "Hang on, let's remove all the guitars, let's do it differently. I'll turn it into a jungle-style section."

What's really cool about the way we work is that we improvise a lot. It's amazing. We didn't work like that before. Now we do several passes on a song and he just experiments with different ideas.

The chorus of Hell For Leather, for example, basically came out exactly as you hear it. At one point he just came up with it on the spot, including the "666" in the chorus. It was a one-take idea.

So there's this constant ping-pong effect between everyone in the band. Sometimes it leads us to remove entire sections so we can write something else. Flo, Olivier, or anyone else might say, "Actually, I think it would be cool if we added a part like this here, and then came back to that section afterwards."

To me, it's a much more mature way of working than what I experienced in my previous bands. Back then, you'd sit at home, write riffs, chain them together, and that was it. Now, nobody's trying to show off their guitar playing, their drumming, or anything like that. Everything we do has to serve the song. And whenever we think, "Wow, that works! That break right there hits hard!", we try it and keep it.

It's the same with the different vocal styles. That's really how everything comes together. We just have fun with it.

Olivier – We spend a lot of time working together. Rather than each of us disappearing for hours to come up with ideas on our own... I could sit in a corner and spend hours writing lyrics, only to realize in the end that they don't really fit what we actually wanted to create.

Instead, we improvise together. We go, "Damn, that hits! That's awesome!" Okay, let's keep it. Then, of course, I'll still go home and polish a few things on my own, but the foundation is built here, together in the rehearsal room. I really think that helps us all move in the same direction.

Flo – The core of every song is really built together. Then, when it comes to polishing everything and making the small adjustments, everyone works on their own a bit. We come back with ideas, we pitch them. If everyone likes it, we keep it. If not, we throw it away.

Julien – And then the ping-pong effect kicks in again. Quite often, someone comes up with an idea at the very last minute and we're like, "Damn, the songs are supposed to be sent for mixing tomorrow!" And yet, that's literally what happens on every single track. We always end up saying, "Yeah... but honestly, that change is a banger. Alright, let's do it!" Then we send everything back to Bastien Renon, who we work with. By now, he's used to it... He's figured out that we're a real pain to work with. (laughs)

I often hear bands tell me that when they go into the studio, they leave their egos at the door. Is it the same for you?

Julien – It's exactly the opposite. I actually feel more powerful. (laughs)

Olivier – Well... I kind of agree.

Flo – The difference for us is that we do everything at home. That changes a lot. Our production process is completely independent now; we record everything ourselves.

Bastien, from Headquarter Corp, takes care of the mixing and mastering, but all the recording is done at our place. So the atmosphere is much more relaxed.

We have the technical ability to do everything ourselves, so it doesn't really feel like we're taking an exam every time we record. We're also much less constrained by time.

Olivier – We get to have fun.

Julien – It allows us to be much less controlling. We're not constantly thinking, "Okay, everyone, stay focused." We can joke around a bit more. Sometimes someone makes a mistake -a weird little flub- and we're like, "Actually... that mistake is pretty cool." So we keep it.

Olivier – We don't have a studio that's charging us by the minute or by the hour, so we don't have that time pressure hanging over us. Honestly, it's really convenient.

Flo – We can experiment as much as we want. Sometimes we'll spend half a day trying something, and in the end we won't keep any of it. But that's exactly what allows us to explore so many more ideas.

I'd like to come back to the EP for a moment, because I noticed there's a self-titled track on it. Which came first: the song or the EP title?

Julien – The song. Let's be honest.

How did that song end up giving its name to the EP?

Olivier (to Julien) – You're the one who came up with it.

Flo – Well, the song title has a story of its own, so let's start there.

Julien – To make a very long story short, I've been living with OCD since I’m eighteen years old. I'm getting old... well, older. I won't tell you my age, but it's been a very long time.

When we started working on this song with Oliv', we talked about the themes we wanted to explore. He asked me what I was feeling when listening to the riff and the melody I'd written. I told him that, for this particular track, it was something deeply personal.

When you live with OCD, there's this constant feeling of being trapped inside your own prison. Because, ultimately, you're the only one holding the key. You're fully aware that checking the same light switch three times or going back to check whether you've locked your car over and over again, is irrational. I actually got stopped by the police once because they thought I was trying to steal my own car... when I was simply checking, for the sixth time, that it was locked.

It's a terrible feeling because you're both the only person who can free yourself... and your own jailer.

I'd already named the song This Prison In Me before we even had any lyrics, simply because that was exactly how I felt.

Then Oliv' took that idea and did an incredible job writing lyrics that captured that feeling. We talked about it a lot as well. Since we were also getting to know each other at the time, those conversations naturally went much deeper.

I'd also like to say how grateful I am that, in this band, we can openly talk about anything. We're really like a family. Even when I have behaviours that might seem strange or when I'm struggling, I know I'll never be judged. On the contrary, I know I'll always have their support.

That's how the song title came to life.

From there, it naturally became the foundation for the lyrics across the EP. I don't want to put words in your mouth, Oliv', but it inspired all these themes about freeing yourself from the things that hold you back. Ultimately, that freedom can only come from yourself. There's this moment where you open your eyes and realise, "I've grown up, I'm living a life that maybe isn't truly mine", and you feel the need to break those chains.

In the end, every song explores a different form of liberation.

Olivier – Exactly. That prison can represent many different things. It can be OCD, but it can also simply be shyness, not daring to say what you really think, or any kind of personal blockage. I think we all carry a little prison inside ourselves. And behind it, there's always that desire to break free.

Julien – Yeah, that's exactly it. Once we had that theme, it naturally became the common thread running through the entire EP.

That actually leads perfectly into my next question. For you, does this EP tell a story, convey a message, or is it more of a listening experience? Or maybe a bit of both?

Julien – I'd say it's a bit of both. That's actually quite an easy question to answer.

Lyrically, there's a strong introspective aspect because we inevitably put part of ourselves into the songs. In fact, the EP explores four different perspectives on what an inner prison can be.

The first song is more about a psychological prison, following someone who experiences a form of split identity and gradually destroys themselves before eventually breaking free from that state.

This Prison In Me... well, we've already talked about that one. As for Hell For Leather, it's more about breaking free from the constraints of a dull life that you never consciously chose but somehow found yourself living. Time keeps passing, and eventually you reach that moment where you feel this urgency to do something with your life.

To me, that's really what the EP is about: four chapters, each offering a different perspective on the desire to escape a condition that keeps you trapped.

Musically, though, I think that's where Lafayette's identity really shines through. We love having four songs with four completely different atmospheres.

Sometimes, even with bands I'm a huge fan of, I'll get to the third track feeling like I'm hearing the first two all over again. Everything is objectively great—the production, the riffs, the vocals—but at some point you've understood the formula, you know where it's going, and you start to lose interest.

We'd much rather take the risk of people saying, "What on earth were they thinking putting a song like this in the middle of the EP?" than have them say, "This one is basically the same as the previous track." We'd rather embrace that risk.

Olivier – Even so, it was never intended to be a concept EP. But in the end, there are a lot of connections between the songs.

Going back to This Prison In Me... It's not like we're not used to hearing softer moments from you, but it's definitely not what people hear most often in your music. Why did you decide to open the song in such a calm way? Earlier, you also mentioned wanting to broaden your sonic palette.

Olivier – Honestly, it happened very naturally. I'd just joined the band, and we were doing a two-day rehearsal residency. At one point, while everyone was setting up on stage, Julien started playing that opening part.

Julien – Exactly. The main rhythm at the beginning, with that little arpeggio, just came out on its own. It naturally fell into place with the drums. Then, as each of us started building around that idea, it naturally created the gradual crescendo you hear in the final version.

I also think we've never been afraid of that kind of contrast. Of course, everyone has different influences, but I grew up on Metallica. I was completely raised on the idea that you could have an album that's incredibly aggressive -well, aggressive for its time- fast and uncompromising, and then suddenly place a huge clean-guitar ballad in the middle that slowly builds in intensity. To me, that's always felt perfectly natural.

So we embraced that approach. It wasn't easy, either compositionally or in terms of the arrangements. There were countless iterations to make sure the song started from the softest possible point and kept building without ever breaking that sense of crescendo.

It was a real challenge for every instrument. There was an enormous amount of work involved, even after the mixing and mastering stages, to preserve that feeling of lightness at the beginning before gradually making everything grow until the very end.

Flo – It even carried over into learning the song during rehearsals and then performing it live. There's also a very specific way of playing it. You can't just go all out from the very beginning. Technically, this song was far from easy. Whether it was the composition, the mix, learning to perform it, or even figuring out where it should fit into the live set, it required a huge amount of work. We spent a lot of time thinking about where to place it during a show. There was a great deal of thought put into every aspect of this track.

Olivier – In the end, it all started from a jam session. We began playing around with it and, like we said earlier: if we like it, we keep it. We liked it... so we kept it. They'd already explored that approach with Forever Yours on the previous release, and personally I really liked the idea of opening things up with a song like this. When I listen to an album myself, I need those moments of breathing space. Those quieter passages that allow you to dive back into the heavier moments afterwards.

Julien – From day one, the band's motto has been contrast. Contrast and dynamics, on every level. Whether it's a dark, crushing riff followed by something much brighter, or suddenly shifting from a slow section into something incredibly fast.

We're lucky to have Flo on drums because he's capable of delivering incredibly technical and extreme drum parts. The same goes for Oliv' with his vocals. That's what makes it so exciting. It allows us to build what feels like a permanent roller coaster.

The goal isn't necessarily to surprise the listener at all costs. It's simply to follow where the music naturally wants to go. Sometimes a section calls for an explosion of brutality; other times, even we feel the need for a moment to breathe. That's what we want to convey.

That also comes from our wide range of influences. A band like Periphery isn't afraid to include long, calm, highly detailed passages. Personally, I'm also heavily influenced by The Dillinger Escape Plan, who never hesitated to throw a genuine pop ballad into the middle of complete musical chaos.

I think that's one of our greatest strengths: we never set creative limits for ourselves.

This will be my second-to-last question. I'd like to talk about the EP artwork. It's incredibly beautiful and very detailed. How do you feel it represents This Prison In Me?

Julien – First of all, it was created by Aaron, @october_midnight on Instagram.

We discovered his work because he also collaborates with Amenra, and we were immediately blown away. We thought his artistic universe was absolutely incredible.

To be completely honest, we were also a little short on time. We didn't approach him with a very specific commission from the start. We were browsing through different artists' portfolios, looking at various styles... and then we came across this artwork.

That restrained, fragmented figure... you can almost feel the rib cage being compressed. There was this powerful feeling of confinement, of someone trapped in the middle of something, even though there aren't actually any physical bars surrounding them.

There's also this cloud of smoke that looks as though it's about to escape. To us, it immediately symbolised the desire to break free. It resonated perfectly with the themes explored throughout the EP.

Olivier – Yes, there's also that almost skeletal aspect to the character. You get the impression that you're seeing both what's inside them and, at the same time, someone who's completely shattered. It really captures the essence of This Prison In Me. Afterwards, we made a few small adjustments.

Julien – Only minor ones, mainly to the colours, so they'd better match our visual identity. But all the credit for the artwork belongs to Aaron.

Last question: do you have a message for everyone listening to you?

Flo – Listen to us! (laughs)

More seriously, keep supporting your local bands. Keep supporting your music scene. Looking back at all of our previous bands, I honestly don't think we've ever felt as much support from the audience as we have with this project.

I don't think people always realise how much time goes into being in a band, how much money it costs, or how many sacrifices it requires. You spend your days off and your holidays in the rehearsal room. You don't go away because you don't have the money and you don't have the time either, because you're writing, rehearsing and constantly working on the band.

I genuinely don't think people realise how important their support is to us. It's one of the biggest sources of motivation we have. When people come and talk to us after a show, when we receive messages on social media... Sometimes someone writes to us saying:

"I'm having a really hard day, but your songs made me smile again."

And that...

Julien – ...is worth far more than thousands of euros. Even if the bank doesn't recognise that.

Flo – Exactly. People really don't realise...

Julien – ...how much power they have to help a band grow. So first of all, to everyone listening to us and to everyone who supported us even before Lafayette6 thank you so much.

Everyone who comes to chat with us after shows brings us so much happiness. Honestly, we're not jaded at all. Seeing someone wearing a Lafayette T-shirt at one of our concerts means the world to us.

So yes, if you enjoy a band, do exactly what Flo said: support your local scene. Go to concerts. Leave a comment. Share a song. Send a message. It always means more than you can imagine.

Flo – Exactly. Come by the merch table after the show, even if it's just to say, "I discovered your band today, and it was really cool."

Julien – Even if you don't buy anything.

Flo – Absolutely. You don't have to buy anything. Just come and tell us, "I discovered you today. It was awesome. See you next time." That alone... has an incredible impact on a band. It really does.

Julien – Join the Lafayette family! We're waiting for you. There's room for everyone!

You know what to do!

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. Congratulations on the release of your new EP, and I wish you all the very best for what's next!

LAFAYETTE – Thank you! It was really great talking with you. Wishing you all the best as well!