EMQs with Sonic Addictive
EMQs with Sonic Addictive
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with French Hybrid Rock/Metal band, Sonic Addictive. Huge thanks to them for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Florian: SONIC ADDICTIVE – we play hybrid rock/metal, but it’s more of a general term for the fact that we play different styles and have a lot of inspirations, like movie scores, power metal, or death metal, and 80’s pop music for example. Through future EP/albums we will be exploring those sides of our music. We were formed in 2020, initially with Sylvain, Julie and I. Fabien joined us later and here we are.
How did you come up with your band name?
Florian: SONIC ADDICTIVE is a mix between “sound” and “addiction” but in the right way, I’d say. It’s a reference to the way music is addictive for a lot of people, and for a lot of us, an escape from reality. We talk about that in our lyrics too.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
Florian: We are from France, in the “Bouches-du-Rhônes” in the PACA region. For what we know, a lot of artists play in the big city of this region, or around, Marseille. Besides that, it seems that people in France are not afraid to move for a concert if it’s far usually, or for a festival.
What is your latest release?
Florian: We released recently (April 14th) the single ‘Goodbye City’, from the upcoming EP “Welcome to Neon City”, out April 24th, and its videoclip.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Julie: Within Temptation, Thomas Bergersen, Two Steps from Hell, Amaranthe, Epica, Queen, Michael Jackson.
Florian: Cinematic music, power metal, death metal, bands like Amaranthe, Nightwish, Rhapsody and all epic stuff related.
Fabien: Amon Amarth, Evanescence, Epica, Nightwish, Iron Savior, Iron Maiden, and some death, black, power, symphonic, etc…
Sylvain: Cinematic and video game music (Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Koji Kondo…)
What first got you into music?
Julie: I watched music videos on TV when I was a kid. I took my first singing lesson at 9 years old and I never stopped singing.
Florian: I always liked instrumental music. I began with Pat Metheny, and a lot of classical music, Bach especially, I trained my ears a lot with symphonies. Later, in my teenage years, I was introduced to metal and symphonic metal with Rhapsody, this band particularly mix power metal and classical music and it was an instant love for the genre and the lead guitar works of Luca Turilli, with sweep picking technique especially. I definitely didn’t learn the guitar in a traditional way while playing and listening to those things. Later I discovered other bands, like SymphonyX, Arch Enemy, Meshuggah and I love all the classics too, especially Paul Gilbert, I learned a lot from him, and the guitar hero era with Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Buckethead, and many more.
Fabien: The beauty of the instrument, to create something with my hands and my inspiration, to share this passion with other musicians
Sylvain: My father playing with its synthesizer.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Julie: I would like to collaborate with Blackbriar or with Mark Jansen.
Florian: Lucas de La Rosa who is an unreal guitarist I know. Band speaking, I’d say Dragonforce.
Fabien: Epica, Wolfheart, Celestic, Killswitch Engage , and some others.
Sylvain: It could be great with so many artists in fact.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Julie: I’ve never been to a metal festival but Hellfest, because it’s the biggest festival in France or Summer Breeze.
Florian: I’d say Hellfest or Download, huge ones. We can dream !
Fabien: Hellfest because I’m French 🙂
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Florian: No gifts… for the moment!
Fabien: A lot of fun and good moments with beers and music.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Julie: Thank you for your support which is very important to us.
Florian: Thanks for listening to our music as we are fully independant artists for the moment, with the help of our label Angel PR promotion. And stay updated, because we have a lot of stuff coming in the works.
Fabien: Thank you for your support and for listening to us, we play to please ourselves and to please those
who listen to us.
Sylvain: It’s a pleasure to share this music with you!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Julie: Freddy Mercury and Chester Bennington.
Florian: Eddie Van Halen, never had the chance to see him live.
Fabien: Like Julie and Florian, Freddy Mercury and Eddie Van Halen, 2 monuments of rock.
Sylvain: Freddy Mercury and Michel Berger.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Julie: Pushing yourself and working on new things vocally is rewarding. What I can hate is the snobbery in the world of music, whatever the style. Or be judged by the physical before the musicality for example.
Florian: Playing guitar, creating new sounds, working with the band. I hate changing strings.
Fabien: Playing guitar, creating new sounds from scratch, working with the band. I hate… Nothing in music.
Sylvain: Losing yourself in the music is a unique experience. For the bad side… If only my brain would understand solfege more quickly… 🙂
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Julie: I will promote independent artists more and I will ensure that all styles of music are recognized and promoted equally. Then I will change the workings of artists’ remuneration for less precariousness.
Florian: More light on independant artists, and more accessible gear to get on stage, at certain points. It’s better and better but it’s a lot of work and you have to believe in what you do.
Fabien: To be able to play easily on stages and festivals even for small groups, and to be able to live from it because small groups are often in deficit. the concert hall takes its share, the organizer takes its share, and for the groups there is often nothing left , barely enough to pay for gas to come and play.
Sylvain: Maybe a world focusing more on local artists with less international superstars.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Julie: The Silent Force of Within Temptation
Florian: The first album of Rhapsody – Legendary Tales. The baroque work and the solos are stellar for their time.
Fabien: Dimmu Borgir Death Cult Armagedon for Progenies of the great apocalypse.
Sylvain: Made in Heaven (Queen).
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Julie: CD.
Florian: I collect vinyls myself but I wouldn’t say this is better than this. It’s about what people prefer. I like the object, and listening on my PC to the same album when I want for example.
Fabien: CD and a good amplifier hifi chain.
Sylvain: There is a place for everyone. Vinyl, CD and some Downloads allow high quality audio.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Julie: For me, my first opera in France 10 years ago.
Florian: Not a really big gig with Sonic Addictive for the moment. But we want to get on huge scenes! I played in the ancient theatre of Orange one time with an orchestra, and It would be great to come back with the band.
Fabien: I would say no big gigs but a lot of small ones where the atmosphere was really fun each time with one of my previous bands.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Julie: I don’t really know. I might be in a scientific profession or an Egyptologist. Or none of that. 😀
Florian: Infographist as I already am, but being full time guitarist would be the dream.
Fabien: Do-it-yourself or motorcycling, it clears my mind.
Sylvain: More photos and videos.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Julie: My family.
Florian: Leonardo da Vinci, J.S. Bach, Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino.
Fabien: I don’t know, some creators of the industrial revolution.
Sylvain: The fellowship of the ring.
What’s next for the band?
Florian: We want to play on stage in our country, and in Europe if possible to become known more, sharing
our music and maybe find some fans! We are already working on the next EP too. It will have a different style. You can maybe have a hint on the style if you listen to our singles.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Florian:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonicAddictiveOff
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonicAddictive
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonicaddictive/
Our website: https://sonicaddictive.fr/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sonicaddictive
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
Julie: For me a muffin! Not knowing the other specialties, I would be curious to taste them.
Florian: In France I’d say a bun, often used for hamburgers from what I know! A muffin for us would be more of a pastry for dessert.
Fabien: I think it’s a bun, but I prefer hot chocolate and muffin 🙂
Sylvain: Sorry, too metaphysical question for me.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Julie: Thank you for your questions and thank you for highlighting independent artists like us. Hoping to come to your beautiful country.
Florian: Thanks for having us!
Fabien: That’s all, thank you 🙂
Sylvain: Thank you!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
