Billie Bird: «I want to take up the challenge of not hiding behind words».»

Paléo Festival 2019 - Jonas Follonier

Kicking off the first night of Paléo on the Club Tent stage, Lausanne-based folk singer Billie Bird emerged as a quirky and highly promising artist. We met her in the cozy shade of two umbrellas after her concert under the big top—to get to know her better and listen to her more closely.

Jonas Follonier: The music platforms, in their very broad definitions, classify you in the folk/rock vein. How do you define your musical genre?

Billie Bird: I create such a wide variety of music—whether on my EPs or on stage—that I’d describe my music as hybrid folk. I like to give myself the freedom to explore very pop, very rock, or very soulful sounds. That sometimes gives my music a slightly mystical quality.

From the very first time I listened to your discography, I got the impression that your songs are becoming more and more pop rock and less and less folk. Am I wrong?

You're probably right. My latest EP, Les Déferlantes (2018) features a sound that’s clearly more pop-oriented. But what’s important is that it’s still songwriting. That’s why I’d describe my music not only as folk hybrid, but also as a song hybrid. Rock, however, remains a prominent influence both in the studio and on stage, with the guitar as the primary instrument.

By the way, I noticed there was no piano in your arrangements. That gives it a cleaner, more rock-oriented sound.

Absolutely. A few keyboard sounds here and there that I incorporated into two or three tracks, but no piano per se. The sounds are mostly in minor keys, although there are also some major chords at times. I’m trying to create a groove and at the same time a sense of depth. That's essential to me.

The Night, is the lead single from your penultimate EP, which shares the same title. Les Inrocks loved it. How does it feel to be praised by such a prominent cultural magazine?

I was overjoyed. It was an incredible honor. It’s a magazine I follow personally, and it’s a French publication, too. So I’m truly honored. As an artist, getting support from the media helps me a lot. It’s a huge boost!

«French-language pop inspired by the »80s,” wrote Stéphane Deschamps. Do you acknowledge the influence of the eighties?

Yes, absolutely. I was born in the ’80s and listened to a lot of music from that era, so it’s no surprise that all of that comes through in my songs, including The Night.

Another current artist, and a French one at that, who released a track entitled The night and inspired by the 1980s—that’s Juliette Armanet. Is she an artist you listen to?

I have to say that I hardly ever listened to Juliette Armanet until I went to see her in concert. Honestly, it blew me away. I thought her performance and her stage presence were amazing. And I think her live corresponds quite well to the live What I'm looking for: something very human and very musical, with a touch of self-deprecating humor.

Why did you switch from English to French in your songs between 2013 and 2018?

It’s a matter of being honest in what I want to say. I want to take on the challenge of not hiding behind words. You don’t mess around with the French language. This approach is demanding, and I like that. The switch to French has also allowed me to find my own writing style—one that’s both very rhythmic and rich in imagery.

What are your plans for the future?

In addition to my concerts, I’ll be releasing a new song in the fall, and another one will likely come out later that fall. I’m also working on an album. I’d love to get to ten songs, though with me, you never know what might happen! Maybe it’ll turn into another EP. In any case, I want to keep writing songs and sharing them on stage.

Write to the author: [email protected]

Photo credit: © Paléo Festival 2019