Learn more about Paranoid Waves' album “Alright Then”

After years working in the music industry I'm still amazed by the fact that I'm discovering every single week new promising up and coming bands. Really happy to introduce you guys today to the French rockers Paranoid Waves! Mathieu, the lead singer, took time to answer a couple of questions for us. Check out what we talked about below. [caption id="attachment_202317" align="alignnone" width="618"]
Picture by @Thebaleton / @paranoidwaves[/caption]

Hey Paranoid Waves! For those who might discover your band via this interview, would you mind introducing yourselves?

Hi there! We’re so pleased to be featuring on Distrolution’s socials. That’s really kind of you, it shows the world you have great taste in music. So we’re a bunch of lads, northern souls from Lille (France) playing vivid english indie rock. There is Romain (guitar), Arnaud (drum), Ryan (bass) and me, Mathieu (lead singer and guitar). The band is before everything else, about friendship, laughters and love bites as we’re all full of energy and really heated by music and stages… A weird chemistry overflows then and makes us what we are, whatever it is ahah. Is it too long?

You’re based in Lille, France. What are your thoughts on the underground music scene here?

Lille is a great city, full of great artists, bands and beautiful people, but what we do is quite dying. When we started the band, there was plenty of rock bands hitting grounds and shaking crowds… Now, it’s quite different: less venues, more French variety artists (talented though). That’s the first side but some rock bands out there are still buzzing, making the city sweaty and giving us some competition haha.

You have revealed your album “Alright Then” a few months ago. What’s the best way to describe it?

Well, “Alright Then” is a whole trip. It’s a flashpoint, a rocket, a volcano, but also a calm sea enlighten by a pretty sun. End of the metaphor. Like in your life, you’ll be surrounded by a whole rainbow of feelings. Every song has its color, you just have to define it yourself. The songs are what they are: catchy bangers, mellow balads and sunset anthems.

Who’s Tom Warren, the main character of this album?

I am Tom Warren, you are Tom Warren, we’re all Tom Warren. Tom Warren is everybody, anybody. It’s the kind of character that everyone can link with. He’s struggling, moving on, experimenting and completing its journey all the way trough life. We’re joining him trough the songs. There’s a bit of me in it as a bit of Romain, Arnaud and Ryan also. Tom’s the embodiment of us all: our joys, frustrations, waitings, achievements, questioning, resiliencies…

How would you describe your writing process for this record? How do you split the roles within the band?

Well, it’s a band effort. We’re all equally included in the making of it all, but we certainly have an organized way to create. I create the songs, acoustically, music and lyrics, and everyone is bringing something, lead guitar, drums, bass, musical arrangements… Let’s say that I bring the pasta, and we’re all making the recipe to turn it into a group effort where everyone in the band put a bit of himself in it. The songs are my songs until they became Paranoid Waves’ songs.

I noticed on your socials that you are often playing shows. Is there one show that really stood out to you? If yes, which one and why?

It’s been years and years now since we first went on stage for the very first time all together. Every show has its whole story that we’ll be proud to tell to our kids. I’ll probably start to tell how we rock London 3 times and how we manage to stick together trough thick and thin. If I had to pick, I’d Say @aerolille, @Thedublincastle, and @Lebiplan where something beyond words happened between me and the guys. I saw fire, pride and hunger in their eyes and I’m quite sur they saw it in mine too… It lasted a few seconds but this memory goes on forever. That’s quite a good legacy and good stories to tell when the bell will ring. It's like a fight, doing a gig, you know? We are kind of a Mike Tyson band. Just come in fucking blazing, knocking everyone out. We’re not aiming to do 123 rounds but we deliver solid songs, shooting stars in your skies. It beats the darkness, just for one hour.

The last words are for you. If you have any other projects in the making or a message to convey here's your chance!

We’ll be recording some new songs really soon… So, as they say, stay tuned and enjoy a whole new ride with us. We’re also thinking of touring again in London. Thanks you for the interview, we had a blast! We’ll send you a copy of Alright Then [❤️]