Lollapalooza 2024: Phoenix equates Brazil and Mexico, explains ‘mourning’ in ‘Alpha Zulu’ and recalls influences from Versailles

A decade ago, the Phoenix appeared at the Lollapalooza Brazil beside Arcade Fire. This year, the two bands return to the festival which takes place on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of March at the Autódromo de Interlagos, in São Paulo.

The event has gained new proportions — with a line-up that takes up three days a week and sponsors that generate huge queues by distributing exclusive gifts, for example — and there are those who say that the 2024 edition demonstrates that the Brazilian version of Lollapalooza is falling.

For the Phoenix, however, there were not many changes. “I think the same thing continues to drive us to the stage: a kind of connection with people,” he said. Thomas Mars in an interview with Rolling Stone Brazil.

The ten years that have passed have served to give the French group confidence: “We’ve done it so many times that now we’re more comfortable. If something goes wrong, if we make a mistake, I think we can make the best of it.”

The band’s setlist will also undergo changes, with the inclusion of tracks from two albums released after 2014. “We have two more albums, but I wouldn’t say that much has changed,” he argued. Mars. Alpha Zulu (2022) and I love you (2017) should paint in the presentation of the Phoenix in the country with the title tracks.

“I know the place, I know some of the bands that will play too”, he continued. The vocalist praised the Brazilian audience and compared it to the Mexican one: “It’s really cool to play there, because people sing along, they interact with you… There’s something more, the presentation is deeper.”

Mars indicated that he intends to watch national artists during his visit to Brazil. “I don’t know much about local artists, so these are the ones I want to see the most,” she confessed. He also revealed that he is “very curious to see the band that plays around 3pm”, which could correspond to the performance of Hungary on the Budweiser stage.

The French’s schedule is busy with shows on the tour that began more than a year ago. Meanwhile, they are divided between the stages and the recording studios, in which Thomas described it as “a transitional phase”. Although there are no signs of a new album on the way, the musician said that “anything is possible”.

“It’s pleasurable, because one thing feeds the other”, he pondered Mars. “The tour is almost over, so every show is very precious. We do our best and we know we’re going to miss it.”

Identity

The band formed by Thomas Mars, Arcy Deck, Laurent Brancowitz It is Christian Mazzalai was born in Versailles, France. Not surprisingly, the discography of Phoenix makes numerous references to what surrounded the artists growing up: French classicism. Daily life in the artificial city, with a palace where Louis XIV and his father were able to take refuge, it is part of the group’s influences.

We grew up in Versailles, which isn’t really a city, it’s more of a museum. We grew up in this strange environment that is beautiful. But at the same time, everything good happened in the past and no one wants you to disturb that environment. So, I think, over the years, the Phoenix became a playful band and perhaps a little provocative with everything that is classic, with everything that was around us. I think we love taking a lot of things from the past and making them our own.

A hit from Phoenix“Lisztomania” even makes reference to a supposed hysteria experienced by fans when watching the German Franz Liszt playing piano. “When I think about a song like ‘Lisztomania’, that sums it up a little bit. What we wanted to do was take some kind of historical DNA that we have linked to Europe and make it a little bit of our own,” he said. Mars. The musicians even recorded at the Louvre, which Thomas characterized as “luck”.

Although European influences guide the Phoenix, the vocalist chose to sing in English. “Well, we put in French words here and there, and we put in Italian words. I’ve sung in German before because my mother is German,” he recalled.

“I like the idea that I’m using a language that’s not my own. In some ways, it’s more creatively interesting for me, because I can be away from all my — I wouldn’t call it baggage…” he continued. Mars. “It gives you more freedom, more perspective and more objectivity. It’s also easier to speak on behalf of the band, if that makes sense.”

From the beginning, it was interesting for us, because no one was doing this in France. We were singing in English, but everyone wanted us to sing in French. All my favorite artists are nonconformists. We had this label of being nonconformists — which I thought would take years for us to achieve, but we got it right away.

Prince, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, My Bloody Valentine It is Pixies are among the artists that the son-in-law of Francis Ford Coppola likes to listen and to whom he attributes a certain pioneering spirit. “John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane — I think I could have simply said ‘the Coltrane‘ [risos]”, he added to the list.

Alpha Zulu

The title of the latest studio album by Phoenix it is the same given to a phonetic alphabet “used in aviation to spell words”, as reported by Guarulhos International Airport on social media. The homonymous track opens the album, while the closing song was included in On the Rocks (2020), film by Sofia Coppola.

In addition to serving as the soundtrack for the feature film starring Bill Murray It is Rashida Jones“Identical” pays homage Phillipe Zdara producer who died after accidentally falling from the balcony of a building in 2019.

Alpha Zulu It’s the first album we made without our producer, Phillipe Zdar. He helped us a lot over the years and he passed away when we were starting this record. We started making ‘Identical’ the day after his funeral. So, he was with us on this album, but ‘Identical’ was the first song. It seemed like the entire disk was connected to Phillipe Zdar, so it made sense for us to include this song. Maybe it’s the song most linked to him, through the lyrics and everything…

Soundtracks

Thomas Mars It is Sofia Coppola met more than 20 years ago, when the Phoenix participated in the soundtrack of The Virgin Suicides (1999). They continued working together in the band’s music videos and in films by the director of Priscilla (2023) over time. Already with two daughters, the couple made their relationship official in 2011.

Romy, the eldest, went viral on social media when she published a video on TikTok stating that her parents wouldn’t let her charter a helicopter. “It’s difficult for me to talk about it, because when you keep talking, it makes more noise, and it never ends,” he said. Mars. The singer, however, stated that he could talk about social media: “It’s a great tool, but it forces you to become a brand.”

Sofia Coppola on her daughter Romy Mars’ viral TikTok video:

“I got lots of compliments on her filmmaking. And comedy. She’s funny. But people discussing my parenting publicly is not what I would’ve hoped for.” https://t.co/R4sKCVbpS3

pic.twitter.com/oST0apmfgD

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 25, 2023

Making a bad comparison with agriculture: when a field is a bit tired, you have to give it a moment, a year or two, for the plantation to grow again. I feel the same way. I need time to think about my ideas, I can’t be active all the time. It helps to make something whole, even if that’s not how people consume music these days.

Thomas does not have its own social media account because it believes that the band’s profile is enough to satisfy the curiosity of internet users. Coppolain turn, started using Instagram very sparingly in 2022.