ALEXANDRE GEOFFRION

We are very happy to feature a french soul on Good Morning Keith Diary.

Through this interview, discover Alexandre Geoffrion: frontman of Vénus d'Argent.

Hi Alexandre, could you tell us how you came to music? 

Hello Julien, Dear readers,

Music came to me actually. I was young and listening to my dad’s CDs, mostly classic rock such as Jimi Hendrix, the Stones and Led Zeppelin… mostly guitar heroes. I remember understanding what the musicians meant through their solos. I understood their feelings deeply, I could even relate some « words » somehow. I wasn’t speaking a word of english, so I made my own stories based on guitar solos. By 8 yo I started learning music and guitar.

And I think movies gave me another perspective on music. Pictures make music threedimensional. My mother took me a lot to the movies and told me how important the scores were.

I feel like music has to be pictured when played or listened. I kept the habit of playing eyes closed so I can imagine whatever goes through my mind.

Could you give us your 5 most important records? And maybe 5 that recently caught your attention?

First of all, should we define what « important » means! For the world? For music and its technical aspect ? Or maybe for me as a sensitive matter? I’ll try to mix it all!

1. The Beatle’s Abbey Road (1969)

2. Portishead’s Dummy (1994)

3. L’homme à tête de chou - Serge Gainsbourg (1976)

4. AIR’s Moon Safari (1998)

5. Sexuality - Sébastien Tellier (2008)

Answering this question is always so hard and breaks my heart… For the recent records : 1. The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth - Headache (2023)

2. Let’s Start Here. - Lil Yachty (2023)

3. The Burden of Fever Dreams - Ethel (2024)

4. Promises - Pharaoh Sanders and Floating Points (2021)

5. MOTOMAMI - Rosalia (2022)

What's your relation with clothes?

I love clothes, I love fashion, I love accessories.

Getting older I realized I was going deeper in my relationship with clothing. I wanna wear my stuff longer, I want the fabrics to get beaten. I want to feel the life out of my clothes. I love to bring a shirt for an alteration, to bring my black boots to the shoemaker to change a heel or whatever needs to be done in order to make it live longer.

When I fall on an old piece of clothing I had when I was younger, it immediately brings me back to that time. Clothes are not that important, it doesn’t define me that much. I am therefore I dress! But, they also define a part of me, sometimes thoughtful, many times moody… Most of the time just being rock’n’roll. You know, clothes are showcasing your mood… so let’s make it fun !

How do you choose your clothes on a daily basis?

The way I look matches the way I feel. Sometimes, I just wanna wear a black 3 stripes with a pair of boots, and old tee and some jewelry. Others, I wear suits - « rayures tennis », heavy blue, large lapels. I look outside, I look inside, and I go.

Does your choice of clothing play a role in creating your artistic identity?

Yes, absolutely.

With Vénus d’Argent, I created a « questionnaire », based on Proust’s one. The idea was to gather questions of my choice that’d by answering them define a personnality, a character. I gave the questionnaire to the members of the band and told them : answer whatever you want, but remember you’ll have to live with this character, to feel and breathe like this last.

And then were born Lazar, Suzàn, Snave & Vénus. When I play my music, I fit Vénus’ mind and boots. And Vénus has a precise idea of clothing : bootcut pants, 70’s suits, rayures tennis, sunglasses, silver rings. Somehow it’s a bit of me, and a bit of invention. Clothes became a part of my artistic identity. I always loved artists being identified by their accessories : Lagarfeld’s gloves, Tellier’s sunglasses, Daft Punk’s helmets…

Would you say your music has a color palette? And if so, do your clothes follow that palette too?

That is a very interesting question !

My music has a color palette, at least I can imagine synesthesia with navy blue, deep purple backgrounds and sometimes, strong colors randomly popping! Some pink, yellow or green: these are notes, moments, peaks. But I like my music to be a background, a strong landscape pretty single-looking first, and then, while slowly observing, you spot some details. You only have to follow the white rabbit, and a whole universe with many readings unveils.

Is there an item of clothing you would never dare to wear?

 Never say never!

In the opposite, is there a piece of clothing or an accessory that feels like a kind of “talisman” to you?

Sunglasses. Since I discovered the feeling of being on stage with sunglasses, it became an essential. I feel more connected to myself, I do not matter as much as before about people’s look, thoughts, faces. Being on stage demands a lot of dedication, to me. In order to make my story consistent, I have to forget I’m on stage. I have to forget Alexandre. Sunglasses make it easier.

How do you approach styling for the stage?

Passionately!

I wish I could be limitless about styling.

I wish I could style me and my band depending on each stage, each venue, each moment. And in the meantime, I love artists always wearing the same items. You know, keep one talisman, and have fun about the rest.

In Vénus d’Argent, some characters like Lazar are very extrovert wearing layers of fabrics and having crazy haircuts. Others like Suzàn or Snave are more contemporary, wearing loose suits and shirts. On stage, each and everyone has to feel free of movement, and ideally, people have to understand one’s mind by looking at ‘em.

So styling has both a purpose of aesthetic by making the characters stronger, and also useful since we’ve to feel comfortable.

If you could steal the wardrobe of one music legend — who would it be?

Miles Davis…

Please describe the look that enhances the most your music.

I always change!

Right now I’d say a remixed canadian tuxedo: wide tapered blue jeans on a blue jean shirt (a vintage beaten wrangler I have and worship), Husbands black boots, black sunglasses (balorama ray-ban) and silver custom jewelry made by my lover.

I could live with that look my whole life! 

What’s coming next for Vénus d’Argent?

Many, many things! Among them, secret ones!

But from october to december of that year, many songs will be released alongside video clips. I can’t wait to share them since I introduced new vibes in these tracks: some are influenced by UK trip-hop, others by counterculture movements. Pictures will be fantastic, since I’m lucky enough to work with two young and talented directors (Léa and Alix) also very influenced by the French Touch. Also, I’m lucky enough to work with a 3D artist for both clips and live. We’re working on vjing stuff to make music truly immersive and spontaneous.

You know, I feel like if I want my music to be inspiring, I have to work with different minds and let them understand my music their own ways. The same way you did with your photos! The same way I do with your clothes. 

Also, I’m very proud to open Johnny Jane’s Trianon on october the 24th. 

And, as a hint, we’re preparing a secret show on a very nice venue… Sound will be at its best but, enough Julien I said too much! 

As a parting question, what would you like listeners to take away from your work? 

As I always love to say, I’m an inside adventurer. I explore the inner territory of my brain, and most of the time it’s pretty hectic. But as a miracle, sometimes I grab a couple nice chords and ideas. At night I sleep and once I wake up I start dreaming. I hope people can make stories out of my songs. I hope it will make them think, dream, dare : feel. If you feel then you are turning your own words out of my notes. If so, we’ll forever be in one another’s heart.

Support your local independent record store and artists!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venusdargent/

Website: https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/1NvEeYFj5cxI7ynEAUtxFg?si=zmAct2nKQ2qyROGK49Jfng

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdytUBKZpHgAheuqEOpLkJQ