the dodoz

We left them on stage. We don’t really recall what month it was or the venue. We just remember the group and how they completely won over an audience that night that wasn’t necessarily behind them from the start. Their weapons? Disarming naivety, glorious stadium anthems, infectious assertiveness and – if you’ll excuse the word – an obvious freshness. So we left them on stage, which was where it all began for them. “We toured intensively after the release of the first album. We put together the second album live, adding new tracks to the set and improving them on stage. We learned more about how to write songs. We also grew up a lot and took a step back from what we were doing.” Think maturity. All in all, their progress was understandable. When you’re supporting world-famous names such as Franz Ferdinand, Babyshambles and Siouxsie, you naturally have to grow up a bit faster than other bands. We also have to remember that they were billed at the biggest festivals too (Solidays, Francofolies, Paléo, Art Rock). So while their first album symbolised adolescence, all its wildness and its need to kick out the jams and continually up the pace, this second effort marks the passage into young adulthood, when you’re aware of the ground you’ve covered and, although you’re still young at heart, you’re conscious of mistakes you should avoid in future.

“This record – or at least a good half of it – is nothing like we thought it would be when we talked about it. There are songs with more of a pop feel that fit the verse-chorus-verse-chorus template. Before, we wanted to use the technical skills we had on every track, but we don’t do that any more. It’s ironic: we recorded everything on tape and it could have sounded very garage, but it actually sounds more heavily produced than the first album when it isn’t.” The new record is called “Forever I Can Purr”. Jules, Adrien, Géraldine and Vincent can’t believe it’s being released on Dylan’s label or that they were lucky enough to be offered the services of Mike Crossey, who’d already worked with the Arctic Monkeys and Foals (among others) – major bands in their rock ’n’ roll education. Of course, they still kept their gang/family spirit alive: Peter Murray, who’s been with them from the start, has a production credit on the album. All this doesn’t surprise us that much. Head and shoulders above the rest since they started out, the band from Toulouse have long shown that they have the innocent charisma and catchy tunes needed (along with other things) for a lasting career. This second record is important and they know it. The results measure up to all the pressure and expectations.

“We write at home, on our own. We send each other our ideas and when we get together, that’s when the live part comes in. We don’t use any instruments in the studio that we can’t use on stage. Next – as we said – comes the live performance, which is an important part of the creative process. Some tracks, though – for instance “Ghost”, the first single – weren’t a product of live performance.” “Ghost” is a surprise – like the rest of the album in fact. What we remembered about The Dodoz was their way of stringing together disparate elements to create startling tracks, concise escapades to an unknown destination. Things are more direct here. There’s more pop, with all that’s tuneful and popular about the genre. The music is more daring too. For instance, the first single, “Ghost”. Then there’s the wild “Death In The Pocket Of His Coat”, the hip-hop flavoured “Black Emperor” that reflects the group’s eclecticism, the catchy “Dum Dum”, the dark, almost noxious “Liar” and the strong Television leanings of “Stroke My Curls”. All are there.

“When we formed the band, the main thing we wanted to achieve was simply people coming to a concert because of our name. And to release an album. We did that and we were happy. But then you dream of more. Now, for instance, we want to go to the United States. That’d be brilliant.” We’re not too worried about that, they’ll go there sooner or later. But although releasing an album was obviously the initial goal, bringing out a second one isn’t just the icing on the cake. They planned this record, put a lot of enthusiastic work into it, and here it is today. The Dodoz have realised a new dream. The next will inevitably be bolder, bigger and finer, like “Forever I Can Purr”. Bold. Big. Fine.