It was a missed appointment. We would have liked to interview Coline Rio in March, for the release of her first album, What will remain of us. We fell under the spell of these thirteen titles whose melancholy nestles in the soft voice of the 26-year-old author and performer. But our respective schedules did not allow it. The reissue of the opus with five additional songs, What will remain of us (and more), delivered this Friday, was the perfect opportunity to reschedule this meeting. In the meantime, Coline Rio has gained notoriety. In September, she won the Coup de cœur trophy from the Académie Charles-Cros, which rewards the best French-speaking records by young talents. It also exceeded 6 million streams on platforms. And she has a string of concert dates – which seems to be the most important for her who, during our discussion, never failed to emphasize her love of the stage.
Is an album reissue now a necessary step for an artist?
No, I don’t think so, but it’s lucky to be able to do it. I did not think about it. It was my producer who suggested it to me. I took it as a bonus to go back to the studio and say more things, clarify who I am and what I want to say. Normally, a reissue is made up of titles that had been recorded but were not retained. This was not the case for me. Landscapesfor example, I had started it a year earlier and I was able to finish it. After the silence, I wrote it during the month the record was released. The oldest is The Death of Lovers written in 2019 and which I completely retransformed in the studio.
You said in your note of intent that “What will remain of us” tells what made you up. So these five unreleased songs reflect the person you were when the album was released?
Completely, I zoomed in even more on what makes who I am: my memories, my doubts, my fears, my questions, my love stories. Regarding the sound, what we did in the studio, the affirmation of a true electroacoustic mix, these are the premises of what I want to go towards. I also did my first song on guitar, After the silence. This announces the sequel.
How did you experience the release and reception of the album?
I didn’t expect anything. I didn’t know what to plan. I got a lot of sensitive feedback, from people who were deeply moved and upset. I find it crazy. I’m also happy to see that it allows me to play a lot. With the album, my tour manager and I had more proposals, beautiful sets. Live is very important to me. I never stopped singing, even after my group, I launched my solo project.
Your group is Inuït, which you joined when you knew from the start that you wanted a solo career…
That’s it ! Around 15, I played concerts in small festivals in my region [elle est originaire de Nantes] and that’s how I met the guys I was in the band with. I warned them that my solo project was my priority, but Inuït took it, so we went all out. We toured a lot for four years. When the six of us decided to take a break, I resumed my solo project. They have launched some things of their own, we are all super fulfilled at the moment but the group is not finished, there has been no split [de séparation].
Among the members of the group, Pierre Cheguillaume and Alexis Delong worked on the first album, also very noted, by another Nantes artist: Zaho de Sagazan…
I know her well. She is awesome. It was a real chance to see her record in our studio in Saint-Herblain (Loire-Atlantique), it’s crazy to have been able to see this project grow so quickly. In the music, I recognize the touch of my friends.
In your album, there is a lot of talk about nostalgia, the shadow of death. Are you a melancholic?
I feel a happy melancholy, a sweet melancholy. I am a very joyful person in life, motivated, always in action. I need to do lots of things all the time – it also goes with the fear of death, we want to be present, we fear missing things, that it passes too quickly. It’s not sick, it’s more a reflection on the meaning of life. I’m a fan of Leonard Cohen, this kind of atmosphere… I tend to marvel, which goes hand in hand with melancholy: there is the desire to magnify simple things.
Did you expect the Charles-Cros Academy Prize?
It was a surprise, I didn’t know it and it was a great discovery. It’s always nice to have a prize. It was a great evening, I met lots of great artists. I said to myself “I’ve been listened to, my album is recognized there. » It’s something extra to help you move forward. But my greatest validation is the feedback from the public, the fact of having concert dates…
Would you be interested in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest?
Not really, it’s not in my culture, I don’t have a TV culture. I have nothing against it though. And then, I love Barbara Pravi and, as she did, I found her super classy… so, I don’t know.
What songs from your repertoire should you listen to first to know who you are?
Monsters because there is the piano voice which is the basis of almost all my compositions and that, in the text, there is this idea of reflecting on life. We should also listen to a more orchestrated song because that’s also a big part of my creativity. SO Say goodbye where we hear guitar strumming. A spectrum opens up in terms of arrangements.
What does your audience look like?
My audience is cosmopolitan, there are lots of different ages, I love it. Children, teenagers, thirty-year-olds, fifty-year-olds, older people… I noticed that they are sensitive people, at least the ones who come to see me. After concerts, I really enjoy talking to people. Many of them are emotional, with tears in their eyes, they have something deep inside their skin that touches me.