Start Listening To: En Attendant Ana

Ahead of their captivating new album Principia, we caught up with En Attendant Ana and found out how this album differs from their last.

Since their 2016 debut EP En Attendant Ana have been dazzling their listeners. Now, their third album Principia is here, which is without a doubt their most sophisticated work yet. With Principia, En Attendant Ana have finally been able to shape their own album from conception to production. The joining of forces between Vincent Hivert and Margaux Bouchaudon has resulted in an entwining of technical and artistic skills that were present from the start of the album's creation. Vincent Hivert was able to bring a new dimension to their music as he worked on Margaux Bouchaudon's demos from a musical and production standpoint. Lastly, the two of them recorded and mixed the album together, merging their references and artistic goals. Here we speak with the band and learn more about what went into recording their new album.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and something about the music you make?

We are En Attendant Ana, a Parisian pop band. Actually we don’t all come from Paris but this is where we met throughout the years. Except for Camille and I who knew each other before playing music, we all met thanks to En Attendant Ana. Camille (trumpet, saxophone, guitar) and I created the band in 2014 and then Adrien (drums) joined us in 2017, Max (guitar) in 2018 and Vincent (who used to be our sound engineer and who now plays bass) in 2020. But most important, we are all really close friends who try to put in common our tastes and respective influences at the service of our songs. So lots of work and lots of jokes, perfect balance.

What inspired you to write Principia?

We wanted to make something different and challenge ourselves so we tried to deconstruct our artistic habits at every new step. It's not really an inspiration, but it's a kind of framework. Constraint can be very inspiring sometimes. We followed this principle at every step of the process: me when writing demos, the group when building up the songs. As far as the lyrics are concerned, I studied various written sources (scientific articles, political essays, litterature) and I drew on old researches I made when I was a student in art history. According to me Principia is a collection of observations (more or less poetical) on a world that we have more and more difficulties understanding.

What was the most difficult part of creating the album?

I started working on new songs right after we recorded our previous album, Juillet, with the very first drafts of The Cutoff or Same Old Story. I was completely sure about what I didn’t want but it was more complicated for me to explain what I precisely wanted. So I guess the first months of working on Principia were kind of frustrating because the direction was not clear enough for the other ones. We tried, experimented and failed a lot at first. Plus, we were locked down half of the time so it was really hard to find the right workflow. We even tried to work online (worst idea). But we finally found the right method, agreed on a common direction and it was on !

How does the band’s sound on Principia differ from that of your previous releases?

I think Vincent’s arrival, combined to our desire to change, really helped reshape the band. We found a new balance and tried to redefine everyone's roles. It was important for us to start playing with silences, slow down a bit, let each musician has a specific moment or take the lead and stop playing all at once all the time. Moreover, Vincent and I produced it together. Being both the creators and the producers of the songs allowed us to go even further into our artistic vision. I feel like that for the first time in En Attendant Ana, we brought the tracks exactly where we wanted them to go.

How was the album produced?

We recorded the album between 2020/2021 and 2022, during various recording sessions. Vincent & I are lucky enough to work for a recording studio (called Studio Claudio, which we run with our friends Alexis et Paul) and we are free to record whenever we want so that helps a lot of course. Then, Vincent and I, took some time to go back on each and every tracks and add layers of arrangements before stepping into the mixing process. It was an amazing experience for me, I learned a lot with him and I feel that it opened new paths for us to explore. Recording and mixing is probably my favorite part in the process of making a new record because I feel confident enough about the songs that are about to be immortalized and yet, everything is still to be done and possibilities are infinite. Being able to reach such a level of control over your music is thrilling and we’re both impatient to do it again !

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it?

I would say that it's pop, in the largest sense possible ! We were once categorized as "garage pop" and I think since the previous album, we've been trying to move away from that. Our references are mostly British and American but extremely varied. Our music is the meeting of all our influences, our tastes and our desires. It evolves with us, we evolve with it according to our moods, our meetings and our discoveries. So yes, "Pop" is fine !

How has the Parisian music scene influenced you?

Actually I think that we used to be very active in the Parisian indie life back at the time. We were playing in a lot of different venues and we were much more « involved » in it. Vincent was the main sound engineer in a great place called Espace B (that unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore), I used to organize gigs here and there or play DJsets, Adrien as well, we used to work with two Parisian DIY labels that we were very close to. It was a really nice period but as everything, it came to an end. We grew up and Covid rang the bell for a lot of the places we used to go to. I feel like there are no real « scene » anymore. In any case, we never really identified to any specific musical scene. We feel close to some bands we love and admire as different from us and from one another they can be !

What’s it like working with the record label Trouble in Mind?

It's the best ! We are so lucky. I feel very close to them, even though I've only seen them twice in person ! They have always been supportive, patient, enthusiastic and understanding. They are really passionate and strive to work towards their artists' best interests. They have provided us with opportunities we never dreamed of while remaining deeply human. All five of us are quite shy and anxious, so it's really the perfect kind of working relationship for us. I only wish Chicago was closer to Paris !

Name an artist you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why?

I'll speak for my bandmates, but I think we all still listen to a lot of the artists we discovered when we were younger. Sometimes we come back to it as inspiration, sometimes not. The link is strong because whatever happens, there is still a trace of those first loves. In a way, they guide our listening, our way of writing, structuring the songs or simply our tastes. Socially as well, they provoke meetings, create friendships. Even the most shameful things (which I won't mention here for the sake of our reputation…) !

What do you love right now?

We love the idea of touring together and playing these songs. We are impatient to defend the album properly this time.

What do you hate right now?

We hate many things. But for the moment, let's say our French government. No need to go on and on, they all need to be kicked out.

Are there any releases you’re looking forward to in 2023?

We are waiting for the release of Biche's next record. This is Alexis' band with whom we work at Studio Claudio. Vincent and Alexis work very regularly together, especially on Biche since Vincent is the live sound engineer of the band. They recorded this second album together and I had the chance to sing on some of the tracks. We can't wait for this album to be released and for the band to go back on stage !