NEWSLETTER

IN THE NEWS

BIOGRAPHY

This Means War

Nom de Guerre is a French expression which means pseudonym, literally ”name of war”. Nom de Guerre is also the name of a power-pop trio who are just starting to make waves, and the name is certainly appropriate, because they seem to have declared war on conformity, trad-rock posing and predictable songwriting. Everything from the band members’ aristocratic-looking, self-designed clothes to their ingenious, dynamic songs and slightly twisted lyrics feels refreshingly different. We had a quick chat with members Hector, Louis and George de Guerre and tried to stop them interrupting each other.

Describe your music, but keep it brief.
LdG: OK… I think that we play fun, imaginative pop which makes people happy. With plenty of fuzzed-up bass solos.
GdG: So far people have compared us to Blur, Queen, The Beatles, Madness and Abba if that helps at all.

You have a pretty original sound.
HdG: Loads of people have said that! Maybe it’s because we have a slightly unusual line-up (piano, bass, drums), or because we use backing vocals so much? We do like to experiment a bit.
GdG: We get a bit carried away sometimes...

Your album gets rather grandiose in parts, with lots of vocals like you said, and strings, synthesizers and horns as well. How do you manage live, seeing as there are only three of you?
LdG: We’re a bit louder and ruder live. We do the best we can, but we can’t fit in everything from the album. But we are pretty good at doing lots of stuff at the same time!

How did you come up with the name Nom de Guerre?
GdG: Well, our surname is de Guerre so it seemed like an obvious choice…

Agreed. Why did you decide to make your own clothes?
HdG: Louis's other job is as a clothes designer. He does all our outfits himself so we can wear whatever we want to. It’s easy to stand out and look a bit different!

Your song “Kimberly” features a girl speaking French on an answering machine. Is that Kimberly herself?
HdG: That’s right. She lives in Paris so we recorded her down the phone.

Of course. You also have a song called “UFO” which is about being abducted by aliens. Is it based on a real-life experience?
LdG: George is terrified of little green men, so you’d better ask him.
GdG: It’s true, I have a serious alien phobia. But let’s change the subject shall we?

OK… What are your plans for the future?
GdG: We’re releasing our debut album in January 2007 through Dead Frog Records, so we’re busy making a video, taking new photos and stuff like that. Then we’ll hopefully play as many gigs as possible. We’re also working on a few songs for the next album too…
LdG: …and we’ll be expanding the Nom de Guerre clothing range during the spring as well.
HdG: We like to keep busy!

Interview by Johan Ohlson

Reviews

“"La la la" is a perfectly produced album, which shines due to songs like "UFO", which recalls memories of Madness, The Specials or the Beach Boys at the same time.”
WITH LOVE - THE UNDERGROUND

“"Kimberly" and "Everland" (the outstanding gem on the album!) are quite lyrical and tender. Altogether, the album is a cohesive and coherent piece of work. ”
Bullshit Boomerang

“An extraordinary band. Their Power Pop mix with a fuzzy bass guitar, pumping drums and simple piano sounds makes the listeners dance or dream away.”
Pottersfield

“Fans of tough pop music or smart indie-rock will get their money worth for sure. Nom de Guerre«s live performance will satisfy you a hundred per cent Ð this CD definitely satisfied myself wholeheartedly and will not get dusty in my shelves. I can award 10/10 points here.”
Venue Music

“You will sit in front of your speakers with a permanent smile on your face and especially songs like "So Long Sister" will seduce you to sing along at the top of your voice. Fans of tough pop sounds and alternative rock will definitely like the guys from NOM DE GUERRE. I do for sure! ”
Baldymod

“The songs spread a good mood, they are catchy but yet they«re not irrelevant. Songs like "So Long Sister", "UFO" and "Everland" activate you to sing along and they could definitely bring some alternative parties to the boil. There is no real weak point on this album. They are innovative, prepared to take risks and they are authentic. ”
Powermetal.de

“And if I can't impress Barbara, I've still got the muzak of NOM DE GUERRE, which will beam me away into the one-dimensional world of sound, where I play the bigshot, chic and charming, and where teenagers adore me as if I was a Beatle. ”
Underdog Fanzine

“This week’s hit is a varied and unconventional tune which is also a mightily impressive piece of songwriting. […] With a bold attitude [Slack vs Lame] takes us on a dizzying musical journey which contains quite a few unexpected twists and turns. […] To sum up, this is a wonderfully innovative trip, which also upholds the legacy of old legends like The Beatles and Queen.”
Digfi.com (reviewing Slack vs Lame).

“This is a beautiful band. They dress stylishly. Conduct themselves elegantly. But above all, they sound stylish.”
Per Lundberg from Groove no 8 2006.

“Not only do Nom de Guerre play some wonderful pop music, but they offer perhaps the best band shirts ever offered for sale by a band: tailor-made, double cuff dress shirts designed by the bassist for measley 70 euros! Other offers available for purchase include your name in a song, an entire song about you, and even an entire album about you. If only I were the Russian billionaire with some spare cash whom Nom de Guerre is hoping to court, I'd buy Blackburn Rovers, then buy half the Chelsea squad (and no, not Lampard) and have them warm the Blackburn bench cause that other Russian billionaire must be getting bored by now, and then have Nom de Guerre write albums about each member of my family. But in laying out the required payment, I would insist on the formula of "So Long Sister": dirty bass, swliring keyboards, and plenty of la la's and other sing-along harmonies. Oh, and some of those dress shirts. What is the dollar-to-euro exchange rate these days anyway?”
Clay, 3hive.com

"No os equivoquéis, no se trata de una típica banda de rock francés. Nom de Guerre es un trio de pop basado en Estocolmo, Suecia. Pueden descubrir el universo elegante y refinado de esta pop « stylish » en su página web. Ironía, humor pero sobre buena música. Esperamos que pronto conquisten España con su nuevo sonido."

"Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a typcial French rock band. Nom de Guerre is a pop trio based in Stockholm, Sweden. You can discover the elegant and refined universe of this stylish pop on their website. Irony, humour but above all good music. We hope that they conquer Spain with their new sound soon."
www.ubikeuropa.eu