Nouvelle Vague

Marc Collin never anticipated creating a fifth album for Nouvelle Vague, the project he started in 2003 with the late Olivier Libaux. Initially, he had no intention of working on another album until he met vocalist Alonya, whose captivating performance at his studio inspired him to pursue it further.

Two decades after their debut album unexpectedly became a phenomenon, spending nearly a year on the French charts and selling hundreds of thousands of copies globally, Collin reflects on the journey. He recalls how their American tour became a whirlwind, with multiple shows daily for various audiences. The band’s unexpected success was driven by their raw enthusiasm and the musical talents of Olivier and Camille Dalmais, who later enjoyed a successful solo career.

The unexpected rise of Nouvelle Vague coincided with a growing resurgence of interest in post-punk music. Their covers of tracks from bands like XTC and Joy Division came at a time when the influence of that era was beginning to shape the sound of bands like Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, and LCD Soundsystem. In the 1990s, the music scene was focused on newer styles like drum and bass and trip-hop, with little attention given to post-punk influences. Nouvelle Vague’s album helped bring that music back into focus, even before the release of films like Control.

Collin reflects that Nouvelle Vague was initially conceived as a one-off project to pay tribute to the songwriting of the post-punk era through bossa nova interpretations. Unlike his other short-lived projects—from house music with Eric Rug to film scores and atmospheric compositions with Living Gods of Haiti—Nouvelle Vague’s impact was unexpectedly enduring. What began as a single idea evolved into something that continues to occupy a significant place in his life, even 20 years later.