Travel can act as a point of inspiration, a way of opening artists up to fresh influences.
In the case of Francois & The Atlas Mountains, a trip to Africa in 2013 helped re-configure the way they approach making music.
Playing shows in Ethopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Benin, the band hooked up with local musicians along the way.
Recording a series of tracks, the band have decided to plunder these archives for their new EP. 'L’homme Tranquille ' is out now, a bewitching collection of songs which fuse outrageous imagination with an inquisitive songwriting sensibility.
With this in mind, Clash invited Francois (& The Atlas Mountains) to take part in Good Trip, Bad Trip. Here are their answers…
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Best Trip…in 2014
Was to reach the island of Vlieland in the north archipelago of the Netherlands for the Into The Great Wide Open festival. It's a remote place with no cars, lots of forests and an art installation throughout the woods. One felt surrounded by nature. Otherwise touring Africa back in 2013 was really out there too.
Worst trip…
Was staying at some weirdo's house in Dusseldorf where we woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of our host taking pictures of us in our sleep.
My favourite foreign venue…
Le Parc des Stars, an outside bar in Ouagadougou. Local musicians play there all night.
We are surprisingly popular…
On the Isle of Eigg, maybe.
Best or worst exotic foodstuff…
The worst ever is the food on the China Southern Flight to Australia. They even had the letters V O M T on the food trays. My best meal memories were with Camera Obscura in Mexico, fresh lime juice over everything.
The most interesting individual I've met on the road…
Etienne Daho a very popular French singer who was living a discreet life in London. He came to see us at a gig in London and we became friends.
Worst on-tour injury, accident or infection…
Food poisoning in Benin and Ethiopia. The bacteria was called a Shigella. The name says it. We spent a day at the hospital when we got back to France.
My essential travel item…
A watercolour pad and a sketch book.
My essential travel tip…
Drinking Eau de Melisse de l'abbé carmet before a plane journey. A herbal remedy to put you to sleep.
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'L’homme Tranquille' is out now.
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