French electro rockers Phoenix have spoken about the huge success of their new album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’.
Formed almost a decade ago, Phoenix have always lacked the crossover credentials of close friends Daft Punk. Their music was seen to be too probing, too intelligent to ever made a serious impact on the charts.
Until the release of ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ that is. A soaraway success, it established Phoenix as an international concern. Scooping a Grammy award, the band are now set to headline this summer’s Field Day event in London.
Speaking to BBC 6Music, singer Thomas Mars revealed that Phoenix always craved success. “I guess we always wanted success in a way,” he said. “But we always did music as a very selfish thing.
“But it comes at a time that we need this. Otherwise we would feel like a greatest hits band. We go and play in the US or England and people want to hear the new songs the most. They give us this opportunity to be contemporary.”
Phoenix are now planning to document their live show with a new download, available for free from their website. Speaking to BBC 6Music, Mars explained that embracing the internet has helped the band enormously.
“It feels like there is a new generation listening to us. There are kids that are on blogs that are aware of us. Whereas before we were stuck with traditional media.
The band previously gave away their single ‘1901’. “It felt like marketing suicide but people got into it. Then it became this weird phenomenon, and it became the most blogged song. Then more people listen to it.”
“And for the first time it felt like we were in control. We were giving away the music the way we wanted it.”
Phoenix’s new live album is available to download now from their official website.
