Revolver is a French pop

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

, formed in Paris, in September 2006.

Band

The group consists of: * Ambroise Willaume - Vocals, guitar, piano * Christophe Musset - Vocals, guitar * Jérémie Arcache - Cello, vocals * (Maxime Garoute - Drums)

Beginnings

Christophe Musset (vocals, guitar) and Ambroise Willaume (vocals, guitar, piano), joined by Jérémie Arcache (cello, backing vocals), composed their first songs in an apartment in Paris. Unable to make too much noise, they focused on their vocals and played mainly

acoustic instruments Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. While all music was once acoustic, the retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the adven ...

, describing their music as "pop de chambre" due to its similarities with

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

("musique de chambre" in French). Performing in small venues such as bars and friends' apartments, the band was discovered and signed by the Parisian label Delabel/

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

, releasing the ''Pop de chambre'' EP in early 2008. In June 2009, they recorded their first LP ''Music for a While''. Revolver toured France in 2009 with a few dates in Germany and Switzerland, adding

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

Maxime Garoute and using more

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

in their live performances. Although they sing in English, they were nominated twice at the French Music Awards "Les

Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...

" in March 2010, for "Révélation album" (Best Debut Album) and "Révélation Scène" (Best New Live Act).

Influences

* They chose English from the beginning because, being influenced by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

etc. it is the language in which their writing comes most naturally. In addition, it is easier to use harmonies in English than in French in pop music. * Jérémie has hardly ever listened to pop, he says it is

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, especially

the Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

which gave him the desire to become a musician, Christopher and Ambroise make him listen to pop more often and took him to see Radiohead at

Bercy Bercy () is a neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, the city's 47th administrative neighbourhood. History Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late Neolithic ...

in 2008 so that he would truly discover it. On the other hand Christophe admits he never listened to classical music. It was only with the group that he started listening to Bach. * Ambroise and Christophe say it is Elliott Smith that gave them the desire to get into the music and Christophe was listening to

Jean-Jacques Goldman Jean-Jacques Goldman (; born 11 October 1951) is a French singer-songwriter and music record producer. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world. Since the death of Johnny Hallyday in 2017 he has been the highest grossing living French p ...

as a child. Ambroise meanwhile, said he also loves kitsch stuff, such as

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

or the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

. They also meet every three to another point: for them is Radiohead the "greatest band in the world". * Their music is a bridge between pop and classical music or even the Renaissance or the Baroque and influence everything from Beatles to Bach, from

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

to Elliott Smith. In the group Ambroise is the bridge between Christopher and Jérémie because he is the only one with a culture that is both classic and pop. Songs that the group have covered during their performances include: *"

This Boy "This Boy" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). It was released in November 1963 as the B-side of the band's Parlophone single "I Want to Hold Your Hand". In the United State ...

", " Because" and "

With a Little Help from My Friends "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and sung by drummer Ringo Starr (as Sgt. Pe ...

" by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

*" Can't Help Falling in Love" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Helplessly Hoping "Helplessly Hoping" is a 1969 song by the American folk rock group Crosby, Stills, and Nash written by Stephen Stills, and using both alliteration and wordplay in its lyrics. They recorded the song at Wally Heider's Studio 3, Hollywood in December ...

" by

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, ...

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written for the film ''Dames'' (1934) when Dick Powell introduced it. Several successful recordings of the song were made in 1934; later, there we ...

" by

The Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and m ...

* " Balulalow" from ''

A Ceremony of Carols ''A Ceremony of Carols,'' Op. 28, is an extended choral composition for Christmas by Benjamin Britten scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. The text, structured in eleven movements, is taken from ''The English Galaxy of Shor ...

'' by

which Jérémie and Ambroise sang in chorus to the Master of Notre Dame de Paris when they were children. * "

Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You) "Nevertheless I'm in Love with You" (sometimes referred to simply as "Nevertheless") is a popular song written by Harry Ruby with lyrics by Bert Kalmar, first published in 1931. The song was a hit for Jack Denny in 1931, and was revisited in 1950 ...

" by

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

* "Monk" by

Mini Mansions Mini Mansions are an American band founded by Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford, and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman. Mini Mansions' style has been compared to The Beatles, Elliott Smith, and Fountains of Wayne (though this comparison has ...

Discography

Albums

* 2009 : ''Music for a While'' ** 2010 : ''Music for a While'' (re-edited with 5 bonus tracks on a second CD) * 2012 : ''Let Go''

EPs

* 2008 : ''Pop de chambre'' * 2011 : ''Parallel Lives''

Singles

*2009: "Get Around Town" *2010: "Balulalow" *2010: "Leave Me Alone" *2012: "Wind Song"

References

External links

*
http://www.froggydelight.com/article-7001-Revolver.html [archive
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/nowiki>br>Revolver chats with the mixtape
{{DEFAULTSORT:Revolver French pop music groups Musical groups established in 2006 Astralwerks artists Musical groups from Paris