Representing the European contingent of the Permanent catalogue, Paris-based DIY “weird punks” Cheveu are making the most of the worst Casio technology. Picked up by Permanent after a performance at the label’s record store in Chicago, the rest is black vinyl history. As the Permanent website has it, “they sound like The Fall on acid but you know, Frencher.” WMO caught up with David LemoÎne, their singer.
By Ananda Pellerin
Who else is in Cheveu? Etienne Nicolas plays guitar and Olivier Demeaux plays drum machines and keyboards. I use effects pedals and things that modulate the voice, so I use three or four microphones on stage, which makes it look like Fidel Castro talking to the people.
Would you say ‘cheap equipment, big noise’ is a good way to describe your sound? That’s the idea. We have very cheap equipment and we try to have a cheap sound that we also try to make as loud and powerful as possible. They call us weird punk. It’s kind of a dirty garage rock with a psychedelic dimension. And drum machines.
In the past you’ve supported The Black Kids. How did that happen? These are friends we’ve had for like, 10 years, well before they signed to Vice and became the big band they are now. So it’s kind of fun, we still play some shows once in a while together.
Who did the rather incredible artwork for your last LP? It’s a guy called Chaix, an art brut guy. He’s an old grandfather in Paris who’s completely unknown, and he sits in his kitchen drinking and smoking cigarillos.
Is your sound unique in Paris? We like to say that. We don’t have any friends, we feel close to our favourite drum machine.
What’s the scene like in Paris? It’s not as fun as it should be. The town centre is very small and super dense; you can’t have as many artists’ places and squats as you have in Berlin or London. But it’s definitely the city in France that offers the most.
Does the band visit the states much? Every few years we try to make it to Chicago and Detroit where we have a lot of fans.
Do you ever play London? Once in a while, but the conditions are hard. Mostly you get no drinks and you’re not paid well. Bands know England is difficult. 
Cheveu on myspace
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