On Saturday, after four years, the French post-punk trio Je T’aime returns to Prague. Their new album “Useless Boy” brings unexpected impulses of pop and funk to the world of the trio. But even these did not diminish the spontaneity of the band’s sound, from which we can expect an equally intense, but more genre-colored experience. dBoy and Crazy Z. took their time and answered all the curious questions in the tour van. Read on and head to Prague’s Chapeau Rouge on Saturday, March 15. In addition, the Berlin electropunk duo Twin Noir will also energetically support them on the evening.

JE T‘AIME IS A BAND THAT BURST ONTO THE SCENE IN 2019 WITH A GREAT DEBUT ALBUM. AT THE TIME, ONLY A FEW PEOPLE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC SUSPECTED THAT IT WAS FOUNDED BY MUSICIANS WHO ALREADY HAVE A RELATIVELY RICH MUSICAL HISTORY. COULD YOU BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE IT?

dBoy: Before JE T’AIME, we were all active in different bands, mainly in the French rock and alternative scene. Crazy Z and I had played together in several groups, and Tall Bastard came from a different musical background but with a strong sensitivity to our sound. We all had our own stage and studio experiences, but JE T’AIME was something different from the very beginning.

IN JE T‘AIME, YOU HID BEHIND NICKNAMES. WHY?

dBoy: It was a way to create a stronger identity for the band, a sort of collective character. And there’s also something a bit mystical, playful about it, which we like.

Zoé : And it's just another joke the band plays on the public. It's more a question of funny nicknames based on reality than real pseudonyms to give ourselves a genre.
- dBoy is because his name is Daniel and he's very loud.
- I'm Crazy Z. because my name is Zoé and I'm a bit of a freak.
- And Little Bastard is because he's small and a… (laugh)

Je T'aime - Dance

WHAT WERE YOUR PLANS FOR THE PROJECT? WAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE A ONE-OFF PROJECT, OR DID YOU HAVE LONGER-TERM PLANS FOR JE T‘AIME?

dBoy: At first, we had no clear idea. We just wanted to release a first album and see what would happen. But very quickly, we got caught up in it, and the audience’s response was incredible. So what started as a spontaneous adventure became a long-term project.

AFTER THE DEBUT, YOU CAME STRAIGHT OUT WITH THE DOUBLE ALBUM "PASSIVE/AGGRESSIVE". YOU ENTERED A VERY CREATIVE PERIOD, AM I RIGHT?

dBoy: Yes, totally! After the first JE T’AIME album, we were on fire. We wrote so many songs that we didn’t want to choose. That’s why we made it a double album. There was also a real emotional duality we wanted to express, so the "Passive/Aggressive" structure naturally emerged.

Crazy Z. Moreover we were forced to do that. Because our very first tour at that time has been cancelled with the Covid, as everyone else. So we used this time to compose instead.

THE FIRST THREE ALBUMS ARE SAID TO BE CONNECTED BY A SINGLE STORY. COULD YOU REVEAL ITS STRUCTURE A LITTLE?

dBoy: It’s a triptych that tells the story of a descent into hell. The first album is about carelessness and the fall; "Passive/Aggressive" represents chaos, anger, and pain. There’s a real narrative in the lyrics.

Crazy Z : All this is told through the eyes of an anti-hero, a sad father figure, a failure, a man who hasn't grown up, or grown up badly, and doesn't really know how to act as responsible adult.

BOTH ALBUMS WERE SUPPLEMENTED BY REMIX ALBUMS PENNED BY A MYSTERIOUS PERSON CALLED ZUS. WHO IS THIS MUSICIAN? IS IT SOMEONE FROM THE BAND? ;)

dBoy: Haha, yes, Zus is Little Bastard. He has always had an experimental and electronic approach to music, and he wanted to revisit our songs from a different angle. We gave him total freedom, and the result is amazing.

Crazy Z : So please meet our new guitar player. Is was actually part of the band in the shadow way before he take the guitarist place. 

YOU HAVE BEEN TOURING A LOT SINCE THE BEGINNING. MAYBE MORE ABROAD THAN IN FRANCE. WAS THAT INTENTIONAL, OR DID IT JUST COME OUT NATURALLY?

dBoy: It happened naturally. Our sound has a very European identity, and we were quickly embraced by the post-punk and darkwave scenes in Germany, Poland, England… We love playing in France, but the energy abroad is incredible.

JE T’AIME IS RETURNING TO PRAGUE AFTER FOUR YEARS. YOU PLAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE FUTURUM CLUB IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COVID YEAR. HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THE CONCERT AND THAT TIME?

dBoy: It was a special moment. Covid made everything complicated, but we desperately needed to get back on stage. The concert in Prague was intense, like a catharsis. I have great memories of it.

Crazy Z: Me too. And we met some people that we are still close now, like Empathy Test, Bragolin, Then Comes Silence. I feel like we were a baby band at that time, but everybody took us seriously. I am happy to play come back today. 

IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THE ROOTS OF THE NEW ALBUM "USELESS BOY" ALSO COME FROM THE COVID ERA. CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT TRIGGERED YOUR CREATIVITY?

dBoy: No, in fact this new album was written and composed in a fortnight, still in Tall Bastard's house in Brittany, in June last year. It was during the writing of "Passive/Aggressive" that COVID was present, and that's what enabled us to write so many songs.

Crazy Z.: On the contrary, we wanted to close the triptych formed by the first 3 albums and start again from scratch on this new album "Useless Boy".
So we started from scratch in June 2024. After that, certain themes that we thought we'd put behind us came back. Like the ghostly return of our anti-hero, who writes his daughter a letter from the underworld.

ON THE ALBUM, TALL BASTARD IS NOT HERE, BUT LITTLE BASTARD. HAS TALL BASTARD SHRUNK, OR HAS A YOUNGER BROTHER TAKEN HIS PLACE?

dBoy: Tall Bastard simply asked us for permission to retire. Everything went very smoothly, he left at the end of 2024, and Little Bastard took over. He brings a different energy, more delicate and with maximum groove, but he fits perfectly into our universe.

THE NEW ALBUM SEEMS MORE COLOURFUL TO ME THAN ANYTHING JE T’AIME HAS RELEASED SO FAR. WAS THE GOAL TO PREPARE AN ALBUM THAT WILL BE SO COLOURFULLY DIVERSE?

dBoy: Yes, as mentioned we wanted to break some expectations. After "Passive/Aggressive", which had a very consistent aesthetic, we wanted to explore more textures and dynamics. It’s still dark, but with more nuances.

Je T'aime - Unbroken Sleep

A RELATIVELY LARGE AMOUNT OF ELECTRONICS IS ALSO NOTICEABLE ON A LARGER NUMBER OF SONGS. WHAT IS BEHIND THAT DECISION?

dBoy: We’ve always loved synths and electronic sounds, but this time, we wanted to integrate more of them. For an even more danceable sound.

Crazy Z.: Let’s say that we added more Depeche Mode in our very The Cure sound.

I AM SURPRISED BY THE FREQUENT USE OF FALSETTO. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR YOU, DBOY, TO SING SO HIGH? DO YOU HAVE ANY VOCAL TRAINING?

dBoy: As far as JE T'AIME is concerned, I hesitated for a long time before offering all my different voices. I was always afraid of shocking our audience. But now I don't give a damn. If the audience doesn't like it, it doesn't matter.

THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED IN THREE GRAPHIC VERSIONS. WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA, AND WHICH VERSION IS THE MOST POPULAR?

dBoy: It was a collective idea. We wanted each version to reflect a different facet of the album.

Crazy Z.: it is also a way of presenting our new guitar player Little Bastard, and underline the idea that we are monster with three heads, three very different personalities, and each of these are strong and important in their manner.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE THIS SEEMINGLY REPULSIVE SUBSTANCE ON YOUR HEAD?

dBoy: Absolutely disgusting! But it was worth it for the visual impact. Sometimes, you have to suffer for art, especially Crazy Z.!

Crazy Z.: I started the first; at least I had the chance that the substance was still hot, in this very cold studio photo (laught)

YOU HAVE BEEN ON AN EXTENSIVE TOUR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. IS PERFORMING CONCERTS FOR JE T'AIME THE MOST POPULAR ACTIVITY IN THE BAND'S LIFE?

dBoy: Without a doubt. The stage is where everything comes to life. The energy, the audience—it’s what drives us.

Crazy Z.: This is definitely one of the reasons to live of this project.

Je T'aime - Lonely Days (Live at Nantes, Le Ferrailleur - 2022)

YOU WILL BE PERFORMING IN PRAGUE TOGETHER WITH THE DUO TWIN NOIR. DO YOU KNOW THEM?

dBoy: Yes, we know them well! They’re cool guys, and incredibly talented. It’s going to be a great night.

THE ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT FOR TWO MONTHS NOW. SO WHAT IS THE BAND'S OTHER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, APART FROM TOURING?

dBoy: Keep writing, experimenting, maybe a new LP… and above all, never stop.

THANKS FOR ALL THE ANSWERS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN PRAGUE.

dBoy: Thank you! Can’t wait to see you in Prague—it’s going to be a memorable night!

Crazy Z.: See y’all!

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