Pauline and Florent capture the essence of making touching, impeccable tunes – a mix of vibrant choruses and straight-to-the-point verses. They met in Aix-en-Provence, where they both attended college : seven years later, they’ve paired to create a whole bunch of edgy, fun, catchy melodies they are showing the world with their first album.
Working as a duet was the only tangible option. This is not as much a format as a magical equation : “We’re obsessed with duets”, they explain. “It is the best way to make music – even if additional musicians are required.” And so they wrote Fingers Crossed hand-in-hand – the work of a well-matched team. Listening to the album, one can feel their collaboration and music is not so much a male to female dialogue with different perpsectives and viewpoints but a perfect alchemy between them. Their sensibility and tone are complementary, their voices a perfect balance. They intertwine delicately the way they did back in the days when they enrolled in music showcases and played live in Parisian bars.
They never learnt music the usual way, or had an academic education. Instead, they have a very genuine, intuitive bond to notes and keys, the way harmonies should match or words should rhyme. English language flows naturally for them : “We’ve mostly been influenced by British or American bands,” Florent says. “We never even thought of singing in French. We both play guitar, Pauline also uses keyboards on stage. We may be limited technically but that’s a blessing in a way : we never felt restrained – instead, we have to focus on very sharp melodies and instant patterns. That’s our absolute goal. Our approach to pop music may sound pretty classic, but that’s the way we are.”
Their songs, honest and strong, are also a canvas for their feelings. «They’re little band aids to the soul,” they say, smiling. “Our lyrics are about love, fears, hopes, heartbreaks and scars. All those topics that matter to us have to be expressed in the simplest way… Same thing with our friendship : we have the strongest bond ever, but at times, the most conflicting one. » Just like those bands they worship, from The Libertines to Oasis, they have had ups and downs. Their stage name, Part Time Friends, is also another definition for their tight yet rocky relationship : “Sometimes, we just have to argue. But every time we manage to sort our problems out. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than our band.”
Ask them about their favourite artists, they’ll also name The Smiths, Oasis, Bill Ryder Jones or The Arctic Monkeys and their Submarine soundtrack : is it really a coincidence if Alex Turner’s wonderful influence can be heard on Part Time Friends’ first single, “Home” ? Their love of British craftsmanship is so big they’ve decided to record their album in Monmouth, Wales. Quite a rock city, it seems, as it already had two recording studios (MonoValley, where Pink Floyd, The Coral, the Gallaghers and our French friends set tracks down) when their young producer friend Tom Manning chose to have his own reording space there. Tom, who had previously worked with PJ Havey’s drummer and producer Rob Ellis, has been in charge of the production of this new album. Fingers Crossed was recorded during a five week prolific period : together with Pauline and Florent, they made the perfect team.
Fingers Crossed also features Ben Christophers’ (not only famous for his solo records but also for his work with Bat For Lashes) arrangements, British musician Bill Taylor on bass and Part Time Friends’ long time compañero and multi-instrumentalist Clément Doumic, who all turned those much-anticipated sessions into a happy place for experimentation.
Fingers Crossed is all about commitment, choices made and music dreams. It successively evokes Christopher Owens’ straighforwardness in composing, American dreams and great spaces, surfing the way the Beach Boys used to (on their future hit “Here We Are”), Hollywood fifties era (on “Johnny Johnny”) or the highly addictive and sunny French pop music of Granville, with whom they also recorded a track : “We really like the way they craft their songs,” explain Pauline and Florent. “Their music is simple, yet edgy, deeply human and therefore healing. We really hope this is something we have in common. Our collaboration was a memorable one for us”.
Part Time Friends melodies are also airy (on “Art Counter”), acoustic and abrasive (“Keep On Walking”), heart lifting and exotic (thanks to the Mariachi horns on “The Stain”), or instant and spontaneous (on “Don’t Give Up”, the opening track of the record). Fingers Crossed shows a band already at its best, gifted with many skills, twists and qualities.
Their future definitely holds promise.
Art Counter
Part-Time Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've come to talk with you again
I'm glad you're here
I'm glad you're back
I cried over you every night
When do you go back there again?
How long I get to hold your hand?
I hate the city where you live
Half of you is a part of me
And a part of me is half of you, still
Hello my friend it's me again
I've come to drink with you again
Finish your wine I'll get you out
Some boring place I go by night
You'll tell me everything about
'Bout minor chords and girls you've made out
Don't look at me this way please
Just close your eyes and feel the breeze
Half of you is a part of me
And a part of me is half of you, still
The song "Art Counter" by Part-Time Friends is a touching and poignant reflection on the nature of friendship and the bonds that bind us together. In the opening lines, the singer addresses a friend who they have not seen for some time and expresses their joy at being reunited: "Hello my friend it's me again / I've come to talk with you again / I'm glad you're here / I'm glad you're back". This simple exchange of greetings is infused with a sense of emotional depth, as the singer reveals that they have been feeling the absence of their friend and crying over them every night.
The second verse takes a slightly darker turn as the singer expresses their dismay at the geographical distance between themselves and their friend: "I hate the city where you live / It's way too far I can't believe". Despite this, they still yearn to hold their friend's hand and spend time with them: "When do you go back there again? / How long I get to hold your hand?". The closing lines of the song articulate the deep sense of connection that exists between the two friends: "Half of you is a part of me / And a part of me is half of you, still". This line seems to suggest that, despite the physical distance between them, the bond of friendship is strong enough to keep them connected.
Overall, "Art Counter" is a beautiful and moving song that explores the complexities of human relationships in a profound and heartfelt way. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, evoking a deep sense of nostalgia, longing, and love. The stripped-down acoustic arrangement of the song perfectly complements the raw emotional honesty of the lyrics, resulting in a truly unforgettable musical experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello my friend it's me again
The singer has reached out to their friend again
I've come to talk with you again
The singer wants to have a conversation with their friend
I'm glad you're here
The singer is happy to be spending time with their friend
I'm glad you're back
The singer is glad that their friend is back in town
I cried over you every night
The singer missed their friend a lot and cried about it
When do you go back there again?
The singer is curious about when their friend is leaving again
How long I get to hold your hand?
The singer wants to know how much time they have to spend with their friend
I hate the city where you live
The singer dislikes the city where their friend lives
It's way too far I can't believe
The singer finds it hard to believe that their friend lives so far away
Half of you is a part of me
The singer feels a deep connection with their friend
And a part of me is half of you, still
The singer recognizes that their friend has influenced them deeply
I've come to drink with you again
The singer wants to share a drink with their friend
Finish your wine I'll get you out
The singer wants to take their friend out of a boring place
Some boring place I go by night
The singer frequents a place they find boring
You'll tell me everything about
The singer wants their friend to confide in them
'Bout minor chords and girls you've made out
The singer is curious about their friend's romantic interests
Don't look at me this way please
The singer wants their friend to stop looking at them in a certain way
Just close your eyes and feel the breeze
The singer wants their friend to relax and enjoy the moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FLORENT BIOLCHINI, CLEMENT DOUMIC, PAULINE LOPEZ DE AYORA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SunSchrody
Hipster level: Over 9000.
@Thyagohills
What a voice, OMG! Incredible, I just loved it! Congratulations!!
@EmmaInCandyland
J'ai cru que c'était Luce sur le thumbnail xD
@clinton3570
So saaad !
j'aodre les musique que vos proposez en majorité je les enregistre, mais pas cette fois, ..Sooo saaad !
@paulinelucia4473
Euh.. Pourquoi cette nana est elle un décalquage de Luce...??
@romanefromage2764
Wtf? Rien à voir avec Luce... Et moi je donne 9000 points à the part time friends qui me redonne foi en la musique.