Barrice Sobolev was born in Georgia in 1984. After living in Kazakhstan, his family eventually settled in Greece, where he grew up and developed his career. He was one of the five contenders of Eurosong 2015, the Greek selection for Eurovision, with "Ela", but he didn't manage to take the ticket to Vienna. His most recent single is "Zitima zois kai thanatou", a very modern pop song with a touch of dance beats.
Ecaterine Delia Mircsov is a Romanian singer from Timsoara. Her latest single has captivated our souls: "Flacari in rai" is a pop ballad with a gentle and delicate start which grows to an explosive chorus with R&B beats and a marvellous display of Ecaterina's voice.
Born in Leeds in 1996, Luke Friend took part of the tenth season of The X Factor in the United Kingdom. He ended up third in the show, but that was just the beginning. His latest single is "Hole in my heart", an anthemic and very emotional pop ballad.
Updated on April 2nd, 2017, with the official video.
Another Monday with an interview! This time, we go to France, where we chatted with two singers who are unique in several aspects: style, genre, cultural background, the uncommon formation of a male duo... and we covered all these topics on our talk to them. These are our 10 questions for Pier and Flo, of Cassandre:
Sounds European!: We always like to know about the music background of people we interview. So, what kind of music did you use to listen when you were younger? What artists were your idols? And when and how did you start giving your own first steps in music?
Cassandre: We had different idols. Flo was more impressed by international pop music like Michael Jackson or the British pop music his parents used to listen to: Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Visage... I grew up learning to play the piano. I used to listen to French repertoire like Edith Piaf, classical music with masterpieces of Beethoven and Chopin, for instance. Flo learnt on his own to play the piano. It's another way to make music.
SE!: How did you two meet and how was Cassandre born?
C: Cassandre was born as soon as we got to know each other at the university. We liked the same songs and we wanted to go to the same direction, considering our musical project. We just had a try and it was so simple, so natural to work with each other, that this nice project was suddenly born.
SE!: You have a passion for literature and aesthetics. How is that reflected in your music? Does that also influence your visual presentations? Which artistic works have inspired you the most?
C: We love literature, especially the 20th century and Victor Hugo. The Greek mythology is also a big inspiration, and not only in our texts (the myth of Icarus, Ulysses, Orpheus). Our name, Cassandre, also comes from the Greek mythology. It's a marvelous world of stories where nature meets poetry. We also love the monumental paintings of the 19th century with historical and mythical themes. We love the esthetics of Jacques-Louis David, the lighting in his paintings is fabulous, the figures are heroic and impressive. For sure, it influences our visual presentation.
SE!: Comparing to other countries, we see the French pop scene as very unique. France produces pop with elements which are totally different from what we listen in the rest of the world. We see that very clearly in the music you two produce. How would you describe your own work and your genre?
C: It's a kind of mixture between British pop music with several sounds coming from the '80s, but also a culture of French variété – it means a different way of singing and of writing. Our texts are in French, that supposes to have another type of melody, to melt the melody with our French words. Maybe, we are a bit more melancholic than the British pop is.
SE!: You are two of the few French artists who risk singing in English, as we saw in some covers you've made (Lady Gaga, for example). Do you think it's still hard to break the English-language barrier in France? Would you consider producing tracks in English for an album of yours?
C: We're not considering to write any text in English. At least not for the moment. But we love to sing in English though, especially when we produce a cover. There is no English language barrier today in France. Just listen to Christine and the Queens, who writes her texts in both languages. You just need to find a good balance and choose the text that suits your identity.
"We love being a duo and we just don't care if it's not so common in France, it's our identity" (Picture: official Facebook page)
SE!: You are authors, composers and performers. Which part of the process do you enjoy the most and why?
C: We love every part of the process, but for different reasons. We consider writing texts together a chance. We see the world with the same point of view, with the same eyes, with the same colours. Each word we write will fit to both of us. Therefore, it's really pleasant to produce music together. When we perform our songs on stage... then, it's another feeling, the feeling of giving something after building it, after hiding it just like a treasure. And while you're giving it on stage, you get something in return. It's a kind of energy nourishing all your body, all your mind.
SE!: Male duos aren't very common in the current worldwide pop scene. How does it work for you guys? What are the pros and cons of being a male duo? And, since it is rare to see one, do you consider it to be a differential?
C: Male duos are not so common, that is true. We never think it could be a problem even if we know that French radios would feel a bit confused when they see our videos for the first time. Being a duo is a strength and it increases all the vocal possibilities that we would not have alone, especially on stage. We love being a duo and we just don't care if it's not so common in France, it's our identity.
SE!: Your single "Ma révolution" was elected one of the top 50 songs of 2014 by our site. And we are very excited to know what your next steps are. What are your plans for the near future?
C: We are now presenting our new single "Nos cœurs libres", which is a midtempo ballad. We will certainly make a music video soon and we're considering to make a few concerts in Paris this year. Now, we need to go on stage, it's the second step after producing our album.
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some French and international artists you'd like to collaborate with?
SE!: We would like to post a song of yours to close this interview. What is your favorite song of yourselves, and why?
C: It depends on how we feel. Right know, we'd say "Nos cœurs libres". This is a song about the search for a balance between people. Currently, there are so many conflicts, so much disrespect for nature and living things around us. We hope that one day, humanity finds a balance in harmony with nature.
Matt DeFreitas, Tom Joseph Law and Curricé. Two Englishmen and a Spaniard, all of them YouTubers and singer-songwriters, who decided to gather up in British trio Cahoots. And because the mixture wasn't explosive enough, they decided to invite Swedish (also YouTuber and singer-songwriter) Roomie for their latest single. The result is "No money", a contagious and totally captivating pop track!
Prāta Vētra (also some times called BrainStorm) is a Latvian band from the city of Jelgava. They are a huge success in Latvia, and their new single "Ziemu apēst" is already hitting the top places in the charts of national radios. It's an extremely beautiful song, with very good instrumentals.
Born in Izmir in 1987, Gökhan Keser is a Turkish singer, actor and model. This year he released his fourth album, and it came alongside the single "İnlerim Allah". The song is a fantastic pop with electronic touches and that unmistakable Turkish sound that makes it even more addictive!
Jelle van Dael is a Belgian singer who was born in 1990 in Opglabbeek, Belgium. She is also known as the lead singer of the famous group Lasgo. Now on solo work, she has just released "Another day", which is a very cool pop track.
Mallory Knox is a British alternative rock band from Cambridge. They are working on their second album, "Asymmetry", whose new single is "Getaway". What a great song it is! The mix of amazing vocals, excellent instrumentals and an explosive melody, with a very catchy chorus, is everything you can expect from rock 'n' roll. Well, we surely did get everything we expected: it's our song of the week!
We've showed you Edgaras Lubys some months ago when he released "Karnavalas baigės". The Lithuanian singer is back with a very cool pop-rock song: interesting verses, intense choruses and a magnific orchestration is what "Gyvenk" has to give!
