“This is our first three-way interview. "In the premises of the Parisian, Monday April 26, Christophe Mali, Guizmo and Daniel Bravo smile but find it difficult to hide their emotion. For the first time in twenty-five years, Tryo is once again a trio. Manuel Eveno, founder and hat guitarist, has decided to take to the seas. But before leaving, he recorded an album with his friends, "Chants de batailles", which should be released at the end of August and from which is extracted a first song, unveiled this Thursday with its video clip. “En marche en replay”, a reference to the political movement in power, is a gentle pamphlet against “the Prince of the Elysee, who is isolating himself in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré”. One year before the presidential election, the musicians want to take up new challenges and explain to us why.
You were still four on your social networks at the beginning of January.
You come back to three.
What happened ?
TRYO.
This is Manu's decision.
In January, when we started talking about the scene, he told us about his desire to change his lifestyle, his desire to stop touring.
He hasn't told us about any projects and wants to continue making music differently.
There you have it, there was no argument, no anger.
How did you receive his decision?
Like a blow from a club.
We were finishing our new album together in Brussels, Manu had done the guitars, the choirs, participated in the arrangements, the vocal harmonies… Obviously, it was initially hard to take.
We've been together for twenty-five years, it's a long story of friendship and Manu was essential in Tryo.
But we can understand that, after so much time on the roads at a frantic pace, at the dawn of our fifties, one of us wants to move on.
Besides, that forced us to question ourselves as well.
Do we still want to fight, to chronicle a changing world?
And you answered ...
Of course !
After a few days, this challenge even energized us and opened new doors.
After twenty-five years, it's good to be a little afraid, to step out of our comfort zone.
We're just starting the rehearsals, forming a new team for the stage.
But we reassure you, we are not going to replace Manu by a guitarist with a hat and a high voice
(laughs)
.
Moreover, we will always invite him to play with us and he will obviously be at the AccorHotels Arena (ex-Bercy) to celebrate the twenty-five years of the group, on February 12, 2022. Finally, the twenty-seven years of the group… But after four postponements, we hope that it will finally be the right date.
Rather than continue with your anniversary double album, released last year, three weeks before the first confinement, you are announcing a new record.
Why ?
We said to ourselves that we had to be ready for the resumption of concerts. We were very active during the confinement, we played in an empty Bercy, we had thirteen Zoom aperitifs and we have never seen each other so much in the group. With the exception of two songs started for the previous album, all the short stories were written at that time, including “En marche en replay”. After the Yellow Vests, it was by seeing the documentary “Elysée, the solitude of power” that Christophe wanted to write the text. He speaks of a president who makes us believe that he is ahead of his time by his youth and his great intelligence, while he is only reproducing the errors of his predecessors. Some will see it as an anti-Macron fire but it is only one link in the chain. We are talking about all the presidents of the Fifth Republic,all those isolated leaders who do not trust the people and whom the people do not trust in return. Right now, when we are asked for certificates to go out, we really have the impression that we are treated like kids.
Read alsoTryo releases an album of duets with Renaud, Sanson, Vianney, Souchon, Bigflo and Oli
Why come back with a committed title?
Because it represents our next album, which will be called “Chants de batailles” and will have 13 songs in which we will talk about the environment, homosexuality, harassment. It is also another challenge to come back with a political statement in the noble sense of the term, but we wanted to do it one year before the presidential election. Even if we have a festive side and love songs, Tryo has always been eminently political. Sometimes we are reduced to the small group that makes dance at festivals, but we have been fighting for a long time. Today, very few artists take a stand… Because you have to live well, because you would only be there to make people dream! Georges Brassens, if he were there, would wonder where decades of committed French song have gone. Where are the heirs of Ferré, Renaud,Souchon? It is also our role as artists to ask questions.
Will you be playing at festivals this summer?
We have 15 confirmed dates!
We can't wait to get back on the road.
There will be limitations and we will respect them, but at least we will move forward.
We must restart the machine, for our balance, that of the world of culture, which is suffering, but also that of the people.
They must be reassured, because they are no longer buying tickets.
Here we go, so go!
As the concert gauges have fallen
(Editor's note: for the moment, only 5,000 seated spectators are allowed at most this summer in the open air and
a test will be organized
)
, we are lowering our fees.
We don't want to lose money - we are totally independent and we have already lost quite a bit because of the pandemic - but we play the game. We must all be united.
