Sandrine Quétier has long been known to be a rock and stage fan.
With The Jokers, a group of covers and friends born in the corridors of TF 1, she has given the microphone more than 80 concerts in ten years, including recent first parts of Jean-Baptiste Guégan, the vocal double of Johnny Hallyday.
But at 50, the former television host turned actress, takes a step forward by launching a new challenge: singer in a professional group.
And for having discovered This Is - that's the name of the group - in May during his very first concert at the POC, the performance hall of Alfortville (Val-de-Marne) where he rehearsed, we can assure you that it is good vitamin and modern rock.
We sometimes think of Blondie and Gossip for the pop side, but especially of Garbage and Jesus And Mary Chain by discovering their songs, all unpublished and in English, where his deep voice is carried by an imposing wall of saturated electric guitars and sharp rhythms. .
Sandrine Quétier is surrounded by two seasoned guitarists, Jean Bocheux and François Pavan, and Guilhem Hatt, bassist-keyboardist who also manages the electronic machines and beats.
"In This Is, we do not forbid any style"
But it's this Friday that This Is takes the plunge. The group organizes its first Parisian showcase and unveils its website as well as a first title as a business card, "This is". “This name sums up our approach, direct, free, without format constraints,” sums up the singer. We do not have a record company, we will unveil one title per month in streaming and do as many concerts as possible from the start of the school year. The group was born during the first confinement. As soon as we could, we met in Jean's garage to compose and record. A real garage rock band. "
Sandrine Quétier is from the generation nurtured at the Smiths, The Cure and Depeche Mode. She tells us about the Vieilles Charrues, which she adores, the Mad Cool festival in Madrid and the HellFest, where she dreams of going, about her love for Faith No More, Muse, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings Of Leon, Smashing Pumpkins, Foals, Royal Blood, “the last two slaps I took in concert”… “But I also like rap, Eminem, Dr Dre… In This Is, we don't forbid ourselves any style. We have a song, about the Capitol invasion, which is very funk. "
For texts, same openness. “We start in English but we do not exclude French,” she says. English sounds good and it's easier for me. If that allows us to tour abroad, that's great. And that gives me more leeway on the themes. Over the years, I dare more and more. "The former host of TF 1 admits:" Stopping television has settled a lot of things in terms of legitimacy. Before, I was afraid that people would say:
Another host who plays the singer
. I might have locked myself in. But there, I am freed from all this. This group is not a hobby, it is a new professional adventure. "