How to Lose Weight After 40 (and Other Truths from Exsonvaldes)
After 25 years of career, Exsonvaldes continue to prove that indie rock also grows older with irony, honesty and emotion. The Paris-based band presents “Ninety Seconds To Midnight”, an album that works like a life diary where the passing of time, fragility and the need to keep enjoying music like on the first day coexist. We talk with Simon, Martin and Antoine about writing songs in a single day, singing in two languages, dream collaborations, Málaga as an emotional state and what they really say to each other just before stepping on stage.
First of all, thank you very much for your time for this interview. For those who might not know you, we would like you to introduce yourselves. Who are Exsonvaldes?
Simon: Exsonvaldes is a band from Paris, an indie rock band. We have been playing together for 25 years. Basically, we are a high school band that never stopped playing music. I am Simon, I play guitar and sing.
Martin: I am Martin, I sing and play drums.
Antoine: And I am Antoine. I play guitars and keyboards. We are going to release our sixth album, Ninety Seconds to Midnight, next month.
If someone asks what Exsonvaldes sound like, which song from your discography would you recommend as an introduction to the band?
Simon: I would recommend two songs because we sing in French and in English, and it is difficult to choose only one. In French I would say L´aérotrain, which is probably our most successful song to date. In English I would choose one from the new album, maybe French Keyboard, because it sums up very well what we were trying to do with this record, both in sound and in writing.
What is the songwriting process of an Exsonvaldes song usually like?
Martin: It usually happens in a single day. I would say that 80% of the writing process takes place in one day. The three of us get together in our studio in Paris, we listen to music and talk about what we have been listening to lately, about what interests us to incorporate into our music. From there we work during the day and at the end we decide whether it is worth continuing to develop the idea.
You sing both in English and in French. What is the motivation behind that decision?
Simon: We started writing in English because it was natural because of our influences: Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Weezer… We did not think about it too much. Later we felt the need to try something new, and we wrote some songs in French. The reaction was very positive and since then we have not stopped. Since 2013 we try to make each album half in French and half in English. We really like having those two facets, it is like playing different instruments: it makes the music richer.
In which language do you feel more comfortable?
Antoine: At the beginning we felt more comfortable in English, because the bands we loved sang in that language and it was easier to hide a bit behind the lyrics. But now, after many songs in French, we feel very comfortable in both, and we switch from one to the other without any problem.
You said that this album could have almost been a duets record, but the idea did not quite work out. Why?
Simon: It was not really a problem. At one point we thought about doing a different collaboration on each song, but when our new label, V2, came in, they proposed that we make a record in six months. We realised that it was not viable to coordinate ten collaborations in that time, so we decided to focus on the two most important ones: Helena Miquel on “Sentido Contrario” and Troy Von Balthazar on “Frontiers”.
Maybe that duets record will come later?
Simon: Maybe the next one, yes.
You had already collaborated with Helena on the “Cyclop” EP. How did the idea of working with her again come about?
Simon: The two songs we wrote with her ten years ago are very special to us. We almost never play because we can only do it with her. “Cyclop” is also very special, because every time we play it in Spain we talk about Helena and ask the audience to sing with us. When we thought about collaborators for this record, it made complete sense to call her again and recreate that feeling.
Did you never think about singing in Spanish yourselves?
Simon: No, my accent would make it very complicated. Maybe it would be funny, but it would not sound good.
The album includes a song called “Malaga”. What is the story behind it?
Martin: The title is a bit misleading, because it is not about the city itself.
Simon: The song was born in Málaga, but it is more about a feeling. It is a song about how life can be deceptive: when you are young you think that growing up will make everything easier, that your fears will disappear, and over time you understand that they do not heal, you just learn to live with them.
Martin: I especially remember a visit to the Centre Pompidou in Málaga. There was a video installation of a girl doing hula hoop with barbed wire, very disturbing.
Simon: And an installation by Annette Messager with dead birds in small beds. It was a very intense experience; a lot of things were going through our heads in Málaga.
Which song was the most difficult to finish on an emotional level?
Simon: Paris–Brussel, because we wrote it during Covid. It talks about missing people and the places you love.
Martin: For me it was a turning point. When we finished that song, I felt that we could already reach the end of the album. There is always a moment when you doubt whether you have enough material, and for me that moment changed there.
Simon: Malaga was also special, because it had taken a long time to finish and finding the third verse was very satisfying.
Your albums seem more like emotional diaries than a collection of songs. When do you decide that a personal experience becomes an album?
Simon: I think that is the reason why we started writing music. We start from something very personal and try to make it universal. We like a song to have a specific origin, but then for each person to interpret it in their own way. Even if it is an “incorrect” interpretation, it is totally valid for whoever listens to it.
How do you feel when someone interprets a song in a completely different way than yours?
Martin: It is very interesting.
Simon: It always is, and also fun. I often tell them: you are not talking about me; you are talking about yourself. And that is the beautiful part.
Antoine: It is also very exciting, because it means that the song has touched someone. They make it their own, and that is very valuable to us.
Many of your lyrics convey fragility without falling into melodrama. Is that something conscious?
Simon: We see the world as something broken that can be fixed. We are not desperate, but we are worried.
Which song from the album are you most proud of?
Martin: There is one that represents exactly the vision I had of the album before starting. If you want to understand the album, listen to that song “Rockets”
Antoine: I would say French Keyboard, because it sums up very well the influences and the sounds we wanted to explore.
Simon: For me, “Abandoned Water Park”, because of its different parts, moods and emotions.
What is the main difference between “Ninety Seconds to Midnight” and your previous album, “Maps”?
Martin: In the past we were more ambitious in production, with many layers. On this record we decided to go for something more direct. It is rawer, more dynamic, simpler.
Does that also show live?
Martin: Yes, the songs translate much better from the record to the stage. They are very plug and play.
You have several concerts in Spain, now and in March. Why those jumps between dates?
Simon: We wanted to come in January, but the album comes out a bit later. We did not want to cancel the concerts that were already confirmed, so we are coming back in March.
Martin: Also, we depend a lot on venue availability.
You played at Sonorama last year. How was the experience?
Simon: Playing in Aranda is always special, because we recorded the album there. The concert was curious because it started during the day and ended at night, almost like playing two concerts in one.
If the audience could hear a private conversation of yours before going on stage, what would it be like?
Simon: Better not (laughs).
Martin: They would probably be disappointed.
Simon: Just before going on stage, we always tell each other: remember to enjoy it.
Martin: And we take the concert seriously, but without forgetting to have a good time.
Last question: give us a clickbait headline for this interview.
Simon: “Seven reasons why you should see Exsonvaldes live. The fifth one will surprise you.”
Martin: “Five ways in which Exsonvaldes are crazy.”
Simon: Or “How to lose weight after 40” (laughs).
Thank you very much for your time. Any message for your fans?
Simon: Listen to the new album and tell us what you think.
Martin: And tell us your interpretations of the songs.
Simon: And come see us live. We hope to really see you. |
21/01/2026 
