DIY in attitude and execution, Félix Martinaud founded Billy Bonbon as a pandemic-era bedroom-punk project, later bringing it to life sur scène alongside drummer Noé Sierra-Velasquez and bassist Pablo Brunaud. Now, as the trio hits the studio as a unit, the artists are tasked with the opposite: taking the performance they’ve honed in packed venues across Paris and channeling that energy and ecstasy into their debut album.

Félix is a city rocker with a hippie soul, and Billy Bonbon is where the flannel hits the flower crown, blending grungy, garage-y guitar with laid-back vocals and lyrics of love. Of the songs on Billy Bonbon’s self-titled EP, German blogWe Love That Sound notes the title track’s skillful blending of shoegaze, lo-fi, and surf rock. WebzineLast Day Deaf praised the “bittersweet charm” of “Marguerite” as “poetic reflection wrapped in sun-faded melodies,” while a translation of Spanish outlet Rockola Indie’s review reveals recognition of the “sublime rhythmic essence” at the heart of “Hey You.”  

Billy Bonbon shares a name with the spunky, gun-slinging baby at the center of Jean Cézard’s ‘70s Western-themed comic books. A spontaneous choice that, while funny, does align in a way with the overall spirit of the group. While these are songs with substance, crafted with care, there is an inherent playfulness to the performance and a lightness to the project itself. The sense when you’re watching a Billy Bonbon show, music video or even an interview that the three friends are in on a secret: Life is made for living. And this whole thing…it’s supposed to be fun.

Because you’re happy, because you’re light // Because you’re madly alive

After all, when the night is over, the morning’s just beginning. Hit the dial and turn it loud again.

‍ ‍ Words by Sam Sumpter, NYC