Phoenix

Phoenix is a French indie band from Versailles, France, formed in 1999 and active since then. The group consists of Thomas Mars on vocals, Deck d’Arcy on bass, Christian Mazzalai on guitar, Laurent Brancowitz on guitar, and UFOs. It has no permanent drummer or keyboardist.

Formation and background

The members start playing music as children in a suburb of Versailles, during the same period that also produces other late-1990s French acts such as Air and Daft Punk. The band first serves as the backing group for a remix of Air’s “Kelly Watch the Stars” before developing its own recording career. Although based in Paris, Phoenix keeps its roots in Versailles and the surrounding French indie scene.

Albums and recordings

Phoenix releases its debut album, United, in 2000. The group’s fourth album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, appears in 2009 and includes “1901”, which reaches number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in January 2010. The album wins Best Alternative Album at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. Its fifth album, Bankrupt!, follows in 2013 and debuts at number four on the American Billboard 200.

Film work and collaborations

The band’s music features in films including Shallow Hal and Lost in Translation. In 2006, Phoenix appears in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette; Coppola is Thomas Mars’ partner. The group’s history also links back to Darlin’, the band that included Laurent Brancowitz before he joins Phoenix, alongside Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who later form Daft Punk.

Style and label

Phoenix is identified with alternative rock, indie pop, indie rock, pop rock and rock, and is also described as an indie pop, electronic, indie, French and rock act. The band records on Ghettoblaster.