We Invented Paris is a Swiss-based artist collective and indie-pop band formed in 2010 in Basel. The band was founded by the singer and songwriter Flavian Graber. The collective is recognized for its "do-it-yourself" philosophy and unconventional creative actions intended to bring music directly to listeners. The group first gained significant attention in autumn 2010 with their Tour d'Europe, a CouchSurfing tour through five countries where they performed acoustic concerts in the living rooms of fans. In April 2011, the group performed 30 "speedgigs" in various shops and cafes across Heidelberg in a single day. Following the release of the EP “Tour d'Europe” in 2010, the band issued its self-titled debut album, We Invented Paris, in November 2011. To finance their second album, Rocket Spaceship Thing (2014), Graber established the record label Spectacular Spectacular and utilized a crowdfunding model involving the sale of "shares" to fans. The band’s achievements include winning the TV Noir Rakete award in 2012 and the Basler Pop-Preis Audience Award in 2013. Their discography expanded with the releases of Catastrophe (2017), Are We There Yet (2019), and Waltz Away (2020).
