Renée
Unexpectedly, Renée Sys (Ansatz Der Maschine, Winterslag) took possession of our ears in 2012 with ‘Dum Dum Dum’ and ‘Little Soldier’. Consequence: raving reviews, a European tour in the footsteps of Isbells and Husky, and a truckload of expectations. The second album ‘Marching’, however, is taking Renée permanently away from the city limits, she leaves her acoustic guitar to the side and exchanges the fragile, whispering folk music for melancholic indie rock.
In contrast to her debut album ‘Extending Playground’, with ‘Marching’ the thirty-year-old singer/songwriter from Sijsele chooses a range of different styles. From the slightly electronic ‘Out of Order’ across percussion animal ‘Is It Working’, to drifting rocker ‘You Were Here’: they are bastard children from the same foster family as Feist, PJ Harvey and Cat Power. All ten songs on ‘Marching’ started from a set pattern: drum rhythms. “The marching band idea had been around for a while”, says Renée, “I had a specific image in mind: first came the drums and vocal line, the rest followed later.”
Extending on her fixed values, pianist Stijn Engels and cellist Eva Bruneel, the search for ‘Marching’ brought Renée to drummer Jan Dhaene (The Bony King of Nowhere), bass player Ruben Lamon (Winterslag) and Gianni Marzo (Isbells, Marble Sounds, Astronaute). They all coloured the album together. “I wanted the guitars and drums to be grand. Gianni and Jan translated the ideas that I couldn’t execute myself into music”, Renée continues. “Where ‘Extending Playground’ was dreamy and small, this time I wanted to bite the bullet. Without keeping in mind any restrictions or the expectations of the audience. If that means I stumble and fall flat on my face, so be it.”
A struggle, that’s broadly what ‘Marching’ represents. “Whatever I find in my path, I will push through it. Without being afraid or hiding away”, says Renée whose pregnancy certainly made its mark on this. “I often woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning with the urge to work on a song. I was usually singing too quietly or my voice would note sound pure, but often a first take tells you all you need to know. The main thing is that the story is honest. That’s what it’s all about.”
‘Marching’ has the intensity of Nick Cave in its pores, covered in a melody by The Do. And even though lullaby ‘Dabdoe’ and rough diamond ‘Toasted’ seem to be worlds apart, it’s Renée’s voice that captivates the listener and takes them to her playing field. She found that freedom, residing for one month at the Track Music Centre in Courtrai with producer Mathijs Bertel (Ansatz Der Maschine) by her side, after which Jimmy Van Rietvelde (Soldier’s Heart, Anton Walgrave) took on the mixing.
“I am finally going to be able to erupt”, concludes the singer/songwriter from West Flanders. “’Marching’ has become the album that I wanted to sing up for from the start. I would never have dared to dream of this ten years ago.” Renée is no longer the singer who hides in the lee. She went out marching.
In contrast to her debut album ‘Extending Playground’, with ‘Marching’ the thirty-year-old singer/songwriter from Sijsele chooses a range of different styles. From the slightly electronic ‘Out of Order’ across percussion animal ‘Is It Working’, to drifting rocker ‘You Were Here’: they are bastard children from the same foster family as Feist, PJ Harvey and Cat Power. All ten songs on ‘Marching’ started from a set pattern: drum rhythms. “The marching band idea had been around for a while”, says Renée, “I had a specific image in mind: first came the drums and vocal line, the rest followed later.”
Extending on her fixed values, pianist Stijn Engels and cellist Eva Bruneel, the search for ‘Marching’ brought Renée to drummer Jan Dhaene (The Bony King of Nowhere), bass player Ruben Lamon (Winterslag) and Gianni Marzo (Isbells, Marble Sounds, Astronaute). They all coloured the album together. “I wanted the guitars and drums to be grand. Gianni and Jan translated the ideas that I couldn’t execute myself into music”, Renée continues. “Where ‘Extending Playground’ was dreamy and small, this time I wanted to bite the bullet. Without keeping in mind any restrictions or the expectations of the audience. If that means I stumble and fall flat on my face, so be it.”
A struggle, that’s broadly what ‘Marching’ represents. “Whatever I find in my path, I will push through it. Without being afraid or hiding away”, says Renée whose pregnancy certainly made its mark on this. “I often woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning with the urge to work on a song. I was usually singing too quietly or my voice would note sound pure, but often a first take tells you all you need to know. The main thing is that the story is honest. That’s what it’s all about.”
‘Marching’ has the intensity of Nick Cave in its pores, covered in a melody by The Do. And even though lullaby ‘Dabdoe’ and rough diamond ‘Toasted’ seem to be worlds apart, it’s Renée’s voice that captivates the listener and takes them to her playing field. She found that freedom, residing for one month at the Track Music Centre in Courtrai with producer Mathijs Bertel (Ansatz Der Maschine) by her side, after which Jimmy Van Rietvelde (Soldier’s Heart, Anton Walgrave) took on the mixing.
“I am finally going to be able to erupt”, concludes the singer/songwriter from West Flanders. “’Marching’ has become the album that I wanted to sing up for from the start. I would never have dared to dream of this ten years ago.” Renée is no longer the singer who hides in the lee. She went out marching.
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