After opening up regarding her anxieties and fears, the 26-year-old singer wanted to do something brighter. “Consolation”, her recent third album, pays tribute to the women who have helped and inspired Apple. La Française is in concert this weekend in Geneva and Lausanne.
“Consolation” is a logical continuation for the young Frenchwoman who went through the Covid-19 crisis with a lot of questions, especially regarding the role of artists. “I mightn’t really find my place and I felt useless. ‘Consolation’ was both a need and a major theme. It was also a link with childhood,” Apple told RTS.
An album with “postcard” titles
References to childhood found in “The River”, a delicate song in honor of Chihiro, the young Japanese heroine of Miyazaki’s animated film. “B.” is a tribute to Barbara that Pomme discovered at the age of 7-8, thanks to her singing teacher. And since then it has never stopped, explains the young woman. “This discovery haunted me, I was fascinated by her, by her music, I was looking for information regarding her life and her work”.
Another tribute is paid to Quebec writer Nelly Arcan, known for her feminist writings. It is in 2021 that Apple discovers the work of this Canadian author. Just following the Victoires de la Musique, she took refuge in Quebec to write her songs and the books of Nelly Arcan marked her deeply. “There was both the speech that denounces the fact of being reduced to an object, of being young and thin at all costs and at the same time she might not apply it to herself”.
>> To see: the clip of “Nelly”
A committed artist
Feminism does not only apply to songs, but also in the life choices of the artist. In 2021, Apple splits an open letter denouncing the sexual and moral violence that persists in the music industry.
To be more free, the singer has also decided to create her own label called “Be wise music”. A choice that requires self-confidence and being well surrounded, she explains. “I can now have an eye on the artistic choices, the visuals, the composition. It’s something that I need to master and that I know how to do today. But it took me ten years to achieve it “. At 26, Pomme feels like she has found her place.
Interview by Yann Amedroz
Web adaptation: Sarah Clement
Pomme in concert at the Alhambra, Geneva, January 28 (sold out); Docks, Lausanne, January 29 (full).