Elise and The Sugarsweets is a French soul and rhythm and blues influenced group founded in 2016. Even if since 2019, the new singer is called Yulia, the name of the group has remained unchanged, in particular because of its growing notoriety. After an EP and a first album in 2018, the second opus and therefore the first with this new voice will be released this Friday, June 3.
Compared to the previous disc, the sound has expanded with the addition of brass and more present choirs. Guitarist Olivier Raymond’s arrangements give pride of place to funky riffs and swaying grooves that instantly invite you to wiggle your hips. The single My Goddess Got Shapes even offers a rap foray into the bridge, but it’s still a very down-to-earth overall vibe.predominant hythm and blues.
“It happened naturallyexplains the singer Yulia Gubenko. Everyone in the group brings their inspirations. Personally I have a lot of soul influences. The choirs support the ensemble a lot and give this rhythm and blues color.”
Two pieces forsake the syncopated swing for a time to instead go straight like racing cars launched at full speed: Birthrights et Not Allowed To Sing The Blues which was originally to be the title of the album. A manifesto with eloquent words: “I wasn’t born in Memphis or Chicago or New Orleans. But give me a good reason why I wouldn’t be allowed to sing the Blues. I was born in a country where people have nothing left. to loose.”
If indeed some purists consider that the Blues should only be the prerogative of African-Americans, Yulia Gubenko claims loud and clear her desire to sing this music: “Very often in the blues, people from the United States are favored. But you can be born in a small town in Siberia, love this music and sing it. need to copy or take something, we’re just inspired by blues and rhythm and blues.”
She adds: “Not allowed to sing the blues…it doesn’t make sense. We love this music and we make this music. That’s the only valid reason. What else does it mean? That I should have sung music Russian folklore, and then arriving in France to pour into the Edith Piaf style? No, we have to do something that speaks to our being, to our soul.
In the end, it’s not Not Allowed To Sing The Blues but the Russian word Horosho which was chosen for the title of the album. Born in Russia with a Ukrainian father, Yulia Gubenko explained to us the reasons for this choice: “It’s a Russian word that means ‘good’ if you translate it literally, but it’s much broader. It’s a bit of a concept word that represents well-being, which refers to human warmth, to something nice”. The singer adds: “We were looking for something that represented the songs we play, the atmosphere within the group… and this word evoked a lot of things. And then we found that graphically it was balanced and beautiful.”
Inevitably, the title of the album took on a particular consonance with regard to the current geopolitical situation. But it was not wanted. “It was one of my fears, especially since this situation affects me a lot”, says Yulia. She specifies: “The title was chosen long before the start of the war in Ukraine. When it started, I asked the other musicians if they wanted it changed. They all answered no unanimously. is all the more important today, to get the message across to dissociate the Russian people from their government.”
The group communicated on this subject by reaffirming its above all human approach: “The choice of this name expresses above all that we sing for a warm and overflowing future of hope, smiles, pleasant moments, we sing for real life.”
This is the spirit of Elise & The Sugarsweets. A music that unites around Blues and soul without playing politics. A language that goes beyond borders, refocuses on simple relationships and gives the irresistible urge to go to concerts to feel both the fever and the thrill.
Elise & The Sugarsweets – Horosho (Adorablues / Absilone)
The band will be performing June 11 at the Jazz Club Etoile
Find all the dates on the official site or the page Facebook
