Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been? Lionel WERNERT: Well, hello to everybody ! We’re so happy to be part of your column with my band Lee O’Nell Blues Gang ! Gipsy BACUET: Hi guys ! Yes, that is fantastic to be there with you all to talk a little about us and our latest album «This is us»!
And «This is us» is a part more intimate of us, maybe thanks to the pandemic that forced us to make a kind of auto analysis, and think about human relations…
Lionel: Yes, in this album there are tears and joy, happiness and disappointment, anger and hopes… And of course, some lyrics written by Gipsy with her pleasure to play with extremes What can you tell us about the title and meaning behind your and opposites that allows me to compose around Blues, most recent release? Rock, Swing, Soul and some Jazzy touch. Lionel: OK, I’ll try to make the story short !! Well, I decided to form my own group in 2019 whereas I’ve been playing with How was the recording and writing process? many artists and bands since I started to play guitar when I Lionel: It’s always the same diagram if I can say, I’m the only was 11 years old, so nearly 42 years ago now! In reality , I composer and Gipsy is the author. was waiting for the right voice which could sing my songs. Gipsy: The thing that can change is that sometimes the lyrics Gipsy: And that was me, we met each others 20 years ago, came first to give the main theme and Lionel compose the played music together and formed a duet in 2012. Then in music around that. And sometimes, Lionel brings me a music 2019, Lionel decided to add musicians to form Lee O’Nell asking for lyrics with a special meaning. Blues Gang. And less than 6 months latter, he took us to the studio to record the first album « Different Shades Of Love », Lionel: And most of all, I don’t want to stay closed in a unique released in Sept 2020. style, for example not a traditional blues roots, but the atmosphere of it mixed to a modern way to compose. I enjoy Lionel: Then the pandemic have done the rest, lockdown at vintage sound, with a very low saturation in a contemporary home with 1000 CDs which were waiting to meet public while Blues Rock. I play with atmospheres, for example in the song concerts… So I decided to compose another one, and « This « The man in the corner » which is about the death and the is us » was released on Sept 2022. lack of my father, Gipsy wrote « welcome to the dance… ». Original it was supposed to be a sentimental and almost sad Gipsy: The first one was around an only one theme: Love. song, but thanks to her words, I put some kind of rumba in