I recently caught up with composer Mayline Gautié to talk about her new project, Lůn. In 2021, she would see the release of her debut EP ‘Chamanes,’ Which also went on to be Folk N Rocks choice for the best EP of 2021 and our annual “Best of the Year’ List. We spoke about where she draws her inspiration from, as well as what we can expect from the project in the future.
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Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. How are you doing?
Hi Jeff, I’m fine. Thanks a lot to you and to the Folk N’ Rock for this opportunity to talk about Lůn !
2021 was a big year for you, but first, can you tell us a little bit about your background? I know that you are a classically trained violinist, and many of us know you from your metal projects, and now you have Lůn. But before all of that, when did you first start playing an instrument, and what type of music did you grow up listening to?
I began classical violin studies at the age of 4. I come from a non-musical family, but my parents had a very eclectic collection of Cds that contributed to developing my musical opening. I loved listening very different styles, from Indian flutes to greek harpas, including African rhythms and rock albums. My father, who traveled a lot for his work, often would bring me back little local instruments, like percussions, zither, valiha etc. I was (and I am still) fascinated by exotic instruments, I have always composed with them. It makes me travel, and dream.
Around the age of 15, I had a period during which classical music bored me : I left violin for electric guitar to play hard rock (it was so much more exciting to my ears !), I also formed a girl rock band
I renewed with the violin a few years later when I bought my first electric violin. And I also opened to other styles like gypsy, Indian, medieval, metal etc. I am very curious and I do not like remaining stuck in a style.
Today I may consider myself as much as a composer than an instrument player: a musical instrument (including violin) is for me a tool to explore, in order to make real a universe. In other words, interpretation is not my goal, I am most of all driven by creation. It’s probably a more instinctive approach.
In 2019 you had announced that you are starting your solo career. What kind of emotions were you feeling? I’d imagine you’d have to have been both apprehensive and excited?
This announcement was the fruit of a long process: I had wanted to release my own music for a long time (I always composed stuff) but I always postponed this project for several reasons, that I can sum up now as a lack of self-confidence. It is much more comforting to be part of a band than alone facing listeners and feedback! But I suffered more and more and I ended up feeling disconnected from the music I was playing and associated with.
In hindsight, I think that the ten last years have been the time necessary for me to feel less uncertain and to make my music universe become mature.
So to answer your question, when I announced that I wanted to stop my band projects and remain focused on my solo music, I felt excited but most of all finally deeply in peace with myself. Some musicians need to have more creative freedom and do other things. Be it a side project or go on an entirely new path.
For you, did you at any point think of creating this project as a side project, as you might’ve been comfortable with the position you were already in your other bands? Or did you feel like this is something that needs your full and undivided attention?
I reached a stalemate and the new path appeared as evidence. I realized it on my 30th birthday when I felt a strong sorrow thinking about my always postponed music project. I realized that it was the most precious thing I wanted to offer to the world (as an « offering » and as a trace of my presence on Earth). We all question our sense of meaning, I know that my own path supposes to sing and play the beauty and the mystery of our world. I think this is like a spiritual practice to me. This anniversary date helped me to realize that it was time to wake up.
At that time, many of your fans knew you from either your violin work or metal acts. When you finally released the first song from your EP, were you happy with the feedback you have gotten from fans from around the globe?
I had absolutely no idea about what people might think, knowing that my first song released was an instrumental track (without voices). This format and the subject (prana energy) aren’t that accessible. Positive feedback really touched me a lot and gave me more confidence. Support was essential for me because even though I confronted my fears, I was not totally comfortable with the exercise!
The sound and style you’ve created is something very unique, drawing inspiration from various types of genres, such as world music, folk, to name a few. But can you tell us about where that other inspiration comes from, philosophically or spiritually speaking?
Thank you for this question, people always ask about music sources of inspiration, but music is absolutely not my main inspiration! Nature is my first inspiring muse, I can feel deeply touched by an element, a landscape (like the Ocean that I sing in « Sedna » track), a sound, a living being (like the tree that I sing in « Sève » track – it means « sap » in french).
I am very inspired by oriental philosophies, especially Buddhism and its teachings about the ego, the rebirths cycle, the principle of non-violence (ahimsa) etc. I am also fascinated by the « far side of the Moon », what we will probably never be able to know or explain completely: the miracle of life, the mystery of death, the vital energies, the reason of our being, etc.
Shortly after you announced the project and started production on the EP, the pandemic hit. Did this affect the progress of the project at all in any way?
This is the opposite: the pandemic offered me a great opportunity to remain totally focused on my EP. France imposed containment exactly when I returned from India, where I had been traveling for two months and where I made a Yoga and meditation retreat. During this trip, I had firmly decided that Lůn would be my priority when I would return home, and life helped me a lot in this resolution.
Your debut single, ‘Prāṇa’, was a track that spoke to me and immediately caught my attention because I have studied both Indian and Chinese (qi) martial arts, and it is the philosophical foundation for many of the teachings. Can you tell us a little bit more about this piece and why you chose it as the lead single, or rather, your first release?
I chose Prāṇa as a first release to give the tone of Lůn’s universe, without disclosing too much. People knew me as a violinist (and the lead in Prāṇa is given to the violin), but they almost never eared me as a singer. « Chamanes » was for me the next step, and the main piece of the EP, symbolizing Lůn’s birth (and my own birth), while at the same time sending a strong message of power to all Women.
Prāṇa is the spiritual life force that composes every element of our Universe. I used my violin to relate it, that starts from a kind of « primordial soup » and vibrates to an ecstatic dance.
You shot a stunning video for ‘Chamanes’ in the summer of 2020. It looks like a project like that would have to have a large crew, and a lot of work went into it. Was it difficult to film this video in the middle of the pandemic?
Yes « Chamanes » shooting was supposed to be an important preparation, especially concerning the dances (two groups of dancers), the work with the two directors, and the costume designs. Also because I had a clear idea of what I wanted to obtain and the story I wanted to tell. The pandemic was not such a problem for us (we shoot « Chamanes » during a « truce » in summer) but the difficulty for the about twenty persons involved remained in the shooting conditions: the schedules (we shoot over a flame late into the night), the cold sometimes and the rain! But the crew was absolutely fantastic, very motivated, and ready to face up to all the difficulties for Art.
From the video to the wardrobe, to the album artwork, to any future stage setups, to that fantastic lunar calendar you released, how important would you say are the visual aspects to the storytelling of your music?
For the moment, all Lůn’s lyrics are in an invented langage : each track evokes a specific theme, subject, but I like letting the music tell the story. The invented language is like supplementary notes, it broaden the imagination and let people give their fullest meaning (as they do for great mysteries of life).
So I share my messages with the title of the tracks, the music, and also with visual elements that as you say are very important, evoking mysteries, archetypes, symbols, humanity’s heritage, and the beauty of the world.
When you finally bring Lůn to the stage and perform live, will you be using various musicians for live sessions, or do you hope to make this project into a full band?
I am very excited about the idea to give Lůn’s concerts : taking people on a live musical journey will be for me the complete achievement of the process. I dream of a full band, I am working on it.
Another new year is upon us, which means new beginnings. Do you plan on writing any other new material, or is there anything like an LP in the works?
Yes sure, this EP was the first step and I would like to work on the LP now. The 2022 year will be full of new features for me : I will have a little baby girl in March! This arrival may delay a bit the project but will also be a wonderful source of inspiration.
Thank you so much for taking your time to speak with me, is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Thank you very much for all these questions which I was delighted to answer! I hope that it will make Folk N’Rock readers curious and that they will go to check out the EP « Chamanes » 😉