The Duvals

The Duvals is the fruit of a passion shared by two brothers from a very early age. As their personalities meld, their music transports you to a universe without frontiers in which energy and sweetness, rhythm and melodies intertwine. "A blend of energetic rock and melodic pop complements the vocals with upbeat guitar rhythms, yielding music that makes sparks fly!" IN THE BEGINNING: From an early age, piano and music theory lessons anchored Laurent and Philippe's love of music. The good fortune of several summers spent with a family of artists in the US drew them to rock'n'roll. Laurent picked up the guitar while Philippe experimented with vocals and keyboard. ROCKMANIA: While still students, they formed their first group in 1996 with friends. Stony Broke, later renamed Lullaby, performed in several parisian clubs (le Gibus, La Locomotive and Le Zuni) and throughout France. Their taste for composition led to the decision to perfect their musical education by enrolling (in 1997) in the prestigious Berkley College of Music in Boston, where they would meet and form a strong friendship with Nuno Bettencourt, leader of the group Extreme. THE NEW PRINCESS: Back in France, the brothers formed a new group, The New Princess, and wrote an original set of songs which inspired Nuno Bettencourt to mix and produce their first recording in his Los Angeles studio. His personal touch is evident in the magnificent guitar solo on That Ain't Fair. The group's self-produced recording, released in 2002, immediately attracted the interest of the national media (the radio stations Le Mouv, Oui FM and Radio Alligre as well as magazines such as Guitar Part, Batteur Magazine and Buzz Mag). Over 2000 copies were sold through the FNAC network, through diverse distributors and at concerts, which took place at 287 Café, House of Live, Glazart, and showcases at the FNAC Champs Elysées and Velizy, the Flèche d'Or, the Réservoir, the Pulp (Paris) and the Répétita studios (Marseille). ON THE ROAD: In the Azores and in Portugal, in 2003-2004, Philippe and Laurent participated in their first series of festivals with new bass player, Donovan Bettencourt, and drummer, Gaëlle Hervé, alongside Extreme and Dramagods. They also made a stir at the Hard Rock Café(Lisbon) and at the Alchemista, the leading club in the Portuguese capital's scene. In 2004-2005, they crossed the Atlantic several times to play in the clubs of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, including The Harper's Ferry, The Compound, Lucky Dog, Crash Mansion and Arlene's Grocery. During this period, Laurent also toured Japan as bass player/backing vocalist with Extreme, specially reunited for a series of concerts in January 2005. LOS ANGELES: Fortified by these experiences, they decided to confront the Californian scene. Their shows in clubs like the Gig, 14 Below and Geraldine's (Los Angeles), in spring 2006, were well received. Convinced that they were moving in the right direction, the group decided to record their second album. The surprise departure in September of their drummer curtailed this adventure, and the brothers returned to Paris. BIRTH OF THE DUVALS: Without delay, they plunged right back into composition, creating an innovative musical project dominated by rock and colored by electro. Deliberately choosing simplicity over sophistication, the new formation went back to the basics: a guitar, a computer and a microphone. On January 25, 2007, The Duvals played for the first time at La Féline. From that moment on, the opportunities for concerts in French, Belgian and German venues such as the OPA, Cabaret Pirate, Forum de Vauréal, Espace B, La Chimère (Lille), the Ghent Festival and the Escalier de Huy (Belgium) and ACUD Berlin (Germany) came pouring in. The two brothers were also invited to play as the support act for Aston Villa at Vauréal. A Journey in my Head, the title song of their latest album, proves that this chain of live shows has perfected their performance and honed their repertoire.