Indochine (band)
During the 1980s, they became a major success across French-speaking countries, Europe, and Latin America, driven by hits like *L’Aventurier* and *Canary Bay*. As of now, Indochine has sold more than 10 million albums and singles worldwide. They soon added Dimitri Bodiansky, a cousin of one of Nicola’s friends. Nicola’s twin brother, Stéphane Sirkis, who had already performed with the band, officially joined. When they arrived for a show in Stockholm, they were met by hundreds of screaming fans, described as similar to Beatlemania. Serge Gainsbourg directed the video for “Tes yeux noirs,” one of their most successful songs.
- origin
- Paris, France
- field
- Rock and new wave music
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Hit songs L'Aventurier and Canary Bay; album Paradize; first French band to perform at the Stade de France
Lore & Background
They soon added Dimitri Bodiansky. Stéphane Sirkis died on 27 February 1999 of hepatitis. The band continued after his death.
Reader's Guide
Indochine's significance lies in their sustained commercial and cultural impact across the Francophone world and beyond, particularly during the 1980s new wave era and their later resurgence. Their music evolved from new wave to darker, introspective tones influenced by acts like Nine Inch Nails and Placebo. Despite critical and commercial fluctuations, Indochine has sold over 10 million albums and singles worldwide, maintaining a dedicated fan base and influencing French rock music.
The Lovers and the 2012 Collaboration
Smith, best known as the lead singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Editors, stepped outside his primary project to collaborate with the French group. The song appears on Indochine's album Black City Parade, marking a moment where two artists from different national music traditions crossed paths. For Smith, this fit within a broader pattern of cross-border and cross-genre work; in the same period he was also contributing vocals to projects by The Japanese Popstars, Raized by Wolves, and working with Andy Burrows under the Smith & Burrows moniker. The collaboration with Indochine thus represented one thread in a tapestry of international musical exchange that characterized Smith's activities during that era.
A French Act in a Global Musical Landscape
Their album Black City Parade, which features the track Smith contributed to, sits within a broader landscape of international music where artists regularly cross linguistic and geographic boundaries. The fact that an English musician from Stroud, Gloucestershire—where Smith grew up attending Woodchester Endowed Primary School and later Archway School—would be invited to work with a French group illustrates the interconnected nature of contemporary music. Smith's own influences span multiple countries and genres: he grew up listening to Britpop acts like Oasis and Blur, admires American bands such as R.E.M. and Arcade Fire, and has expressed appreciation for Scottish band Mogwai. Indochine's willingness to incorporate an English vocalist into their recording reflects a music scene where national identity serves as a starting point rather than a boundary.
Black City Parade and the Creative Context of 2012
The album Black City Parade stands as the Indochine record on which the song "The Lovers" appears, a track that featured the vocal contributions of Thomas Smith. That same year, the band was dealing with the departure of guitarist Chris Urbanowicz, and Smith described the preceding period as a long, hard stretch during which new songs felt insufficient and rehearsals left the group feeling negative and uninspired. Against this backdrop of personal and professional difficulty within his main band, Smith nonetheless found the creative bandwidth to lend his voice to a French group's album. The song "The Lovers" thus exists as a snapshot of Smith's artistic output during a transitional phase, a moment when he was simultaneously rebuilding Editors' sound toward what he described as a more straightforward, classic, and immediate direction influenced by American rock.
A Web of International Collaborations
The Indochine collaboration is one node in a dense network of cross-border musical partnerships that defined Thomas Smith's work in the 2010s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What songs made Indochine famous?
Tracks like "L'Aventurier" and "Canary Bay" propelled the band to massive popularity throughout French-speaking regions and beyond during the 1980s. These hits remain their most widely recognized recordings to this day.
Why is Indochine considered important in French music history?
They were the first French act to perform at the Stade de France, a milestone that underscored their cultural impact. With over 10 million albums and singles sold worldwide, they stand as one of France's most commercially successful rock groups.
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