The Teenagers: X-rated Parisian dance rock.
The Teenagers are a very rude band. Lead singer Quentin Delafon may be 25, but he uses the kind of language more normally associated with potty-mouthed teens trying to shock the grown ups. Asked about the adult content on debut single, Homecoming , a full frontal look at casual sex that features the c-word in pornographic profusion, Quentin says: “As a foreigner, I never understood the meaning behind those kind of words. But my English friends say cunt is the worst swear word you can use. Never, ever, say it in front of somebody’s mother.”
Quite. The band are signed to Merok , sometime home to Klaxons, with whom they share a knack for irresistible melodies. Strip away the swearing and Fuck Nicole and the aforementioned Homecoming are dreamy leftfield pop songs not unlike Air with both Tourettes and guitars. Quentin insists the bad language is necessary. “You have to go to those extremes otherwise it just sounds lame,” he says. The line-up is completed by Michael Szpiner (24, bass) and Dorian Dumont (24, guitar/synth). All three members are originally from Paris but now live in London. They started out 18 months ago as a fictional band launched with a drunken MySpace posting. Both the name and concept is derived from their love affair with youth. When the subject of their real ages arises, Quentin protests, with almost stereotypical French stroppiness: “We are teenagers. In our heads, at least.”
The witty juxtaposition of the male and female accounts of a relationship on Homecoming echoes another faux-teenage vehicle, Grease and particularly Summer Loving. However, it’s not intentional. “We don’t sit there eating popcorn watching that movie every night,” says Quentin. “But, yes, I supposes it is a bit like Homecoming, with the girl going, Love and flowers and la la la, and he’s saying, Well, we really just fucked.” Ahhh, young love…
Written for the summer 2007 edition of Dummy.
