M83 Revisit 'Youth' With John Hughes

Posted on Apr 7th 2008 5:00PM by Jonah Flicker
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What would adolescence be without awkwardness, angst, unexpected hair growth and fumbled sexual advances? Enjoyable, perhaps. But for M83's Anthony Gonzalez, reflection on this time period is more sentimental than embarrassing. "I don't know why I'm fascinated with this period of my life," he tells Spinner. "I discovered so many things like new music, new movies, my best friends. Also, [I had] my first encounters with drugs and my first experience with sex. For everybody, being a teenager is one of the most important periods of life."

Gonzalez has attempted to capture a snapshot of this era on his new M83 album, 'Saturdays = Youth,' due April 15. From its shimmering teen photo layout to its '80s-infused music to lyrics referencing Molly Ringwald, the record is firmly entrenched in the teen-nostalgia world of director John Hughes. In fact, Gonzalez cites Hughes' classics 'Pretty in Pink' and 'The Breakfast Club,' and bands like Cocteau Twins, Tears for Fears and the Blue Nile, as having a great influence upon this endeavor. "The main priority for me with this album was to create something different from the previous ones," he says. "I'd become fed up with rock music. I wanted to make something new -- more vocals, more songs."

M83 will begin a U.S. tour on May 20, and joining on stage will be Morgan Kibby of L.A. band the Romanovs, who helped out with much of the album's singing and lyrics. "I had a crush on her voice," Gonzalez, who became aware of her talents while working on the soundtrack for a movie called 'Tiny Dancer,' admists. And while he's looking forward to playing live again, Gonzalez acknowledges that there are difficulties in transferring his studio work to the stage.

"What we try to do is to create something different for the live show and not reproduce the recording," he explains. "It's impossible, and I don't think that's interesting for the people. [But] I'm confident about it and really excited to tour again."