Sliimy Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 13th 2010 12:56PM by William Mills
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French pop singer-songwriter Sliimy (pronounced "slimmy"), aka Yanis Sahraoui, was the first recording artist to be signed to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's label, Perezcious, an imprint of Warner Music Group. His debut album, 'Paint Your Face,' has been well-received in his homeland, landing him high on the French charts, and he's spent time touring Europe with superstars like Katy Perry and Britney Spears. Sliimy, who sings in English, is bringing his folk pop, including a widely popular cover of Spears' 'Womanizer,' to SXSW this year to spend some quality time in the American market. Spinner caught up with him after his vacation in Australia to get a little insight into this colorful artist.

How would you describe your sound?

My sound is like a Polaroid picture. It's a instant moment of life, and there's always an evolution to come.

What are your musical influences?

Musically, David Bowie plays an important role in the manner that I see the music and the visual. I also love Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Lily Allen and Diana Ross. My latest crush is on Marina and the Diamonds, and of course Lady Gaga.

How did you come up with the name Sliimy?

My friends give me this name when I was at school. Sliimy is who I really am, this boy with his dream, and I'm feeling like I've always been Sliimy.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Nothing. I love being dirty during festivals. There's no survival kit to have, just love of music.

Tell me a little about your first celeb crush.

Jimmy Scott. His music gives me shivers. It's magic how you can feel his emotions. His life was hard and intense, but he was gifted by an amazing voice.

Tell me about your musical guilty pleasure.

Corona, because it reminds me of when my sister and I would dance in the living room, singing 'Rythm of the Night.'

What is your opinion of the American pop music scene as opposed to others you've experienced internationally?

Music is universal, and what is really beautiful is to see that everywhere in the world, even though every country is different, every person is different, we all need music. America is a big influence, and the pop music scene is huge. What i love is that you can clearly see that this is the result of a beautiful melting pot.

What inspired the very colorful imagery on your album and artwork?

You know I come from Saint Etienne. Well, it's a little town. I always wanted to escape the boring routine of this life and create my own colorful world. Although colors are uplifting, I still have my dark side to deal with. Sadness and darkness both inspire me to create.

Do you think your young age has more helped or hindered your status as an emerging artist?

Neither. I have no age. Sometimes I'm feeling old but not wise. So i need to learn and still create. I don't think that age is important in art, because art is ageless.

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