Parisian alt-rockers Storm Orchestra‘s brand new album, Get Better, will be released on 11th April via Mascot Records, ahead of that they reveal their tender and emotional side on new single ‘Désolé’, featuring the Canadian chart-topping sensation JJ Wilde.
French for “sorry”, ‘Désolé’ sees Storm Orchestra deliver a powerful and emotional rock ballad, where the guitar-bass-drums trio is enhanced by a subtle piano and string ensemble, adding emotional depth to the track. For this song, the band invited Canadian artist JJ Wilde, whose intense and nuanced voice contrasts with Maxime Goudard, further emphasising the inner dialogue expressed in the lyrics.
The words are those of peace after a fight, and they express the fear of losing fragile happiness, the search for balance, and the desire to keep love “unscathed” despite the turmoil of anger and quarrels often found in passionate relationships. The chorus openly reveals this remorseful anxiety: “I may not be sorry, face to face, but I’m truly worried, day to day. I wanna be happy, all the way. I fear your smile will die away.” These words capture the struggle to keep a sincere love intact, and ‘Désolé’ becomes a cathartic journey where one confronts fears and flaws to rewrite their story and celebrate the strength of a deep connection.
JJ Wilde has been on an incredible journey since the release of her 2020 JUNO Award Winning Rock Album of the Year debut, Ruthless – The first female artist to win it since Alanis Morisette with Jagged Little Pill in 1996. The album has surpassed 36 million streams and she has entered the history books as the first female artist to simultaneously reach number 1 on all three Canadian Rock Charts with her SOCAN Award winning single ‘The Rush’, holding the #1 spot for 10 weeks. Which was followed up by a further two #1 singles ‘Best Boy’ and ‘Mercy’.
Talking about the collaboration, the band said, “Max originally wrote this song about his relationship with his girlfriend – Who’s actually a huge JJ Wilde fan! Since the lyrics were meant to be a conversation, we thought it would be great to bring in a female voice to make it feel as real and honest as possible. JJ was the perfect choice, not just because love is such a big theme in her music, but also because Max has a personal connection to Canada, with part of his family living there.”
Goudard continued, “We reached out, and she and her team were immediately on board. She even surprised us by rewriting her verse, offering a version with her own lyrics. We loved how natural and heartfelt it felt, so we decided to keep it. It made perfect sense – Having her sing words that truly come from her. Everything was done remotely, but we’re really looking forward to meeting her in person—whether it’s in France or Canada!”
You can check out the lyric video here at RAMzine.
Back in February, the band was picked to be part of Amazon’s Ones to Watch for the 2025 Series and that saw the band’s image adorn the enormous billboard on Times Square, watching over New Yorkers as they passed. The band delivered a version of Nelly Furtado’s ‘Maneater’ with their own grandiosity sprinkled throughout the track. You can listen to it here.
Storm Orchestra operate paradoxically in a space that grapples with opposites to assimilate them into one glorious jewel. Light and dark, euphoria and heaviness, glamour and aggression are all fused with a tantalising aura. It’s music that is built for stadiums but made to connect with people. It entwines the infectiousness of Nothing But Thieves, the captivating driving force of Royal Blood, and the melodic ambition of Muse.
The three Parisian natives have been winding their way through and illuminating the belly of the city’s underground over the last few years. The trio of Maxime Goudard (vocals, guitar), Adrien Richard (bass), and Loïc Fouquet (drums) has been the gem in the French alternative scene since the release of their self-titled debut EP in 2020.
Previous single ‘Superplayer’ draws an ironic parallel between relationships and the theme of sports. To the sound of a resolutely energetic tune, a couple is sometimes seen as an indissociable, invincible team, sometimes as a competition to deliver the best version of yourself to the other half to maintain this couple-team spirit.
“I wrote the second verse of this one, and the funny story is that I am a football fan,” said Fouquet. “On the bridge, we tried something different because we felt we could use a sing-along, stadium vibe. I’m a big fan of Newcastle United. I’ve been to Newcastle and watched games in Paris and London. So, on the bridge, we had a famous chant. If you listen closely, you may recognise it.”
This month, the band was picked as part of Amazon’s Ones to Watch for the 2025 Series. The band delivered a version of Nelly Furtado’s ‘Maneater’ with their own grandiosity sprinkled throughout the track. You can listen to it here.
2024 was a breakout year for the band. Their single ‘Drummer’ was their smash hit and clocked up enormous support in the streaming world’s end-of-year lists, including Deezer 2024 Rock, Amazon Best of 2024: Rock, Spotify Top of The Rock: Best of 2024, and Spotify 2024 Rock Songs You May Have Missed..
They have previously released three singles that feature on Get Better. ‘Crush the Mirrors’ harvests the heavier and darker side of their arsenal, and they are joined by Bertrand Poncet – who also produced the album – from French hardcore-pop-punk crossover heroes Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! who lends his guttural vocals to the anthemic track. “The tone, theme and overall vibe is darker; I’d even say there is an inner violence to it,” pondered Fouquet.
‘Drummer’ explores the clichés of rock drummers, portrayed as savage, party-going, unstoppable beings. Goudard’s point of view as a singer, whose fragile, sensitive personality contrasts that of his drummer. It expresses his desire to live life like a drummer, with all the drama that goes with it. Read between the lines and the song depicts a glorified wild life that hides deep emotional wounds. On the shimmering ‘Bright Soul’, Goudard opens up about his fear of letting his dark side take over the person he wants to be.
Driven by their high-intensity live shows, they’ve captured lightning in a bottle and are now selling out clubs across France. Goudard reflects, “We always come to a show with the biggest smile and a crazy load of energy. We want people to get energised, to let off steam, and leave wanting more. We are always exhausted right after the set; if not, it means something went wrong!”
Get Better touches on societal issues, relationships, and the inner struggles that we all have, along with the dark side of your personality. “For me, it’s all connected,” explained the singer. “Society makes us vulnerable, so we need love to keep us sane. So, everything is just a piece of a big puzzle.”
Storm Orchestra inhabits that place between our mask and the complex emotions cascading through our brains. “The album represents the inner struggle,” Goudard suggested, expanding, “In the morning, you are angry with society, but you tell yourself, ‘I’ve got to have a good day, so I’m going to listen to a party song to make myself smile,’ and it’s that struggle inside of us. It’s an internal combat.”
They’ve shone on the festival circuit, captivated crowds on a tour of Germany in September with Lonely Spring, and announced themselves on the big stage when they opened for Black Stone Cherry at L’Olympia, Paris, earlier in November 2024. They are currently playing live on Royal Republic’s LoveCop European tour through to 16th February – You can get tickets from here.
