Parisian alt-rockers Storm Orchestra are bursting out in2025 – Currently on tour with Sweden’s Royal Republic, they’ve a brand new album, Get Better, that will be released on 11th April via Mascot Records, and out now is their video for their propulsive new single ‘Superplayer’.
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.
New 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.
