After a decade of sonic exploration, Naud returns with Un Gars Bian—a bold and heartfelt album that brings together the many threads of his musical journey. Blending alternative pop, electro, funk, and more, the record finds its coherence in the “joyous chaos” of Marseille, the city he now calls home.
At the heart of the project is “Déjà Vu,” a bittersweet ballad born from a whirlwind romance across Europe. With its perfect mix of experimental textures and sleek pop sensibilities, the track sets the tone for an album that breaks down musical and linguistic borders. From retro-infused indie ballads to infectious funk-laced anthems, Un Gars Bian is a genre-blurring, multilingual celebration of kindness, spontaneity, and a touch of madness.
More than just an album, Un Gars Bian is a philosophy—embodied not only in Naud’s music but in a line of merch that captures the carefree, generous spirit of a true “gars bian” (a playful nod to both the Marseille “gabian” seagull and the French phrase for “a good guy”).
We sat down with Naud to talk about his creative process, the stories behind the songs, and what it really means to be a gars bian.
Your music blends so many genres – do you start with a vibe, a lyric, or just total chaos?
Indeed, I’ve been hugely inspired by pop, indie, electro, funk, rock from the US, UK, French, Quebec scenes as well as many other genres and countries! I see my music as alternative pop. I generally start my songs with either a riff (piano, bass, guitar) or a lyrics idea. Sound design and crazy explorations come afterwards. I’m a former instrumentalist and singer, so I write the classic way!
How do you find that sweet spot between experimental and catchy? Or is it all instinct?
It’s hard to find, and to be honest I had to butcher a lot of songs and drafts when I was younger to pin the right formula. If you try to be too “universal” and “pop”, things can become predictable, expected and less personal. If you go very experimental… then there’s no limit and it’s extremely fun to make but you might confuse a few people in your storytelling. For me the key, is to have a “pop” structure with easily recognizable elements (hooks, distinct instrumental parts, a solid bassline etc…) and then sprinkle fresh ideas on top of it (unexpected sound, keychange, different rhythmic feel, confusing harmonies) with moderation! A little bit goes a long way 🙂
What song on your new album Un Gars Bian felt the riskiest to make and why?
Definitely Bloom and Easier on Stage. I just felt I had to go all in on these: thick grooves, heavy layering, commanding vocals! I wanted these tracks to be both “over the top and readable”. If you take a look at these tracks, it’s nonsensical: French and English fused together, loads of electronic and acoustic instruments, spiraling back vocals, switches between high energy and tamer moments… but yet it works (in my opinion haha) but it totally represents who I am in a short, “radio friendly” format. It’s a sort of résumé of my music to gently introduce people to Naud!
You sing in both English and French, how do you decide which language a song needs?
It’s funny because I actually started singing in English before singing in French… even though I’m French and just learnt English as a normal student! It’s just that both languages sound different and both have their advantages and drawbacks. They do not flow the same way and thus, for me, do not convey emotions in the same way. At first, I confined French to ballads and more “romantic/sad” moments (cliché, I know!) and English to energetic, funky bangers. But as I started experimenting, things became more fluid and blurry: “Hey, why not finish this English verse with a French sentence?”, “I think a French chorus and English verses would work well here.”, “Let’s add a French adlib to this English song”. Bands like Clay and Friends have hugely influenced me on that, the Québec scene being bilingual and showing no shame to switch between languages and use a wider linguistic palette.
Tell us about the Un Gars Bian t-shirts, what inspired the clothing line?
Hard to explain in English but I’ll give it a go! The name is a pun between “un gars bien” (a good guy) and a “gabian” (seagull in the local language of Marseille, where I live). This animal is very iconic and represents this city I love: joyous and chaotic. They mess the city up but people grew to love them! This humble t-shirt brand embodies the values I wanna channel with my music: be kind but stand your ground, focus on the positive, help others and don’t revolve around yourself. Simply optimism!
Any plans to expand the brand? stickers? socks? scented candles that smell like joyful chaos?
Haha, not for now. I don’t intend to create a multi-million euro/pound/dollar company. It’s not the spirit I’m in and I think that in a world in which we create too many objects and use too many resources… I’d rather stick to well-made t-shirts people can keep for a long time! But who knows, if things work well… I might think of other durable items 🙂
What’s the most chaotic but beautiful moment you’ve had during a show?
Last show for our release party! We just bolt into our* 1st song, Free Again. Everything’s energetic, disco and the crowd starts dancing right away. But the guitar amp of Bryan, our guitar player… decides to die out in the middle of his guitar solo.
So we finish the song without any guitar and while Ben and William, our 2 wonderful techs, just save the day by switching amps in less than 3 minutes (it’s a world record seriously), I simply chat with the crowd, make fun of the situation to reduce the stress of my musicians. The crowd was very supportive and we made a strong connection, going through this problem together! We then jumped into Snap It, our second song, without the guitar still. I improvised a keyboard part to fill in the gaps while singing, Bryan joined back in and we smashed it because the crowd was now part of the band. We surpassed this issue together and they wanted to see us win. So thankful for that moment.
*I write in solo but play with 3 other fantastic musicians on stage!
What’s one thing people always get wrong about your music or about you?
The pronunciation of my artist name, but I will not reveal it here. I like a bit of mystery and to be honest I find it so fun that each country or person pronounces it differently. Makes their relationship to my music a bit more personal and unique, I love it!
If you could collab with any artist (alive or dead or imaginary), who’s on your dream list?
Not that question, please! It’s too hard to pick. You’ve smartly pointed out my music was a blend of many genres… Imagine how many artists are going through my head now??? If I had to pick, I’d say Vulfpeck or Jamiroquai. It’s just the kind of music I love: it’s retro but it’s modern, it’s complex but easy to listen to, it’s live but it’s superbly produced… I think there’s definitely incredible craftsmanship in being able to make tracks that are as timeless and melodic as theirs while keeping a raw/funk vibe. Also, the fact that these acts are bands with incredible chemistry between their members. Naud is a solo project because I didn’t have musicians to collaborate with around me, so I really value the connection band members have and I hope to find studio-live and songwriting partners I can share as much joy with.
