untold stories

Victor Solf im Interview: »Willing to be a musician is not an easy task.«

Kennt ihr noch Her? Das Duo hat mit Songs wie Five Minutes (2018) auch heute noch einen Platz in unseren Playlisten. Wenn ihr sie auch in euren Playlisten findet, wisst ihr, wie viel Potential leider verloren ging, als einer der zwei talentierten Franzosen vor einigen Jahren an Krebs verstarb. Die tragische Wendung hat seinen Bandkollegen Victor Solf bis in die Knochen erschüttert, doch nicht davon abgehalten, weiter Musik zu machen. Im Gegenteil: die Songs und Alben von Victor sind ehrlicher und berührender denje. In seinem neuen Album Tout peut durer singt er nun das erste Mal in seiner Muttersprache und lässt damit jegliche Schutzmauer hinter sich. Positiv und hoffnungsvoll getränkt ist Tout peut durer ein Album zwischen zeitlosen Soul und progressiven R’n’B. Wir haben mit ihm über alles rund um sein neues Album und seinen Weg dorthin gesprochen.

Victor Solf im Interview

Anna: Hey Victor! Last Friday you released your new album Tout peut durer. How do you feel starting 2025 off with such an important release? What are the feelings and thoughts in your mind right now?

Victor: Releasing this album in January definitely feels like a fresh start. A symbolic way of allowing myself to turn a new page in my musical career and gently letting the past behind. I have probably never been as proud of an album as I am of this one. It is my fourth album release within the past ten years, but the first two albums were released as part of a band and two of them now as a solo artist. Except that this one if in French which makes a big difference to me. I feel very happy and honoured to be able to continue my musical journey.

Anna: You’ve been making music for so long, it’s a great joy to have followed you through the years ever since Her. If you would have to describe the route through your last 10 years, how would you say your relationship to music has changed?

Victor: Thanks for following the process 🙂

Willing to be a musician is not an easy task. You must be confident enough to believe you can create your own music, then be bold enough to try to make a living out of it. In 10 years the most drastic change for me has been going through a collaborative process within a band to releasing music under my real name as a solo artist. It was never a choice I wanted to make but life lead me here. It has taught me to believe in myself and in what I can achieve on my own as a musician. Everything that I have learnt throughout the past 10 years lead me to this album and I believe it is my best craft so far. What I am sure of is that, no matter the obstacles and tragic events in my life, I will never be able to quit music.

„I can’t hide behind cool vibes anymore.“

Anna: Finding yourself as an artist is hard, especially if you’re redefining yourself. How has music help you navigate through life? How did you first fell in love with music and knew you want to do this for a long part of your life?

Victor: I was in high school when I started a band with my classmates. Surprisingly enough we started touring and playing big festivals by the time I turned 19. At first it was concerts that made me realize I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I always felt like outcast and this type of life suited me well. All our band mates quitted the band when they realized they couldn’t make a proper living out of it. Simon and I pursued because we considered that no matter the outcome and success, we would continue making music together. That’s exactly when it blew up for us with Her, when we were not expecting anything anymore. Since then, it never occurred to me that I would do something else. I play piano and compose music every single day in my living room.

Anna: On Tout peut durer you break down a lot of things – musically but also lyrically. What is the main message behind the album? What are the topics that you captured in your songs?

Victor: It is my most intimate album lyrically because it is in French. In my mother tongue I couldn’t hide anymore behind cool vibes or big themes. First of all, I am 34 now and have experienced life, love, death, parenthood and all that blends into my music. My main topic is hope and positivity. I would like people to relate to what I say even though it is very personal.

„Music is a love language.“

Anna: Can you take us in the production process of songs? Which songs challenged you, how did they become what they are now and are you proud of how everything turned out?

Victor: I am very proud of how it turned out.

I composed all the music and toplines in my home studio for quite some time. Then I met with Vincha who wrote most of the lyrics with me. Once I had strong acoustic versions piano/vocal and production directions that I loved, we built a team of 10 musicians with my A&R Sylvain Taillet. Considering my background of beings in bands, I can’t help but cherishing making music with other people. Music a love language, it is about sharing. I was lucky enough to be able to make music in such a pure traditional way while adding some modern production to it. That’s how I love making an album.

Anna: Singing in French, you made a huge change to your music that was mainly in English. I feel like even though I might not understand everything now, it is yet way more personal than your previous album. How did you approach writing songs for the first time in your mother language?

Victor: It was intimidating. I knew it was going to be a challenge both in the way I would sing and in the topics I would approach. The first song I wrote with the help of Barbara Pravi was about my dad. Once we recorded a rough demo, I remember walking down the streets of Paris for two hours just crying. French has been a catharsis move for me.

„My self-expression is notes and music.“

Anna: What did change for you when you started making music in French? And what stayed the same, maybe even surprisingly?

Victor: What stayed the same is my musicality. I try to make music in the pure English/American Pop way but in French, to be more precise my challenge was to make a soul record in French which is not an easy task. I tried and I hope I succeeded.

Anna: What song has been the most difficult to write on this album and why?

Victor: Le Meilleur de Toi was the longest process. The lyrics first talked about the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, about losing someone, the absence. After weeks of back and forth with Vincha, he is the one who told me I was actually talking about Simon, my former band mate who passed away from cancer at 27 yo. I wanted to make a personal song about loss but that anyone could identify to. Musically it was also the first demo of the album. I had 30 seconds that my manager and I loved, we felt it was special. It was also the last tweaks we made on the album until the very end of the recording.

Anna: How does songwriting help you with dealing with things you can’t control?

Victor: When I am at my piano, I’m literally “in the zone”. I could stay there for hours just composing music. It has helped me a lot without a doubt. It’s how I truly express myself. It’s also why I always needed help with the lyrics. My self-expression is notes and music, not necessarily words.

Anna: What was the most fun song to write on Tout peut durer?

Victor: Plus Jamais Rentrer as it’s about parental burnout and just willing to go out for one night as we used to before we had kids.

„Make yourself heard!“

Anna: You will kick off your Release Headline Tour in France in February – what are you most excited about getting back on stage? And will there be any shows in Germany? Asking for a friend (me) and everyone else.

Victor: I can’t wait to sing my songs live and to meet with my public again. I love them so much and I thank them for following me throughout my journey even though I made quite a few radical shifts. I’m afraid no gigs are booked in Germany as of now but if there are enough fans out there, make yourselves heard 🙂

Anna: For our last question we always ask for an untold story – it’s your space to share whatever you like. A random anecdote, a deep meaning behind a song or just something you want to get off your chest.

Victor: It has never been this hard to be an artist nowadays. There is little to no economy for most of us so if you love music and artists please support them by going to gigs and buying albums. It is a political act in 2025! Thank you for all the love and support.

Um in die wunderschöne und vielfältige Welt einzutauchen, die Victor Solf mit seinem neuen Album Tout peut durer geschaffen hat, einfach hier auf Play klicken:

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Fotocredit: Estévez + Belloso