When the French psychedelic rock band You Said Strange takes the stage, there’s a sense that something intangible is about to happen—something that hovers in the air between sound and silence, certainty and mystery. For the members of the band, who hail from Normandy, this uncertainty is the point.

“We come from the deep country in France,” explains frontman and guitarist Eliot Carrière, “Where not a lot of people play music. Psychedelic music doesn’t exist where we’re from. So it was kind of a strange thing, you know?” He laughs. “We were strange guys. We’re not anymore, but I think that’s why the band’s called like that.”

The name—You Said Strange—was born from a conversation with Eliot’s brother, a discussion so distant now that even the band isn’t entirely sure how it came to be. “I think we forget the reason,” Eliot admits smiling. “But it suits us.”

The members of You Said strange—Eliot Carrière (middle right, vocals, guitar), Matthieu Foreste (right, bass, vocals, piano), Matthieu Vaugelade (middle left, drums), and Hector Riggi (left, guitar)—all grew up surrounded by music. For Eliot, music is apart of his DNA. “I grew up in a music family, everyone was listening to music. I was organizing festivals, music festivals,” he recalls. “I got to tour for eight summers before we all went on to separate things.”

For drummer Matthieu Vaugelade, his story sounds similar but with a uniquely French twist. “My dad was a bass player. So, my dad was in a great French band,” he says. “Music was always here. He didn’t really give me the choice to be in music.” He grins. “When I realized I could have a drum for Christmas, I asked, and I started to do music.”

The band came together after an impromptu meeting in a festival crowd one night, with Eliot and Matthieu V. bonding over their shared love for creating music. “He told me, ‘Would you like to try something? I have a jam band I play drums for’ And that’s pretty simple,” Eliot remembers. “That’s how we met.”

Today, You Said Strange is far from those small-town beginnings. They recently played three nights in New York City as part of New Colossus Festival—an opportunity they don’t take for granted. “It’s not simple for a French band to come here,” Eliot admits. “There’s a lot of things to do, and it’s a lot of work to get here for a band like us. But everything is going well so far. Slowly, but always going up.”

Drummer Matthieu V. nods, expressing gratitude: “Thank you to the festival for giving us the opportunity to play a free show in New York. And to all the band coming from all around the world.”

(photo by Holly Van Ness)

Their latest release, Trade Your Soul, is perhaps their most experimental to date. But it wasn’t born from months of agonizing over a soundboard and lyrics. Instead, it was about letting go:

“This one came really fast,” says Matthieu V. “We’ve never been that fast to write. It was cool to not torture your brain for months. It was straight to the point.”

Eliot agrees. “The project came from songs we didn’t release on the album just before,” he says. “We wanted to release one song, then we decided to record more. And yeah, everything came really fast.”

But speed didn’t mean lack of substance. For each member, the album’s songs carry personal significance. Matthieu V.’s favorite track, “Dance for No One,” almost didn’t make it out the vault. “I thought it was lost forever,” he says. “We gave a second chance to that song, and that’s why it’s my favorite.

Bassist Matthieu F. cites “My Own God” as his standout. “It got those 80s vibe, the synth gimmick, the power chords,” he says. “It’s a very powerful song.”

For Riggi, it’s the acoustic song at the end of the record, “Where I Found The One,” that stands out. “It wasn’t made on a computer,” he explains. “We mixed it live, and it’s very slow. I just like it that way.”

Despite the band’s psychedelic roots, You Said Strange isn’t necessarily looking to send a message with Trade Your Soul. In fact, they’d prefer you come up with your own.

“We just want to make people vibe and dance,” Eliot says. “Writing a song is really personal, but you’re going to share it with people. And when you release it, it’s not yours anymore. That’s the most interesting part of music.”

(photo by Holly Van Ness)

With Trade Your Soul closing the chapter on their Thousand Shadows saga, the band is eager—but cautious—about what comes next.

“We want to jump on the new record,” says Matthieu V. “But we want to take the time the process will need.”

As for their sound, they’re keeping their palette open. “You always want something and it doesn’t sound like that at the end. Maybe we’re going to go the opposite way,” Eliot muses. “We’re waiting for the magic.” And now the band is fully in control of their music, producing and engineering their own tracks, listeners can expect nothing short of eclectic authenticity.

You Said Strange may have started in a small corner of Normandy, but they’re slowly making their way to stages around the world. And they’re bringing other bands along with them. “We have our own company we’re starting together with Rémy, our manager,” says Eliot. “We’re starting to work with other bands, helping them produce their music.”

For now, they’re enjoying the journey, wherever it leads. “We worked with labels in Europe and U.K.,” Eliot says. “But it’s easier to release the thing you really want to release when you’re independent.”

Before our conversation with You Said Strange wrapped up, the band offered some final words of thanks: “Thank you to the New Colossus Festival,” says Matthieu V., “for inviting us. And thank you to everyone who listens.”