MONT LOSER

Mont Loser is a Paris-based trio blending grunge, noise rock and goth influences. Their sound channels raw chaos through dissonant guitars, driving rhythms and a haunting vocal presence. Their debut album Confessional, out on April 17th, captures this volatile energy with a mix of intensity, distortion and dark, melodic undertones.

The B-Side Hour: Your debut album Confessional is out on April 17th. What did the creative process look like? Did you have a clear vision from the start or did it take shape along the way?

Mont Loser: This album is essentially a "best of" of everything we've written over the past three years of making music together. We didn't set out to write it as an album from the beginning — our initial goal was simply to have enough material to play live shows.

Most of these songs have gone through several versions before ending up on the record. Some of them are very different from how they first sounded when we started playing them. We have lots of phone recordings from different stages of their evolution, it's fun to hear how they've changed over time.

The B-Side Hour: Your sound moves between chaos and melody. Is that contrast something you consciously build, or does it come naturally?

Mont Loser: Both aspects came to us quite naturally in the music we were making, and that contrast has become something we try to maintain when writing songs.

The B-Side Hour: You mostly sing in English, with some moments in French. How do you decide which language best carries what you want to express?

Mont Loser: Lyrics usually come after we define the musical direction of the songs. We first focus on finding vocal melodies, moods, and energy. Then each of us tends to lean toward the language we feel most comfortable singing in. English isn't our mother tongue, but we like the freedom of being able to randomly switch between both languages.

Most of the music we've listened to throughout our lives is in English, so it often comes more naturally. That said, we're French, and it's also interesting for us to write in French and bring some of the language's sonorities into the mix, even if it can be more challenging at times.

The B-Side Hour: What were some of your key influences while making the album?

Mont Loser: That's a hard one, but our influences honestly range from Rihanna to Unwound, from Mylène Farmer to the Virgin Prunes.

The B-Side Hour: You've mentioned wanting to break away from certain rock clichés, like the idea of having a frontman. How does that translate into your dynamic as a trio?

Mont Loser: We try to leave enough space for each other. Anyone can sing whenever they feel like it. Some songs, choruses, or verses feel more natural for some of us than others. It all happens very spontaneously. When we start playing a new song, if one of us is in the mood to let it all out, then it's their time to shine — haha.

The B-Side Hour: How would you describe your sound to someone discovering Mont Loser for the first time?

Mont Loser: It depends if we're talking about our live sound or the studio sound. When we play live we tend to go towards having a "wall of sound". EARPLUGS MANDATORY. We like venues where the sound limiter is out of order.

The album sound, however, is less heavy. We had something quite stripped down in mind. Kind of like an Unwound record or early Blonde Redhead. Jacky, the engineer we recorded with also added his very post-punk touch. I think he felt we were just a bunch of high school goths at heart.

The B-Side Hour: The album includes a cover of Time After Time by Cindy Lauper. What drew you to that song, and how did you approach making it your own?

Mont Loser: We were on our way back from tour, feeling tired. This song came on the radio while we were eating McDonald's at a highway service station. That's what planted the seed in our minds.

We turned it into a MONT LOSER song by splitting the vocals. The drums leave space for the vocals, there's one guitar that's quite dissonant on one side and a heavier riff on the other. And of course, cherry on top, a synth line that's full of emotion.

The B-Side Hour: What does being part of the French indie scene mean to you?

Mont Loser: Mostly that we get to discover so many cool places and cool people all around France. La Raymonde in Clermont-Ferrand, Zero Degré Est near Vendome, we played in a greenhouse in Blois, met this amazing collective 45 Tours de Poitrine in Orléans, the team of Mordorfest in Lozère, Francky La Night in Marseille. Can't name them all but it's really amazing all the super DIY spots we've been able to visit thanks to music.

The B-Side Hour: Which track are you especially curious to bring to life on stage?

Mont Loser: Smells Like Teen Spirit. We have a good feeling about this one

The B-Side Hour: What do you hope listeners take away from Confessional?

Mont Loser: If at least one person listens to Confessional and feels it doesn't quite sound like anything they've heard before, then that's already a great start.

Our music belongs to a genre that has seen it all, but we humbly hope to bring something fresh and slightly different to the conversation (while being fully aware that we're not here to revolutionize rock 'n' roll).

Pre-order Mont Loser's upcoming album Confessional here.