Emerging from the vibrant rock scene of Angers, France, a fresh gust of wind has swept through the modern punk hardcore genre. With a varied lineage tracing back to bands such as LANE, Wild Fox, Scuffles, and Dogs for Friends, the hybrid act known as Fragile has made its appearance. Their debut EP, …About Going Home, released on June 9th, 2023 via Twenty Something, heralds a new voice in the modern and melodic hardcore punk arena.
Fragile, a quintet born out of the cataclysm of the 2020 lockdown, transformed the lengthy monotony of isolation into a pulsating incubator of creativity. Their debut is a testament to the band’s auditory confrontations, an amalgamation of spontaneity, raw energy, and a myriad of influences that traverse through decades of punk rock and emo spectres. It delivers an irresistible sense of chorus and sing-alongs, harking back to the golden days of the ’90s and 2000s punk rock scene, while exploring the shoegaze and new wave textures of the contemporary era.
This artistic adventure is driven by a shared desire to confront and atone for their most visceral flaws, revealing a sound that stands unashamedly shoulder to shoulder with its American progenitors. As drummer Félix Sourice confides, this debut EP is a snapshot of their musical journey: “This EP is a calling card that is not yet fully representative of what Fragile aspires to, says Sourice. It’s a melting pot of everything that’s been going through our heads during this blurry period!”
Fragile serves as a sanctuary, a space of trust for its members, who are bound by an unshakable kinship. Here, they find an outlet for artistic expressions that they couldn’t otherwise articulate. At the heart of their narrative, lies Baptiste Pelletier’s cathartic lyrics, reflecting on a personally challenging phase. He discloses, “the moment the boys suggested I join Fragile coincided with my discovery of Touché Amoré. It was a band that made me realize that I could bare my soul and talk about what scares me. Rightly so, the fragility of my mental health is something that resonated with all of us, and reinforced the idea of adopting the name we have.”
The band’s creative process is an organic, collaborative endeavor, where songs often begin life as a beloved guitar riff, gradually layered and enriched with harmonies from the second guitar and the bass. As the musicians assemble their sonic canvas, it begins to take on a global mood, evoking a shared emotion that each member connects with. This process bore fruit during the recording of “Model“, when Pelletier delivered the vocals in a single, impassioned take, creating an indelible memory for everyone present.
Yet, Fragile’s aspirations reach beyond the confines of the EP. They dream of a concept album where every song seamlessly transitions into the next, crafting a continuous narrative. Bound by a shared friendship, the members see their band as an entity that mirrors the camaraderie of a sports team.
They may not seek to dictate how their message is interpreted by their listeners, but the joy they experience when a fan connects with their music is profound. As they articulate, “Hoping that the audience will apply our message to their own lives would be a bit pretentious…but every time that someone says to us that our music and our lyrics touch them in any kind of way, it’s always a massive feeling of joy.”
The pandemic, while not directly impacting their artistic expression, did afford them ample time to shape their sound. Inspired by the likes of Touché Amoré, La Dispute, The Menzingers, and Title Fight, Fragile admires their blend of musical virtuosity with a vulnerability that strikes a chord with listeners. Particularly inspiring to them is the steadfast DIY ethos these bands have maintained even after gaining substantial recognition.
With the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions in France, Fragile has had the opportunity to take their music to the people, touring various venues across the country. The bond between the band members and their commitment to their craft is evident in their approach to live performances, which they describe as “natural and instinctive”. Each show is a unique experience, with the band fully immersing themselves in the energy of the space, whether it’s a club or a DIY show in a bar. For Fragile, human connections are at the heart of punk rock’s spirit, making it crucial to adapt and resonate with the ambiance of the venues they play in.
With their debut EP …About Going Home, Fragile extends an invitation to listeners: to join them in a shared space of authenticity and self-expression. The EP is both a mirror of their experiences and a catalyst for overcoming personal hurdles. More than a musical release, it is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of music.
Looking ahead, Fragile’s potential for growth is tangible; their journey is only beginning, their sound yet to reach its final form. Anticipation runs high for what they will create next, guided by their unified vision and unfettered honesty.
Check out our full interview below.
Your music appears to be driven by a therapeutic and cathartic approach to songwriting. How do you navigate the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength in your lyrics and music?
All of our lyrics are entirely written by Baptiste, our singer. To be honest, i don’t think that there is any form of intentionnal strengh or vulnerability in what he creates, it is more about what he feels like singing and talking about at the moment. Us, as musicians, are just basically trying to give him the best musical support that we can, in order for him to be able to express everything that he has to say.
With influences ranging from punk rock and emo to shoegaze and new wave, what is the creative process like when you’re melding these diverse genres into your unique sound? Are there specific challenges or breakthrough moments you’ve encountered?
Most of the time, like many other bands, songs are created based on a guitar riff that we find and that we like. Very often, we try to complexify things, with the addition of harmonies driven by the second guitar or the bass. Once this base is properly setup, it gives us a global mood, some kind of a shared emotion that is very important for us as a band, in order to fully adopt the song. The most important breakthrough that comes to my mind right now is the recording of the vocals for the song “Model”, where Baptiste pretty much did everything in shot, with so much passion and energy that it was obvious for everybody in the room that we had witnessed a special moment.
As you’ve mentioned that the EP “…is a calling card that is not yet fully representative of what Fragile aspires to,” can you share any future aspirations or directions you envision for the band’s evolution?
It’s maybe to soon to be very precise about what we want for the future, but something like a concept-album, where every song would transition into the next one would be great.
Given the strong bonds of friendship within the band, how has this camaraderie shaped your creative process and the development of Fragile’s distinct musical identity?
The friendship that we share is at the core of what we do, wether it’s touring, recording or creating new songs, we try to do everything pretty much all together. We really see this band as a friendship thing more than anything else, almost like a sport team.
The debut EP, …About Going Home, conveys the theme of turning challenging elements into forces of motivation and self-improvement. How do you hope your audience will resonate with this message and apply it to their own lives?
Hoping that the audience will apply our message to their own lives would be a bit pretentious, we’re not aiming to influence the lives of peoples that are adults and therefore in full responsability of their decisions. With that being said, everytime that someone says to us that our music and our lyrics touches them in any kind of way, it’s always a massive feeling of joy.
As Fragile was initially formed during the lockdown in 2020, how do you feel the global pandemic has influenced the band’s overall sound, themes, and direction?
I don’t think that the pandemic has influenced the band in an artistic way, but the covid period has certainly given us the time to create songs and shape our sound, since we had plenty of time to spend.
In drawing inspiration from bands like Touché Amoré and La Dispute, what aspects of their music or ethos have resonated with you most deeply and how have they impacted Fragile’s own creative journey?
Those bands, as well as many others, have been a massive influence for us because they seem to be able to mix an extreme vulnerability along with an immense musican talent, wich is in our opinion something that is very difficult to do. More importantly, even though they are now massive bands, their DIY ethos is something that is very inpirational for us.
As you eagerly anticipate playing live shows once the sanitary barriers are lifted, how do you envision translating the emotional intensity and energy of your recorded music to the stage? What elements of the live performance are you most excited to explore?
Fortunatly enough, sanitary barriers have been completly lifted since last year in France, so we already had the opportunity to do quite a bit of touring and to play shows in various places in France. So far, the most satisfying thing seems to be the Very natural and instinctive way we approach live shows. We want every night to be different than the previous one, and therefore we are always trying to fully connect with the environnment we play in, wether its club or a DIY show in a Bar. We believe that human relations are at the core of the whole spirit of punkrock, so it is crucial for us to adapt to the whole atmosphere of the places we play in.
