A Chat with LE BRUIT (23.04.25)
Blurring the lines between intimacy and atmosphere, LE BRUIT is a band that thrives in the tension between light and shadow, control and chaos. With a name that translates to “the noise”, their music is anything but loud for the sake of it; it’s a carefully curated emotional landscape, rich with cinematic depth, confessional lyrics, and haunting harmonies. We caught up with Tom and Jo to talk about their sonic identity, the poetic roots of their songwriting, and how vulnerability, language, and vinyl all play a role in shaping their singular sound.
OSR: LE BRUIT translates to “the noise” – what does that name mean to you in the context of your sound and identity as a band?
Tom: We wanted to be in a band that had its own sound. Some English speakers have misinterpreted it as ‘The Brute’, which is a fun juxtaposition to our sound, which I feel is very feminine at times. There’s definitely a brute in some of the songs coming on the album.
Jo: And a brute in each of us.
OSR: There’s a palpable cinematic tension in your songs. Do film, literature, or visual art play a role in your songwriting process?
Tom: What you see and read informs what you create. Lyrically, all the songs I’ve written for LE BRUIT are love letters, confessions, observations and or quotes. I don’t read enough to profess to specific literature inspiring me to write. Sonically, drama and tension have always been inspiring, and I listen to a lot of instrumental music.
Jo: Before sound and lyrics, I have an image. Characters come to me, shaped by the art I see, the books I read, the music I grew up with. Like Catherine marrying Edgar for status and betraying her own soul, even as she says, “I am Heathcliff”. Or like Eternal Sunshine, when Clementine chooses to erase Joel, not because she doesn’t love him, but because loving him hurts too much. That kind of emotional tension haunts me — between love and reason, chaos and control.
OSR: Your debut tracks are emotionally charged yet sonically restrained. How do you strike that balance between intimacy and atmosphere?
Jo: I need big contrasts, we made a conscious choice to put guitars back and voices forward on the recordings, to make the sound of us singing together and the lyrics the focus, conveying emotion.
Tom: Creating a sonic atmosphere to support the words is intentional, and where we’ve always headed naturally.
OSR: ‘Idle Hands’ explores identity in shadow and light. Can you tell us about the personal or symbolic inspiration behind that lyric?
Jo: When we play ‘Idle Hands’, I feel the same chills in my backbone as when Tom played me that song for the first time. Such a beautiful confession. A gift of trust and offering of vulnerability I’ll never forget. Made him sing it in a lower key though…
Tom: “With the low winter sun behind, my shadow leads east. With everything these idle hands have made, I offer my own disasters” came to me entirely as I was driving to Berlin, having left the UK and everything behind. Without people to talk to, I wrote a lot, the words became songs which were just for me. I didn’t share them with anyone until we started singing songs to each other and LE BRUIT. Even when it was recorded, we didn’t put it out. Danielle Perry (Absolute Radio DJ) posted something about how to get songs played on the radio. I wrote to her and asked, “If I sent you something, will you tell me what you think?” Sent it and didn’t hear back for weeks until a Friday, when she said ‘Idle Hands’ will be the self-released song of the month – first play this Sunday. It wasn’t even up on Bandcamp. We’ve been catching up since.
OSR: You sing in both English and French on ‘Au Solde des Nuits’. How does switching between languages affect how you express emotion?
Tom: In ‘Au Solde Des Nuits’, I’m singing to my lover across continents from the wrong side of the world. Nothing emphasises distance like a broken line as you dip out of a bar at 1am to try to catch up with someone waking up on the other side of the world.
Jo: ‘Au Solde des Nuits’ means “At the remains of the night”. The dialogue between French and English represents inner turmoil and conversation: switching Near and Far, Inside and Out, Day and Night, Light and Dark. French is my first language, but I speak fluent English. I use it every day. I am so influenced by UK and US bands that it came naturally to me to write lyrics in English. Singing in French is the hardest: no hiding anymore. That old dream that you are going to school naked, basically, but I’m very proud to have done it.
OSR: What draws you to the genres you blend – post-rock, shoegaze, stoner textures – and how do you keep your sound distinct within them?
Tom: Those genres focus on being emotive musically, without the emphasis on lyrics. Our sound is the sum of its parts; it’s not restricted to the genres you list there, but there are musical moments I love in bands like GY!BE, MBV, Kyuss, Sleep, etc. As I said, creating an atmosphere to support the lyrics was important to us when writing the songs. We draw from what we’ve heard, and play what fits and is exciting to us. I was conscious to be concise musically, keep it moving, serve the song as well as create our sound, our atmosphere.
Jo: Tom is amazing at creating atmosphere. I’m more of a minimalist. I bring a melody and a couple of chords. Bringing pants, ending in a full night gown.
OSR: Do you write collaboratively, or are songs born from individual moments before they evolve together?
Tom: It depends. I think all our songs have arrived near enough in one piece. Some have stayed that way, and some have evolved and changed drastically. ‘Idle Hands’ is close to where it was straight away, with words coming and going until the version we recorded stuck. ‘Au Solde Des Nuits’ has grown and changed as the three voices found their message and place.
Jo: I get my inspiration so deep into emotions that I need to be alone to come up with ideas. When I feel they’re strong enough, I take them out.
OSR: Your voices are a haunting counterpoint to each other. Did that dynamic come naturally, or did it take time to develop?
Tom: Johanna really helped develop that. I couldn’t sing harmony parts, only about four good notes. One night we restrung a guitar and dropped to B to B baritone tuning. Our voices combined to become the sound we wanted immediately. We try to build our songs around the way they fit, it feels special.
Jo: I have always wanted to create sound with vocal harmonies, and always have done on recordings, frustrated to not be able to render them live. It’s such a high for me to work around a voice as strong as Tom’s and yet keep my individual character. Not disappear.
OSR: How important is vinyl and the physical format to you in an increasingly digital world?
Tom: We really wanted to put out an A-side physical record to introduce the band. A song from each of us on either side. I’m proud of it, of us for making it. Of course, there’s the familiar warmth of listening to vinyl for the first time. My day job was working with adults with learning disabilities, which is a fascinating place to learn about humanity. Part of that was supporting people to be out and about around town, in some cases endlessly scouring charity shops. I’d stock up on 7-inch singles and play them on Saturday nights, DJing at the Leadmill in Sheffield.
Jo: I used to collect vinyl for the longest time because it was a cheap treasure! People gave them to me. I got given so many 70s albums that are now my fortune.
OSR: If LE BRUIT were a place rather than a band, what would it feel like to be there?
Tom: Sheltered from the storm.
Jo: In your lover’s arms.
Their debut double A-side 7-inch vinyl, ‘Idle Hands / Au Solde des Nuits’, is now available via Rough Trade. Purchase here.
Many thanks to LE BRUIT for speaking with us. Find out more about LE BRUIT on their Instagram and Spotify.
