In the almost pure tradition of his writer father who is attached to the meticulous and funny description of daily pleasures, Vincent sings about the familiar dramas of life. He situates himself in the tradition which evolves with time, that of songs with lyrics stamped "rive gauche" (the left bank-hippie, left-wing). His motto? Look for the bright side in everything.

Family Determinism

" I see Vincent growing up. He's just turned eight. I know a little how he'll turn out when he tenderly tells us: " later on, I'm going to be a postman. That way I'll see you every morning! and then he bursts into tears... " This is how Philippe Delerm's chronicles "Le Bonheur, Tableaux et Bavardages", a collection published in 1986, begin before he became famous.

The only child of Philippe Delerm, author of "La Premiere Gorgée de Bière", which in three years seduced almost a million readers, Vincent Delerm was born in Evreux on August 31, 1976 into a family of literature professors where parallel cultural activities are a must. In fact, both his parents have a second profession. Philippe, his father is also a writer and Martine, his mother went between her talents as an illustrator and author of detective stories for children.

Early on Vincent saw a lot of concerts and discovered the ecstasy of the stage. Jean-Michel Caradec, Yves Duteil, Phlippe Chatel, the farewell tour of Frères Jacques...  Music is the primary culture for his father, at least as much as literature. One of his favourite albums is without a doubt Alain Souchon's " Toto 30 ans, rien que du malheur. " He also grew up in the company of Barbara and Gilbert Laffaille, then at the age of ten, listening to Alain Souchon and Françoise Hardy he said that later when he's grown he would be in love and sad. Strange, but the idea of being in love and disappointed pleased him.

In 1993, the high schooler burns his seventeenth year with a group of friends in a coldwave group, Triste Sire influenced by the Cure and Joy Division, all the while writing songs at home which were very " rive gauche " composing rather fleur bleue piano-singing pieces. But it was out of admiration for Michel Berger and William Sheller that he decided to study the piano. He taught himself in order to accompany himself. This balancing act would last until 1997. Vincent then started his modern literature studies at the University of Rouen, seeing himself as a professor in ten years singing all the while. These studies would prove to be founding: he started in theatre, actively participating in a troop and acquired a passion for cinema, in particular that of François Truffaut to whom he would consecrate his masters thesis in 1999 " François Truffaut, filmmaker, writer. " All that without quitting the piano, he puts his life into music, especially his childhood whose subtle nostalgia fills most of his texts.

The Stage from the orchestra's point of view

Despite his attraction to the stage, he remained unsatisfied with his dramatic and theatrical performances. The self-taught pianist preferred to turn towards music for good. Why? Because it is situated at the cross-roads of cinema, writing and the stage. A perfect solution. Timid beginnings and panic overtook him when he realised that the record companies were not beating down doors to show their support.

His first stage appearance was in 1998 at the Ronsard Hall in Rouen where he walked on as a solo artist. But serious things started in 1999 after having written four songs that, today, appear on his first album. His influences? A lot of British writers or the lyrics of English songs like the Smiths or Pulp. He likes writing about social things, in the sense of relationships between people. The tour of the little Parisian clubs can now begin: Le Limonaire, Théâtre des Déchargeurs...

When he arrived in Paris in 2000, he loved going for walks in rue Robert-Estienne in the Eight district where François Truffaut, who he worships, had his studios, his habits, his bakery. Of course he knew the Capital a bit already because up until he was ten, he would visit his grand-mother, square Carpeaux, but for him Paris remained a fascination. The singer had a fondness for the St Michel district(the Latin quarter) of publishers, the nostalgia of the avant-garde cinemas in rue Champollion, his strolls to the booksellers on the riverbank but also the Grand Parisian cafes, not the ones in the guide books, but those which serve Croque-Madame sandwiches and have limestone sediment on the water pitchers. Also a lot of memories borrowed from films: (Jacques) Tati, Truffaut of course, and the Lino Ventura films of the Seventies and the Philippe de Broca comedies.

Timely encounters

So he continued his studies in the cabarets of the Marais district in front of a limited audience. One evening, the writer Daniel Pennac, Vincent Frèrebeau, owner of the record label Tôt ou Tard, as well as singer Thomas Fersen were in the audience. But above all , Vincent's big chance was his meeting in 2000 with comedian François Morel of the Deschiens, Jérôme Deschamps' comic troop. When Deschamps received a demo tape, falling under its charm, he passed it around in particular the radio studios of France Inter and on his tours to the venue promoters where the troop performed. It's thanks to him that Vincent appeared on France Inter's flagship programme " Sur le pont des artistes. " On Saturday February 19th, 2000, between Thomas Fersen and the gypsies of the Yeux Noirs, he was the new kid on the airwaves. Alone at the piano with only enough time to do two songs Vincent Delerm, 23, made a name for himself. With about fifty songs under his belt he hadn't yet recorded an album and squatted the Théâtre des Dechargeurs once a week during the winter of 2000 and 2001 where he shared the bill with Matthieu Bermeulen. He met Thomas Fersen here who was amazed by Vincent, offered him the opening slot for his concerts in June 2001 at the Cigale club in Paris and then got him into his record company Tôt ou Tard. A short time later we found Vincent headlining at this very club.

At the end of April 2002 his first record came out on Tôt ou Tard records, the home of the Têtes Raides, Thomas Fersen and Matthieu Boogaerts. On his album he is in particular accompanied by the virtuoso Cyrille Wambergue Thomas Fersen's pianist, Thomas Fersen's arranger Joseph Racaille but also Yves Torchnisky on double bass. He kept the flavour of certain orchestrations by Angelo Branduardi, which are a bit baroque, who he had a fondness for when he was young. From Fanny Ardant to Jean-Louis Trintignant-from whom he borrowed an extract from the film Un homme et une femme by Claude Lelouche for his CD- who he pays tribute to without forgetting Irene Jacob who he has song on Cosmopolitain, the seventh art is red thread in his work.

In two and a half months, the album sold 50,000 copies without any other publicity except for regular airings on France Inter and four weeks at The European. Then we watched its serious progression: 80,000, 90,000 until the 100,000 mark of copies sold. Far beyond the 10,000 copies expected at the beginning... . After opening for Julien Clerc, the Francofolies summer music festival in La Rochelle in July 2002 among others, the gold record mark, the tour is extended: 70 cities planned until spring 2003 for 80 shows and five concerts to close at the Bataclan in Paris. February 15th, 2003 Vincent Delerm received the Victoire de la Musique award for the revelation album of the year.

In the end, his journey resembles the myth that he had of music. Like the greats, singing began at home, continued in the small clubs of Rouen, then Paris and then others even bigger.

London-bound

Delerm’s second album, "Kensington Square", released in April 2004, tapped into the same elegantly melancholic style of songwriting as his eponymous début. This second opus featured an array of prestigious guest stars including French actress Irène Jacob (on “Deutsch Gramophon”) and Keren Ann and Dominique A (on the song “Veruca Salt et Frank Black”). With one foot in the past and another firmly in the present, Vincent Delerm looks set to continue his sure but steady progress to the top.

Vincent Delerm's career branched out in a new theatrical direction soon afterwards. The singer wrote a play, "Le fait d'habiter Bagnolet", much in the same spirit as his songs, which evoked a slice of everyday reality via a chance encounter between a man and a woman. Directed by Sophie Lecarpentier, Delerm's play was staged in Paris at the Théâtre du Rond-Point in 2004 and given another run the following year. 

Delerm turned his hand to songwriting again after the theatre, concentrating on penning material for his third album. "Les piqûres d'araignée" (Spider Bites), released in September 2006, was recorded in Sweden with Swedish singer Peter Von Poehl and his musicians. "Les piqûres d'araignée" also featured a contribution from Neil Hannon (aka The Divine Comedy).

Delerm's new album marked a certain shift in his songwriting with lyrics concentrating more on the present moment than the past. A track called "Du sépia plein les doigts" even poked fun at nostalgic yearnings for yesteryear. But it was "Sous les avalanches" that was chosen as the first single release. Musically speaking, a breath of fresh air whooshed through Delerm's new compositions. However, perhaps somewhat unfairly, the laidback 30-something still found himself labelled as a "bobo" (bourgeois bohemian) singer. Famously, the former French protest singer Renaud sent Delerm up on a song called "Les Bobos" in which he complained that "bobos" feature in nearly every rhyme he writes.

Meanwhile, Delerm hit the road again in October 2006, playing a new series of dates across France.

October 2006