Indolore

In this heartfelt interview, Indolore reflects on the deeply personal song “Terry,” sharing stories of friendship, inspiration, and the emotional bond behind this sincere musical tribute.

1. “Terry” feels like a deeply personal musical letter. When did you first feel the need to write this song, and how did it take shape in the studio?
This song came to me late at night, sitting on my kitchen floor. As the guitar chords flowed from my fingers, I thought about Terry Reid, his voice, and the strong friendship we had built over time since we first met fifteen years earlier. I felt it was time to express my admiration and affection for him in a song.

2. Your connection with Terry Reid began back in 2008 and evolved into collaborations, live performances, and lasting friendship. Looking back, what was the most decisive moment in that journey for you as an artist?
There were several. The first was discovering him by chance in a documentary called ‘Glastonbury Fayre’, where you see him roaring on stage during one of the very first editions of this famous festival. It was a shock. The second was when we met in the studio in Paris a year later. I had written several songs for him. The microphones were turned on and his voice blew everything away. In real life this time. Second shock. And finally, I could mention a third very memorable moment, when we found ourselves backstage at a concert we had given together in London. Exhausted and slightly drunk, I asked him the secret of rock ‘n’ roll. He thought for a moment and revealed it to me…

3. The song was recorded live in the studio with close friends who also shared a bond with Terry. Why was it important for you to capture it that way, rather than build it layer by layer?
Oh yeah! I wanted the message to be as authentic as possible. I wanted only my friends who also knew Terry Reid well to take part in the recording, in the hope of capturing their emotions along with mine. That’s why the live studio format was the obvious choice, despite the risks involved. I wanted ‘Terry’ to be born out of a freshness, an indelible sincerity. I’m very happy that we managed to do that, musically, but also visually.

4. You mention that Terry’s health suddenly deteriorated as you were finishing the track. How did that reality influence the emotion and urgency behind completing and sending the song to him?

This song expresses my admiration and gratitude for Terry. It was recorded before his health suddenly deteriorated. It was not intended to be a tribute. I wrote it as a letter to a friend who is very much present, whom we are eager to see again. As soon as I heard that he was unwell, I sent him the rough mix of ‘Terry’ to tell him everything I wanted to say, especially that I wanted to work with him again, talk to him about the future, that I wanted to believe in it, and I did believe in it. So did he.

5. Terry Reid has been praised by legends like Aretha Franklin and Graham Nash. Beyond the iconic voice and career, what did Terry teach you personally about music and about life?
Terry Reid was loved and admired by the greats, but also by the many anonymous people whose lives were deeply touched by his music. Aretha Franklin was spot on when she said in 1968 (Terry was only 17 at the time!): “There are only three things happening in England right now: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Terry Reid”. Graham Nash was a very close friend of Terry and produced one of his major albums, ‘Seed of Memory’, which I urge you to listen to. Terry taught me not to let myself be overwhelmed by outside noise, to stay true to my own instincts, and to see my projects through to the end, regardless of the response. Imagine my emotion when I recently received, via Annette (Terry’s wife), this incredibly touching message from Graham Nash himself (about my track ‘Terry’): “What a wonderful song in tribute of my dear friend Terry Reid.”

6. “Terry” is the first single from your upcoming EP La Vie Side B. How does this tribute fit within the wider emotional landscape of the new project, and what do you hope listeners will carry with them after hearing it?
I now realize that this EP, ‘La Vie Side B’, which follows ‘La Vie Face A’ (my previous EP sung in French), is an expression of my deep gratitude to several people who are part of my extended family. In ‘La Vie Side B’ (to be released in the spring), I mention Terry Reid, but also my beloved grandmother, my own adolescence full of buried dreams, as well as legendary characters and places that I would have loved to have known in their heyday. I hope to reawaken listeners’ forgotten passions when they hear this new music. I would like them to rediscover their Side B, just as I rediscovered mine.

Indolore // Singer – Songwriter // Indie music // French artist // Je Rêve D’é and more