Je T’Aime interview: ‘The challenge is to stay sincere’
The story of the Parisian Dark-Wave/Post-Punk trio Je T’Aime began a few years ago and quickly gained traction with their successful self-titled debut album “Je T’Aime” (2019). During the Covid-19 period, they released the stunning diptych “Passive” and “Aggressive” (2022), which only further confirmed their potential. While the band is likely to resonate with fans of The Cure, Je T’Aime is far from being a mere copycat. They have developed a distinctive sound of their own—something they showcase once again on their new album “Useless Boy”, released this year via Manic Depression Records and Icy Cold Records. The production is powerful yet refined, striking a perfect balance between guitar-driven intensity and synth-driven atmosphere. I had the chance to speak with Crazy Z and Dany Boy about the new release and the evolution of their sound. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q : “Passive” and “Aggressive” formed a kind of diptych created during the pandemic — a time that changed the creative process for many artists. Did any of those working methods carry over into the making of “Useless Boy”? And on a personal level, what does this new album mean to you?
dBoy: Yes, we’ve kept a dual-phase approach that really took shape during the pandemic. First, each of us works separately, laying down ideas, fragments, moods, building foundations alone, in our own chaos. Then comes the second phase: we meet, confront the material, and start connecting the dots. It’s in that collision that Je T’Aime really takes form.
As for what the album means to me personally, it’s probably the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt making music. It’s about the ugliness you don’t want people to see, but you end up singing it anyway. It’s a mirror we didn’t want to look into, but I’m glad we did.
Crazy Z.: Of course the pandemic during the making of “Passive” and “Aggressive” forced us into a kind of isolation. But actually this is always the environment we need to get the best of us, by secluding us in a house far from distractions and friends. Some of those methods carried over into writing “Useless Boy”.
Q : How did “Useless Boy” come together, and what themes lie at the heart of the album — especially with such a striking and provocative title?
dBoy: The title came first, like a punchline. It felt right, like a confession, a provocation, and a joke all at once. The songs followed naturally. They orbit themes of abandonment, imposter syndrome, lost faith, and this overwhelming desire to disappear while screaming for someone to notice you. It’s messy, vulnerable, ironic. Like wearing a crown made of garbage and pretending you’re fine.
Crazy Z.: Our previous “Passive/Aggressive” was a double album, and on top of that, it was a concept. So it was difficult to release because of its ‘out of fashion’ format. So for “Useless Boy”, we chose to NOT do it as a concept album, but still the pieces started orbiting around the same emotional core: failure, ego, and the absurdity of trying to be ‘enough’ in a world that constantly tells you you’re a fraud. Maybe that is why we are putting eyeliner and go dance anyway, right ? The title is both a punchline and a confession. Even our uselessness has its poetry.
Q : When composing this new material, was there a specific focus or something you consciously wanted to do differently compared to your previous releases? Could you walk us through a bit of the production process?
Crazy Z.: We usually trust our instincts and go forward with no look behind. But this time we definitely approached things differently: we moved into a new studio to make a proper recording. This time, we wanted to strip it down a bit. Not necessarily quieter; still direct, but more vulnerable. Less ‘posing in the ruins’, more ‘lying on the floor with a cigarette and a spiral notebook’. Then as usual I took the time in my studio to sharp our sound in the end. What pleased me most was when dBoy told me at the end that we’d turned a corner in the sound of this album.
dBoy: This time, we deliberately broke things. We wanted to destroy the comfort zone we’d built with “Passive/Aggressive”. We wrote faster, with less filtering, sometimes lyrics came before music, sometimes the reverse. A lot was done at night, in a feverish headspace.
Q : The lyrics seem to take center stage on “Useless Boy”. Were there particular people, experiences, or reflections that inspired the writing? And what are you hoping to express with these words in a world that seems increasingly uncertain and bleak?
dBoy: I wrote most of it while going through a period of real exhaustion, physical, emotional, artistic. There was no one muse, just fragments: failed relationships, late-night panic attacks, old wounds reopening. The world outside felt hopeless, and inside wasn’t much better. The lyrics are my way of shouting into the void, but with style. If someone sees themselves in that scream, maybe it feels less lonely.
Q : From the beginning, Je T’Aime quickly gained recognition within the Dark-Wave and Post-Punk scene. How have you handled that success on a personal level? Has it changed the way you approach your music — or added a sense of pressure to what you create?
Crazy Z.:It’s flattering, surreal, and a little weird, in the best way. When we started Je T’Aime, it was just three guys making noise they loved, half-joking, half-bleeding. The fact that people connected with it so quickly in the Dark-Wave and Post-Punk scene is both beautiful and unexpected. But it changed nothing, we still feel like we are in our never ending dark and surreal party, because if anything, the goal is to stay honest.
dBoy: Success is weird. You work your whole life to be heard, and when it happens, you start questioning everything you do. With Je T’Aime, we’ve always been pretty instinctive. But yes, there’s pressure, mostly internal. We don’t want to repeat ourselves. We don’t want to fake it. The challenge is to stay sincere, especially when you know people are listening. I still don’t fully believe anyone gives a damn, honestly. That disbelief keeps me grounded.
Q : You’ve already wrapped a live tour for “Useless Boy”. What stood out most from those recent performances? And looking ahead — what’s on the horizon in terms of summer festivals, future shows, or other upcoming projects?
dBoy: The last tour was intense. We played hard, we bled a little, and the audience bled back. Seeing people scream lyrics from “Useless Boy”, songs we wrote alone in a dark room, that’s surreal. What stood out? Probably the vulnerability. These new songs demand more honesty on stage. At the moment we’re not on the bill of many festivals, so that’s certainly something to work on. But of course, there’s already another project brewing. Can’t help it. The void keeps whispering.
Crazy Z.: The “Useless Boy” tour was intense, in the best way. What stood out most was the connection. These new songs, which were born from such personal chaos, suddenly became communal. Hearing people sing back the lyrics, watching strangers dance in every city in the old Europe, it reminded us why we do this.
As for what’s next? Castle Party in Poland, of course, Dark Mass in Witten, and Le Ferrailleur in Nantes. These are the very last and exclusive gigs of the tour, so these will beautiful messes. That’s how we like it.
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