From the depths of personal adversity to a force that transcends individual experience, VESTIGE emerges as a vessel for raw emotion and collective resolution. Their music orchestrates nostalgia. Born from the creative mind of Théodore Rondeau, the French band blends the towering intensity of modern metal with the atmospheric haze of shoegaze and post-metal, crafting a sound that’s both haunting and redemptive. With their debut album Janis, Vestige is pulling listeners into an emotional revolution. One that weaves through dark despair, delicate beauty, and a rebirth through music.
In this conversation, we dive deep into the origins of Vestige, the creative journey behind Janis, and what lies ahead for this promising band. From their personal stories of resilience to their musical evolution, join us as we explore how VESTIGE is forging a new path in the heavy music scene.
Metal Lair: Welcome Théodore! It’s great to be able to speak with you. What was the initial inspiration behind forming VESTIGE and how did your personal journey influence the band’s music?
Vestige: Hello thank you for the interview and hello to everybody. There was no real initial inspiration,
Vestige was created in a moment in my life when I needed to express myself about the events of my life and it probably resulted in something very raw, without concession.
Metal Lair: The band’s formation seems almost like a cosmic alignment. How did your previous experiences in Naraka influence the sound and dynamic of Vestige?
Vestige: Naraka has no artistic connection with Vestige. Indeed, I am not the composer of Naraka, the credit goes to JP. I was simply the voice and the singer on stage! However it allowed me to meet the wonderful humans who are in Vestige today and who agreed to follow me in my creations and in this journey!
Metal Lair: For those who aren’t familiar with you which song would you introduce to them first, and why?
Vestige: I think I’ll suggest “Démence de l’âme“. Because even though it’s not one of the singles from the album, I think it’s the piece that makes me vibrate the most on stage firstly. Also the one that brings together the most elements specific to the sound of Vestige. Clean passages with a lot of atmosphere, a tint of shoegaze, a deep melancholy as well as a much heavier and captivating
outro.
Metal Lair: Can you tell us more about the decision to create a collaborative project? How did you all come together to forge this unique sound identity?
Vestige: The idea was first of all to surround myself with friends that I knew would understand the artistic goal of Vestige. Also people with whom I completely trust from a technical point of view and above all sharing a human connection. I think we have a team that is really united and I value that every time we hit the road. When I presented the project to them I had already composed the entire album and it was also important to me that they could feel what I felt during the composition. Being also very good musicians, I opened the possibility for everyone to be able to exchange ideas with each other and to be able to improve certain parts. That’s how we operate today. I propose the heart of the piece already constructed and everyone brings their contribution to the table.
Metal Lair: The debut album Janis seems to embody a blend of melancholy and catharsis.
Could you elaborate on the themes explored throughout the album?
Vestige: Janis is a very personal album for me since it represents the realization of a deep state of unease. I’m often told that this album is about healing when it’s really about realization in the first place. To heal you must first understand what is happening and realize that in order to move forward. Moreover it contains 2 layers of understanding. The first layer is where we consider the author is addressing the lost love of his life. The second layer addresses the real person to whom the author is speaking of which is himself.
Metal Lair: The track “Deviens la Nuit” stands out with its intense mix of chugging riffs and post-metal elements. What was the creative process behind this track?
Vestige: The process behind creating this piece is quite special since it’s not constructed like a piece of metal at all, at least that’s the way I did it. I first created the loop which extends over the entire song and really composed it in a bit of the same way as a trap or trip hop song. Already doing a lot of beatmaking, I got into the habit of composing like that and developing a piece around a strong melodic line and that’s what is Deviens la nuit which progresses like a roller coaster until
the final apotheosis.
Metal Lair: How do you balance personal expression with creating a music experience that resonates with listeners?
Vestige: I didn’t ask myself this question during the actual making of the pieces, in reality I think that if someone opens their heart and soul completely when trying to express something through an artistic voice. The listeners and the public will feel it in their own way. These remain themes which are quite universal and which affect us all to a lesser extent. I simply hoped that people could feel it and appropriate it in their own way. It’s actually something that I find very
beautiful because it’s the feedback that we generally get. Sometimes completely different but which generally all overlaps in the same direction
Metal Lair: The album touches on various emotional spectrums. What role does music play in helping you work through emotions?
Vestige: It was a time when I was very alone at home, I didn’t work much because I was coming back from touring with Naraka, and it was a period of my life that was quite lonely but where I went out a lot which was quite paradoxical and made each moment of solitude even deeper. All these moments spent alone in my apartment I spent submerged in music,
expressing myself and it did a lot of good. Not only in the artistic creation process but until the first concert even today when we perform on stage. I am not saying that this can be the case for everyone because everyone must find their own way, but for my part artistic sublimation has really been the greatest possible help.
Metal Lair: Could you walk us through how you blend the atmospheric djent textures with the heavier, more tormented moments in the music?
Vestige: It’s quite simple, I didn’t ask myself the question of whether one thing would work with another. I just did what I liked and mixed all my influences and everything I liked best in each style. Why a black metal/shoegaze part wouldn’t go with a djenty ending, or why wouldn’t the djent go with an ethereal atmosphere? In reality to be very honest I didn’t think about it at the time I just did what seemed useful to the music and what I liked. It was an album composed very honestly without even taking a step back from what I was doing. Today I became more aware of the style that I infused into Janis and Vestige in a stylistic but also technical way in the composition in any case. I have always been very attached to offering something that served
coherence. Violence is not gratuitous it serves melancholy and vice versa. It is maybe the only thing I knew I wanted writing the album hahaha.
Metal Lair: The album features a guest appearance from Stéphane Paut (Neige) on “Automne Part 2.” How did this collaboration come to be, and what was it like working with Neige on this
track?
Vestige: Yes, it’s a great pride. It’s not difficult to realize that Alcest is one of my great influences as a vestige of listening to Janis. For Theodore of 10 years ago it’s fantastic to have Neige with us on this first album as a great fan of historic music. Added to that is today’s me who is delighted to have a friend who joined the project when I presented it to him. We met Alcest
during the tour with Naraka and Cradle of Filth and became good friends with Alcest. They helped us a lot during the tour which was a bit difficult regarding the conditions for us and I thank them again today. I then remained in contact with Stéphane and all the other members of the group until the day when, having finished composing Automne part.2. I simply left to ask
Stéphane if he would do me the honor of being able to sing with me on this song which in my opinion was made for him, he accepted with pleasure and that is the story!
Metal Lair: You mentioned recording in home studios. How did this intimate setup influence the album’s overall feel and sound? How did you capture the raw emotion you wanted?
Vestige: I think that recording in the conditions that I was in contributed enormously to Janis’s atmosphere. I was in my first studio in Paris, next to a large window where I could admire a
massive tree and the nature in my building courtyard during the fall. Truth be told, I spent countless amounts of time looking outside while composing. I really think that this intimate setting played a role in my way of composing and feeling emotions, which by definition
influenced the very sound of the album. This very ethereal and veiled side. It’s actually something I need today to compose. Having moved, I no longer have this atmosphere and I often need to isolate myself in places that remind me of this feeling in order to be able to fully express myself.
Metal Lair: Geoffrey Bonnifet mixed the album, and Acle Khaney mastered it. What did these two bring to the final product? How did their involvement shape the overall sound of Janis?
Vestige: The sound is an integral part of Janis, that’s for sure. It was Thomas the guitarist who introduced us to Geoffrey, already known as one of the best live sound engineers in France. He wanted to join the project and try his hand at studio mixing. We mixed together for months via the internet discussing the best ways to make the album as it is today. More than a sound engineer and someone who would mix us live, Geoffrey became a true friend and full member of the team, we are extremely lucky to have him with us. Regarding mastering, I was looking for a way to be faithful to Geoffrey’s mix while also looking for an artist when I came across Acle, which I found quite incredible. he was absolutely professional and delivered quality work which contributed to Janis’s special atmosphere.
Metal Lair: In tracks like “Automne Part 1” and “Automne Part 2,” there’s a clear evolution in the mood and tone. What was the inspiration behind splitting this piece into two parts, and how does this sequence reflect the album’s narrative arc?
Vestige: Basically it’s a piece that was a little over 12 minutes long that I decided to cut in two because I wanted there to be a real distinction between part 1 and part 2. A bit like autumn, which is in two parts in my opinion. The first magnificent a natural fireworks display with exceptional colors and the other before winter where everything is already dead and gloomy. It corresponded well to the tone of the album and what I wanted to say.
Metal Lair: Do you approach live performances differently from studio recordings?
Vestige: I would say that we approach the experience in the same way, because it is extremely important for me to be able to convey the same emotions as on the album. However I think I can say even if I’m not in the audience to see it that the live version is perhaps a little heavier than the
album version, which is clearer.
Metal Lair: Do you find that performing these songs live offers a different emotional experience for you and your audience?
Vestige: For me these are emotions which overlap, or at least which go in the same direction. I think you can feel something on the album maybe a little more intimate, calmer or deeper. When
live, I think it’s a little more raw, which perhaps brings you more into a trans state and makes the emotion more tangible and expressive.
Metal Lair: Looking ahead, how do you see VESTIGE evolving? Do you have any plans to explore new musical territories on future projects?
Vestige: Oh yes absolutely! I don’t want to be an artist who goes around in circles and offers the same thing. I don’t set any limits regarding the musical evolution of Vestige; I also have a lot of ideas for the future. I think that I will, however, always keep the common thread which makes
the sound of vestige, I hope, recognizable.
Metal Lair: Given the personal nature of the album and the emotional connection it fosters, how
do you hope Janis impacts your listeners?
Vestige: I hope that Janis will allow each person to identify in their own way, whether for the two layers of reading or for the more psychological aspect. I don’t necessarily want them to feel what I personally went through, but that everyone finds their way and touches it in their own way. If Janis can provide emotions and maybe even help people feel something then I will be
delighted.
Metal Lair: As a band with such a unique sound, how do you feel your band contributes to the broader modern metal scene?
Vestige: First of all, thank you for this compliment! Haha! I hope that we will help to instill something new while using the “remnants” of the more or less distant past. I don’t think I have
the pretense of being able to say that it is something completely new and never seen before. But rather something which uses everything that has been built up until then to continue the path, to continue the evolution in giving something emotionally deep.
Metal Lair: What are your thoughts on being signed with Season of Mist? How has their involvement influenced the band’s vision for the future?
Vestige: Obviously it was fantastic for us to sign with such a label from the first album. The whole team was great and still is. It’s fantastic to be able to work with them. I would also like to
thank them all. This is obviously a very big accelerator for us and we can now project ourselves into much higher spheres than what groups of our age are used to doing. We do not want to set limits and obviously hope to get as far as possible! Being able to say that immediately is also partly due to the involvement of Season of Mist.
Metal Lair: I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. Its been a real pleasure. Do you have any last words for your fans?
Vestige: The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for taking the time to ask these very specific questions which I took pleasure in answering. For my last words, I hope this album touches you
in one way or another and that it stays with you for a moment in your life. I can’t wait to meet you on stage, see you soon. Bye!
Order Janis Here: https://orcd.co/vestigejanis
Tracklist1. Différent (2:47)
2. Deviens la Nuit (5:29)
3. Démence de l’Âme (6:25)
4. Océan (5:27)
5. Automne Part 1 (5:50)
6. Automne Part 2 feat Neige (Alcest) (4:54)
7. Appel de l’Âme (4:15)
8. Corrosion (5:16)
9. Stigmates du Temps (4:34)
10. Envol de l’Âme (5:40)
11. Avant la Fin (7:15)
Line-up
Théodore Rondeau – Vocals, Guitar
Pierre-André Krauzer – Bass
Quentin Regnault – Drums
Thomas Petit – Guitar
Vestige Online:
