In a former life April March must have been a funnier, rockier fairy than Tinker Bell and like a cat, she has already had several lives. An animator trained at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts (Disney’s Character Animation Program), she has worked for Pee Wee Herman (Pee Wee’s Playhouse), Spümco (Ren & Stimpy), Madonna (title sequence for the film Who’s That Girl?), Archie Comics, Steve Ditko (Spiderman) and even assisted the legendary Harry Smith. She had a girl-group influenced period with The Pussywillows, which Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes) raved about to the tune of finally hiring The Pussywillows to record and perform with her. And so, only a year into her music career, our pop heroine landed on stage backing up Ronnie Spector at a completely sold out Madison Square Garden. Over a large plate of chicken back stage, Bo Diddley aptly said to her, “Welcome to Rock and Roll!”
Next she joined The Shitbirds and The Haves, finally settling into the driver’s seat as April March. A Francophile from a tender age, she re-introduced an international audience to the French pop heritage of Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Chantal Kelly, Dani, Gillian Hills and so many others. She cut her teeth in self production with a songbook of popular to very obscure French covers of these French artists. She did this with the help of Andy Paley, Jonathan Richman and The Shitbirds. While working with Andy Paley on his own projects, she attracted Brian Wilson who whisked her into the studio, promising she would most certainly “make it to number one in Motor Trend Magazine!”
Next she met the modern day French Phil Spector — Bertrand Burgalat (just as talented, but a lot less dangerous). She made two albums with Burgalat, the first of which “Chrominance Decoder”, was chosen as one of the top ten albums of the year by The New Yorker Magazine and in the top 100 of all time by the seminal French magazine Rock et Folk. Having a knack for being at once very modern yet retro sans irony, it is no accident that Quentin Tarantino chose her song “Chick Habit” for the soundtrack of his Death Proof. And so at this point in time, April March has recorded with Brian Wilson (no less), Jonathan Richman, Ronnie Spector, Andy Paley, Bertand Burgalat, Yo La Tengo, LL Cool J, Los Cincos, Plastilina Mosh, Steve Hanft, Alain Chamfort and the Dust Brothers.
After such a list of credits, certain artists would have rested on their laurels to the strains of “The Afternoon of a Faun,” but this Franco-American ringleader is a horse of a different color, preferring to go forward rather than to look over her shoulder. Our well-informed spies gave us the latest: after appearing in two films with the fantastic French experimental filmmaker Marie Losier as well as singing on the solo album of Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), April March has finished a new album with the amazing Aquaserge. It is only natural to be impatient, given the potential of the two parties present. She is more eccentric than Lady Gaga and cooler than Katy Perry – unless you want to stay square for the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself to discover April March’s world. It would be shamefully stupid not to, when musical bliss is just within arm’s reach!
— Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe
“A Ferrari who awaits her chauffeur” — Brian Wilson
“If you can resist, then you need to reassess your priorities in life.” — Rolling Stone
“Highly literate and insidiously addictive” — Billboard
“A totally extraordinary voice. She is the new Francoise Hardy” — Jack White
“Wonderful!” — Paris Match
“Sonic wizardry…undeniably modern. Could provoke Francoise Hardy to jalousie” — Ben Greenman, The New Yorker
“A Tour de Force!” — Nick Kent, Liberation
“A beguiling retro-futurist” — Spin
“The real thing!” — Ronnie Spector
“Channels the great French chanteuses” — Vogue
“A bonafide card carrying super hero.” — Bust Magazine
“Glamour meets cult pop. Let the good times roll!” — Elle
