Demians
| Demians | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Normandie, France |
| Genres |
Art rock Alternative rock Alternative metal |
| Years active | 2007–2011 |
| Labels | Unsigned |
| Website | www.myspace.com/demiansmusic |
| Members |
Nicolas Chapel Antoine Pohu Fred Mariolle |
Demians is a French alternative rock band started by Nicolas Chapel in 2007.
Background
Chapel's inspiration for the name Demians came from the novel Demian by author Hermann Hesse, and his musical inspiration came from a variety of artists and sources, ranging from Radiohead to Tori Amos to ambient music.[1]
Chapel plays all instruments and performs all vocals on the first two Demians studio albums, though he performs live with a full band. All Demians releases have been self-produced and recorded in Chapel's home studios, the locations of which have changed from album to album.
Building an Empire
Demians' first studio album Building an Empire was released on May 19, 2008, on the InsideOut label, to positive reviews.[2] The success of Building an Empire led Chapel to assemble a live band with Gaël Hallier (drums) and Antoine Pohu (bass), and they subsequently were granted opening slots for several well-known rock and metal bands, including Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Marillion, Steven Wilson & Aviv Geffen, and Jonathan Davis of Korn. They toured throughout Europe, playing more than 40 shows in more than 12 countries.[3]
Mute
The follow-up entitled "Mute" came out on June 28, 2010 in Europe and August 10, 2010 in the US on the InsideOut label recently associated with Century Media and EMI Music. Chapel once again performed all instruments and vocals on the album, with two guests, Gaël Hallier playing drums on "Swing Of The Airwaves" and "Hesitation Waltz", and Lepolair playing electronics on the song "Porcelain".[4]
Very different from its predecessor, the album once again gathered excellent reviews worldwide, and brought the band's music to a wider audience.
Fred Mariolle officially joined Demians as a guitar player after the release of "Mute".[5] The band announced on their Facebook page in March 2013 that they've been on hiatus since 2011 and have no plans for a new album.
Discography
- Building an Empire (2008)
- Mute (2010)
Band members
- Nicolas Chapel - vocals, drums, guitar, piano, and all instruments on studio recordings
- Antoine Pohu - bass guitar
- Fred Mariolle - guitars
Former members
- Gaël Hallier - drums