The Gentle Spring are a new group, formed by Michael Hiscock, Emilie Guillaumot and Jérémie Orsel. Michael has an illustrious pop history, having been a founder member of The Field Mice, possibly the most beloved band on Sarah Records in the 1990s. When Michael and his friend Bobby Wratten formed The Field Mice, the two of them very quickly created a set of songs whose emotional honesty, raw guitars and perfect pop melodies pierced the hearts of a generation of indiepop fans, kids who were unmoved by the posturing of mainstream indie, and who didn’t want to spend time in fields dancing at 24-hour raves. The Field Mice were the band who defined the meaning and the spirit of Sarah Records.  Defiantly in love with pop, defiantly un-macho, defiantly… sensitive. And now, remarkably, Michael has done it again. With his new musical partner Emilie, The Gentle Spring have created a fresh new iteration of indiepop music. Once again, the songs are unafraid of raw emotions, brutally honest and is still in love with big pop melodies. They are still…. sensitive.
Their first album, Looking Back at The World, will be out via Skep Wax Records on January 17th 2025.

What They Say: “Sugartown is a song that plays this trick on you. It insists that there will always be lightness and shade. It warns you against complacency, but does it so kindly that you feel like you’ve been embraced”. When Michael’s and Emilie’s vocals combine in the final chorus, telling us that we don’t live in Sugartown, you know they are right – and yet the sweetness of the singing makes you feel that – just for a moment – you do. But life is seen through a different lens now. There is wisdom, there is experience, and there is the ability to look back at the world with a mixture of regret and joy. These are very adult songs, and the arrangements reflect this. Rich acoustic guitars and Emilie’s haunting keyboard have replaced hectic drum machines and urgent distortion. And there is a third element to this music.  Jérémie Orsel’s sophisticated guitar adds textures and melodies that give these songs a real depth, while maintaining an enigmatic distance, never quite overwhelming the vocal line. 

Things are clearer now. But feelings are just as strong. The pain of unrequited love that made Field Mice songs so poignant hasn’t gone away.
The band perform as a trio and have already found a keen audience in France, where they are based. During a short tour of the UK in January, to coincide with this release, British audiences will get their first opportunities to see The Gentle Spring play these new songs live.

About The Album:

“I’ve had an acoustic guitar for a long time but, being a bass player, I’d never taken the time to learn how to play it properly. When I did play it I found myself using the simpler beginners chords, or chords that I’d found by accident, but it was very much playing for fun. About three years ago I read the book Electric Eden by (former Sarah band member) Rob Young. Reading that book helped me realise that I didn’t have to be a virtuoso with the guitar, that lots of songs (some of them great ones) have been written with simple chords, simple instruments and simple (but true) words. That realisation was so inspiring and I thought that we should try to make a record. We did this in 2023 when we were lucky enough to be able to release a single on Too Good To Be True Records (Paris Windows / Dodge The Rain). For this lp we tried as much as possible to keep the same approach; simple instruments, minimal overdubs, percussion rather than drums, clicks and minimal drum samples. The acoustic guitar and the piano are the dominant instruments and the electric guitar has also been kept to a bare minimum“.

Their Mixtape:

(Songs from Michael)

Nick Drake – Pink Moon

I love songs where apparent simplicity leads to beauty; a few chords, a simple melody, an understated musical arrangement, a direct and heartfelt lyric sung without pretension and studio trickery. It’s something we tried to achieve on our lp and this song captures perfectly what I’d love to be able to do. Nick Drake was an accomplished guitarist, so I’m sure the chords are not that simple. However, listening to it you can imagine the song being played live in your living room. The piano melody/solo is the proof that less is more.

The Clientele – Garden Eye Mantra

I have to admit that I’m not a great fan of going to concerts. It’s probably to do with my age (a desire for a bit more comfort) plus I can get bored very easily. Thirty minutes is enough for me. Around eighteen months ago I made the last minute decision to go and see The Clientele. I’d never seen them before and had only a vague knowledge of their music. It was a magical evening and I was transfixed, just three of them on stage but the music was completely captivating. One of the few occasions when I wanted the concert to continue for longer. Their latest lp is wonderful, such scope on the songs, mixing their guitar based approach with samples and classical influences. Successfully ambitious, moving the band forward as records should do.

David Christian & The Pinecone Orchestra : Mums and Dads and Other Ghosts

David is the leader and songwriter of Comet Gain but this song comes from his 2021 lp that he recorded as David Christian & The Pinecone Orchestra. I have to admit that David is a friend of mine and I’ve played bass a couple of times for him when he does concerts in France. On those occasions we generally play a selection of up-tempo Comet Gain songs. However, there is another side to David which sees the light on this lp. Fantastically well written songs as always, full of melodies and stories but with more of a country feel. Our very own Gene Clark.

The Go-Betweens – Dusty In Here

Now and again a perfect record comes along. Before Hollywood is one of those records. I think that I know every word, every note, the cover is perfect (who are these people, when was the picture taken, are they really a band?), I can remember where and when I bought it and I’ve played it a thousand times. Atmosphere counts for so much and on this Grant song the atmosphere completely fits the theme of the song; a dusty sound for a dusty record. Minimal instrumentation, less is more once again. Still one of my favourite bands, one of the few who have never made a bad record. I met Robert Forster a few years ago. I tried to talk and just started crying, it was too much, so many memories. Robert put his arms around me and said “It’s ok, it’s ok”. I treasure the photo.

Bob Dylan – Don’t think twice it’s alright

This song is not indie at all, but it’s definitely old (released in 1963 on the LP The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan). It is one of my favourite songs by Bob Dylan. When I heard it for the first time in my teenagehood I really fell in love with it, it had even become quite an obsession at some point. I would try to play it on my guitar with mixed success as one would imagine. It’s actually inspired from an old traditional American song but the chords have been slightly altered as far as I hear. Anyway, I love the fingerpicking in the introduction and above all the harmonica in the musical part. It’s such a beautiful instrument. In this song it really sounds a crying voice.

Ela Orleans – The Season

This song is not new, it’s 12 years old, but it is new to me. I saw this artist play live in Paris last week. I knew about her through friends who know her from when she lived in London but had not really been listening to her tunes so far. After this gig last week, I have been listening a lot to her for the past days and this song stuck out to my ears. It is a beautiful harmonized mix of tunes and sounds. It is hypnotic.

Timber Timbre – Black Water

This song is dark and full of light at the same time. I like this. It starts straight onto the chorus which is interesting too. It’s a statement from the very beginning. « I need some sunshine ». I must have thought about it because the sky is so grey in Paris these days. I love the retro sound of it with those short piano chords hit regularly along the verses. I discovered this Canadian band through this song back in 2011 as they were releasing their 4th LP already. I followed what they did from afar since then. They released an LP last year but I haven’t listening to it.

Looking Back at The World will be out via Skep Wax Records on January 17th 2025. Look HERE for more information on The Gentle Spring.