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Mais où sont les neiges d'antan – but where are the snows of yesteryear? Six French Songs is Olivia Chaney’s spontaneous and celebratory review of the French chanson, from medieval ballad to 60s yé-yé pop classic. 

Finding themselves with a few spare evenings during a trip to NYC, Olivia and her long term collaborator and producer Thomas Bartlett set themselves the challenge of making an EP. Over two balmy summer evenings at Reservoir Studios (formerly Chic’s studio), they set down as many of Olivia’s arrangements as they could. Playing all the instruments themselves, with haunting violin parts from Sam Amidon, who happened to be in town, these recordings are a celebration of friendship, fuelled by wine, laughter and affection.

The distinctive and playful arrangements on Six French Songs frame afresh the unbroken tradition of French chanson–with their ‘formes fixes’ and full-blooded themes of life, death, love and longing.