Rover - Among the Hiding Places of the Soul

With his recent "Eiskeller", Timothée Régnier, aka Rover, confirms himself as one of the most inspired voices in international songwriting today. Having left behind the Brussels ice house where he conceived his new album, and now ready to bring the work to the stage, the French artist talks to us in this interview about the third, intense chapter of his discography.

Funny, you're the first person to make a connection with “Low”. To be very honest with you, I wasn't thinking of David Bowie's cover when I chose mine. It might be an unconscious act. Good for me that it refers to such an important album.

Six years passed between the previous “Let It Glow” and “Eiskeller”: what happened in that time?

Right after releasing my second album, I went on tour for a period of two and a half to three years. After the “big” tour with the full band, I did a smaller tour with just myself and one musician, where we played the songs in their “demo version”. It was an incredible experience. Then I started working on soundtracks (worth mentioning are Guillaume Brac's “Tonnerre” and Pierre Isoard's series “Alex Hugo”, both from 2013, ed.), I wrote songs for other people, and then I rented this incredible place in Brussels, where I packed up all my instruments and started working on my album.

Looking back, it's incredible to see how much time it takes to make a record, and believe me, I'd be the first person who'd want to release my work every six months, but it takes time, especially for “Eiskeller”, where I did things differently. Time was a crucial ingredient of the process, and not rushing things was the only way to fully live the experience and the recording that came with it.

Is “Eiskeller” the end of a trilogy or the start of a new chapter?

I think it's too early to know whether it's the end of a trilogy or a new chapter. What I'm sure of is that it's part of the story that began more than ten years ago. My three albums are definitely linked by an almost brotherly bond. All three share similar elements and can relate to one another, so yes, it is a trilogy. I can't say whether the next one will fit into this family or not, time will tell once again. What I'm sure of is that every record is the start of a new chapter: just knowing that you'll play the album live and watch it grow within people's lives is very exciting.

“Eiskeller” was born out of solitude, out of isolation, right as the world was coming to terms with those same feelings because of Covid.

It was pretty strange, since I always isolate myself when making an album. Perhaps for the first time in my life I felt connected in my solitude with the rest of the world, despite the drama of this pandemic. I feel that “Eiskeller” definitely helped me cope with what we all went through.

A record born in an ice cellar, but actually very “warm”, starting from the opening track “To This Tree”: were you looking for that contrast?

Yes, I can say I'm definitely a man made of contrasts. I found myself deeply caught up in my struggle against this huge, cold place I'd decided to settle in. Only music gave me warmth, and in the end it was my best weapon against that hostile environment.

The approach reminded me a lot of John Lennon's “Plastic Ono Band”…

That reference is one of my all-time favorite musical passages. I'm a huge fan of John Lennon's work, especially with the Plastic Ono Band.

Can you tell us about the compositional side of the songs? It's a very varied record in terms of instrumentation.

Having more time allowed me to work on the songs in a different way, I really enjoyed getting into the details in terms of songwriting. The approach was the same, but with less pressure due to the time I had and the space I was in, the added “craftsmanship” in the details gave the songs another dimension.

What's the moment on “Eiskeller” you're most proud of?

There are so many moments that come to mind. The whole experience was really a series of small instants, intimate moments I'll never forget. Today what I'm most proud of is having finished the album and seeing that I was able to capture exactly my everyday work and put it into the music.

Besides music, from an artistic point of view, what kept you company while working on the record?

In a very spontaneous way, I'd say my instruments were my best friends during the conception of the album, and that over the months spent recording, the place itself became a partner and a friend. Even the raw industrial location where I was working became a source of inspiration and took on something artistic. Anything can become a source of inspiration, if you give it time.

I saw the news of the first live shows: what will the approach and organization be, and what are your feelings and thoughts about going back to playing live at this particular moment?

I can't wait to go on tour. I'll try to keep the same energy and the same spirit for the shows. I try to avoid the comfort zone, so I'm really excited to hit the road with just one musician. It'll be just me and a drummer. His name is Antoine Boistelle. We're already excited at this stage, rehearsing the songs, and truly excited about how they sound. I can't wait to share it with the audience!

Who is the closing song, “Woys”, addressed to?

“Woys” fit perfectly as the album's closing track. It's not just a song about the curious process of songwriting: more specifically, it's about that strange moment when people start thinking a song is about them, when it isn't. It's a bit strange, and fascinating at the same time, how a song can take on a personal reflection in people's lives. So the chorus plays with that a little, saying: “You are the one/ You are the chosen one”. It's a great song to play live too.

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