The band Phoenix in residence at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs

It’s a perfect coincidence that Phoenix, after recording for many years at the Gaîté Lyrique, was looking for a new and unique space to work on their new record. Members of the band have long been admirers of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and found in it the ideal setting to practice their art while enjoying privileged access to museum collections and exhibitions, much of which has inspired their music since their residency began.

© Guillaume Delaperrière

Originally from Versailles, Phoenix bandmembers include Thomas Mars, Deck d’Arcy, Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai, and over the past twenty years, have gone from being an outsider French pop group to one of the most influential Indie Rock groups in the world.

As Laurent Brancowitz puts it, “The places we compose and record have always been important to Phoenix. We have used these spaces to discover and experiment with our art; to change the setting and scenery and to start a new adventure with each album.”

The group works in the Rohan Wing of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in a space closed off to the public, transformed into a modern studio where they are composing and recording their seventh album, yet to be titled, a successor to their 2017 album Ti Amo. Since September, museum teams and bandmembers have worked together to enhance the relationship between the Musée des Arts Decoratifs and music.