Photo: Léo Alestro

February 14th will see the release of Jean-Claude Vannier‘s new album Jean-Claude Vannier et son orchestre de mandolines (Jean Claude Vannier and his mandolin orchestra), a record created as the soundtrack to a non-existent silent film. The French musician, composer and arranger had already shared the tender and heartfelt ‘Perdue dans la cité (Lost in the city)’ and the charming ‘Comme les enfants savent aimer’ and today he’s sharing a new single called ‘La 2CV rouillée (The rusty 2CV)’. Of the track, he says:

“I’ve always dreamed of writing for a mandolin orchestra – the instrument’s tremors seemed apt to expose romantic and sentimental melodies. It brings back old memories.
On Sundays, my father used to take us to the countryside in his 2cv.
It’s a funny car, with the slightest change in speed, a flick of the brake or the gas pedal, and it rocks like a duck on the water.
During these drives, I was unable to see the landscape because I was seasick.
My father was an inventor, and had come up with a rudimentary air bag that went off at the slightest jolt.
Those rides in the countryside were a nightmare for me, and I now avoid trips in the 2CV…”

Listen to ‘La 2CV rouillée (The rusty 2CV)’ below and grab the album when it drops on February 14th through Ipecac.