On 5 April, Volotea launched the “Volotea Music Fest”, an eclectic free festival in the heart of Nantes to celebrate the milestone of carrying 50 million passengers with the people of the company’s historic home town.
More than 1,000 people attended the show at Le Stereolux to dance and sing along to the rhythms of acts including Ben L’Oncle Soul, Solar Project, VAPA, SAMIFATI and Michelle & Les Garçons.
We took the opportunity to catch up with Solar Project, a local band whose feel-good music is often labelled as “ultra-vitaminised”.
VOLARE MAG – Hello Solar Project! Thanks for taking up our invitation to the Volotea Music Fest. We are delighted to have you on board for this first edition. For those who don’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself, where you come from, what your musical universe is, etc.?
SOLAR PROJECT – There are six of us in the band. We’re all originally from Nantes and our musical universe revolves around afro, soul, pop and disco. It’s a wide blend of different styles because we all have different inspirations, and we throw it all into one basket. This makes for quite a vibrant mix. Our music and shows have a great party feel to them. We like to dress up, add some colour. We sing, we dance, we make the audience sing and dance. It’s a shared experience, with feel-good, party vibes.
VOLARE MAG – How long have you been together?
SOLAR PROJECT – The band has been around for 6-7 years. Time flies! We’re not that young anymore! We have taken our time developing this project. It all started from scratch, rehearsing in a garage and always doing everything ourselves. But we have managed to gradually gain a foothold in the region and perform all over France. We’ve already released two EPs and have a new single out this month, “Beau Parleur”.
VOLARE MAG – You said before you were from Nantes. What recommendations do you have for someone visiting Nantes or the region for the first time?
SOLAR PROJECT – Here’s a place we really love, it’s a floating bar on a barge with a small stage area. It’s called La Drôle de Barge, on the river Erdre, and they host concerts on board. We’ve played there several time, it’s pretty cool.
There’s also Zigobar, a venue with a great line-up.
We also recommend visitors to Nantes to take a stroll along the river Erdre, it’s a lovely spot.
VOLARE MAG – If you went on holiday tomorrow, where would you go?
SOLAR PROJECT – Portugal. Lisbon. It’s a place where life is good; it’s bohemian. We also love the whole Fado culture, the local music scene.
Explore the Solar Project universe:
