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Women of Rock: Elyose Frontwoman Justine Daaé Lists Her Top Female Influences

Elyose frontwoman Justine Daaé joins us for a Women Of Rock discussing her influences, Amy Lee, Brené Brown, Cristina Scabbia, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, and Christina Aguilera.

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When you hear nu-metal, you probably think of Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Papa Roach from the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in the year 2023, that’s not what the genre is. No, it’s more in line with bands such as Elyose, the popular French duo who have taken this genre and given it a sense of mystique and uniqueness. A brilliant collaboration between singer Justine Daaé, of The Erinyes, and guitarist Anthony Chognard, previously of Smash Hit Combo, this a project whose origins date back to 2009. Between then and now, they have released four studio records, including their very latest, Déviante, due out on February 9th.

Melodic and hard-hitting, Déviante is garnering a lot of praise and attention, thanks in part to the singles “L’Assemblée” and “Retour au Réel.” Daaé is the perfect frontwoman for an act that makes music like this, with the perfect combination of charisma, seduction, vocal power, and enchantment. Daaé and Chognard feel strongly about this being their best record yet, thanks to its guitar performance and production work.

Daaé is an interesting frontwoman who can’t help but reel you in with her flair, style, and appeal. She joins us today for Women of Rock, outlining her top five female artists who have truly and deeply inspired her.

1. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

“One of my top teachers. She is a Harvard-trained and published neuroscientist who became incredibly influential because a hemorrhage in her left brain gave her an experience of how it is actually like to live in your right brain only. She lost the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. She documented this in a memoir called My Stroke of Insight and gave a TED talk in 2008 that went viral on the internet… They have been a life changer! The 90-Second Rule completely changed my perception of things like stress, anger and anxiety and all of those other emotions that we sometimes believe are not easy to control.”

2. Christina Aguilera

“From the 1990s bubblegum pop singer to the very provocative sex symbol, she was my idol when I was a teenager! I like how she was able to make very bold choices at a young age, particularly when she embraced an overtly sexual image with the “Dirrty” era. She looked like she was in complete command of everything and that was, for me, the measure of a true artist. She was also my main vocal inspiration while I don’t have the same kind of voice at all! I guess it added a little “soul” touch to my classical singing. I have always been blown away by her vocal skills.”

Artwork for the album ‘Déviante’ by Elyose

3. Amy Lee

“She was among the first singers I heard in metal and inspired my songwriting and style. Evanescence’s vocals arrangements and harmonies are very rich and subtle and it made me work on those a lot more and realize how important they are. Her kind of singing also suited my voice perfectly and it made me more confident in my artistic direction. I was a classically trained vocalist who loved metal and that was totally ok. She also made me dye my hair in black since then!”

4. Brené Brown

“She’s a research professor specializing in shame, vulnerability, courage, and empathy. I started with her TED talk The Power of Vulnerability, which is one of the most-watched TED talk in the history of seminars, and followed up with the same-titled book. I have been listening to her podcast too. I learnt so many important lessons about vulnerability! That it’s not a sign of weakness, on the contrary, and that they are many benefits to opening up. She really helped me embrace exposure without being scared.”

5. Cristina Scabbia

“Not only did I grow up with Lacuna Coil’s music and still am a fan today, but I’ve also always loved Cristina’s ‘rock & roll’ attitude. She’s bold, not afraid of showing the genuine her, sometimes shows herself without makeup at all…! In a world where women are judged on their plastic beauty and where the trend is more and more photo retouch, she exudes self-confidence and feels good in her own skin. I also like her sense of humour and how serious she is with the job without taking herself seriously. I’m also inspired by how consistent she’s been with her career and band (for almost 30 years!) and didn’t choose a regular family-type life. I don’t think she has children and that should be an option for all women to consider too.”

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