ATS1994 - British Rock Meets Californian Vibes ! (France - Glam/Punk - Interview with Julien).

Hi—Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all started for you—how you discovered this musical world, what drew you in, what fascinated you, and what made you want to make music?
Hi, I’m Julien, the drummer for ATS1994 (a glampunk band from Bayonne). How did it all start for me... Well, it was a few years ago, back in high school, while talking with a friend (a bassist). The idea of playing was really starting to grow on me, and when my buddy told me that drums would be too complicated, well, that was the real turning point: “Why not me?” I’d been really into ’70s rock for a while (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Queen, The Doors…) and, more recently, melodic punk rock (NOFX, Lagwagon, No Use for a Name, Hi-Standard, Sublime…). What blew my mind was how just 3, 4, or 5 friends could create and share such awesome stuff and moments all on their own! I wanted to feel and live out that little dream a bit—and why not play a concert someday!

Tell me about the band… How did you meet? The current lineup? Past experiences? And most importantly—WHY did you feel the need to form THIS band?
ATS1994 was formed from the ashes of the band Missile (Bayonne hardcore punk) in 2024. JB (guitarist/vocalist) and Nils (guitarist) and I had already been playing together for a few years. JB and I have spent more than half our lives playing together in various bands (NOYZY, The Enterprise, Missile, Kill! Kill! Diana), and it was JB who asked Pierre “El Famoso” to come play bass for ATS. You should know that for our first concert, Pierre had learned all the songs on his own, and we met for the first time just two hours before the show; but JB had told Nils and me that “this guy was super cool and we shouldn’t worry!” He was right.
With this band, we just want to play whatever we feel like in the moment and not necessarily follow trends; everyone brings ideas to the table, and we think it works pretty well! ATS1994 was just a great excuse to play with friends at cool venues, have fun, and try to put on a good show too, of course—to take things seriously but without the pressure.

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all costs?
ATS1994 is Glampunk; there are melodic punk sounds and pop touches, offering compositions that are sometimes British rock, sometimes Californian. Basically, it’s high-energy but with “a touch of tenderness.” It’s kind of like Weezer on codeine. Why should you listen to our band? I’d rather ask, why haven’t you listened to us yet? 😂 It’s so cool; you can hear all of Nils’s talent on the guitar, that slightly retro sound, the different, catchy vibes, the backing vocals… Well, I’m not exactly objective, but I think ATS1994 is the best of the four of us.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences? How important are lyrics to you? Are there specific messages or ideas you try to convey and share through your lyrics? 
Everyone in the band has different influences and inspirations; they range from Queen, NOFX, Weezer, The Strokes, Blink-182, Sublime, Vampire Weekend, Bad Nerves, Pup, The Brian Jonestown Massacre… and so on. Lyrics are pretty important to us, but we’re not here to convey a message. There are others who are much better at that than we are. Whether people are listening to our music or coming to our shows, we just want them to have a blast, enjoy themselves, and forget their everyday problems.

About the band’s discography. Imagine someone who doesn’t know your band at all and wants to check them out. Which release would you recommend they start with, and why?
If someone doesn’t know the band, I’d recommend they listen to “INFERNUS MANET”,  the latest EP,  because in just four songs they’ll really get a feel for us. All four are different; there’s no need to listen to a 20-song album.

About your latest album?
Our latest EP was recorded and mixed in Tarnos at Nils’ studio as a self-produced project in late 2025 and early 2026. The artwork was created by the amazing @lagagalab (Arthur Lagadec), who had already designed our first visual. You can listen to the latest ATS1994 on all music platforms (Spotify, Deezer, Bandcamp, etc.). Right now, we’re thinking about releasing this EP on physical media, but we’re still figuring out the format. 

What are your plans?
Right now, we’re trying to book shows to promote this EP. The more shows we book, the more likely we’ll be able to release it physically.

What would be your wildest dream with the band?
With the band, we’ve already made a few small dreams come true by opening for some really, really cool acts (thanks to Bolo from Roder and Émilien from The Drugsters) at some really fun venues; but going on a tour—or several—at SMACs and clubs, hitting the road with friends like we used to do with our other bands, would truly be a dream. And if that led to recognition, well, I’d sign up right away!

Your BEST & WORST concert—as a band—and why?
Our best concert was with JB in Marseille; no one was really expecting us at that club—I don’t even remember the name anymore. We were just supposed to open for some local stars. From the very first notes, the atmosphere was electric; the crowd was super responsive and totally into it. People were standing on the bar, jumping all over the place. It felt like we were spectators at our own concert—it was that unbelievable. People were hugging each other, singing along with JB, and some were even touching me while I played, as if we were “real stars.” It was just crazy!!!
Well, the downside is that it’s not as much fun… In a venue that can hold 700 people (not bad, right!?), the only people in the audience were our girlfriends and the sound guys. I think even today, we still hold the record for the “lowest turnout” at that very nice venue. But it was still cool because it’s not every day you get the chance to play there.

Upcoming live shows?
ATS1994’s next shows will take place:
September 11 at Le Craft in Anglet, with The Drugsters from Bayonne
September 12 at Molly’s Pub in Biarritz (pending confirmation) with Samary from Pau
October 16 at MA3 (Ménage à Trois) in Bayonne
November 6 at Apérock in Anglet, with Kill!Kill!Diana
The other dates are still to be confirmed.

A few words about your local scene—are there any bands you’re friends with that you’d like to mention? 
In the southwest, around Bayonne and particularly in the southern part of the Landes region near Seignosse, the local scene is musically very rich, and a few guys are really working hard to keep it alive (among the organizers, we can mention Bolo and “Milooz” Emilien from the Dispear Records label). As for the bands that are killing it and making waves, we can mention: Coldstress (hardcore punk), The Drugsters (Ramonescore), The Dead Krazukies (punk rock), Vegan Piranha (surf punk), Pussy Miel (grunge/rock), Minns du (power pop), Lucie Sue (heavy rock), Roder (killer grunge), Kill! Kill! Diana (post-hardcore), Severance (hardcore)... and I could go on—the list would be long. In such a small area, there are tons of bands that are seriously awesome!

What’s the question you’d love to answer but have never been asked? Heads up—I’m also waiting for the answer that goes with it...
There isn’t really a question I’d love to have been asked that I haven’t been asked yet, but there is one where I would’ve preferred a different answer :)
One day, someone asked me if I knew a certain professional drummer (they gave me his name), after telling me that my playing was similar to his, that we had some similarities… blah, blah, blah. After thinking I’d just received the greatest compliments of my little musical life, I ended up asking who this drummer was, exactly. Mind you, I’m quoting: “He’s just the worst drummer who ever lived!” Well, after that, I felt a little less flattered. Anyway, I’ve worked really hard since then.
Well, you’ll have to check out ATS1994 or listen on streaming platforms to see if I’ve improved since then 😄