MARVIN HEEMEYER - Making Art A Political Act ! (France - HardCore - Interview with Julien, Joule & Quentin).

Hi—Can you introduce yourselves and tell us how it all began for you—how you discovered this musical world, what drew you to it, what fascinated you, and what made you want to make music?
Julien: I started playing guitar around age 15, inspired as much by Max Cavalera as by Tom DeLonge. I listened to everything that came out on the Rocksound samplers, and I pored over all the CDs and reviews in the magazine. And I developed an increasingly strong taste for punk rock through my discoveries, even though I listened to a lot of metal. The energy, the simplicity of the playing—you can express yourself very quickly with punk; you don’t need to be a virtuoso. Then at some point, a shift happened when I started listening to the favorite bands of my favorite bands. That’s when I discovered hardcore, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

If I told you that you had to leave for a deserted island in 5 minutes—you have no choice… except to take three albums with you… which ones, and why? Would you say these albums were a game-changer at some point in your life?
Julien: Well, this will only reflect my personal tastes, but I’d pick Deftones’ “Around The Fur”, because they’ve been my favorite band since I was 14. I love the riffs, the sound—they’re nothing but hits. And for the first time, I found a guitarist who wasn’t very technical but was incredible when it came to writing riffs and melodies—which is what matters most to me. Plus, this band has never released a bad album. Next, I’d take The Hope Conspiracy’s album "Death Knows Your Name". To say this record was a huge revelation when it came out would be an understatement. It’s a concept album based on George Orwell’s book "Animal Farm". I’ve listened to it a million times—the production is truly excellent, as are the atmosphere, the lyrics, the vocals, and the artwork. I think this album is perfect. And finally, The Smiths’ "The Queen Is Dead"—I really love this album, even though Morrissey is starting to sound more and more like Pascal Praud these days. Old age is a shipwreck…
Joule: Burning Heads’ “Escape” (1999)—a French band making top-notch “melodic” punk rock and releasing it on an American label; that wasn’t common back then, and it still isn’t. Paint It Black “CVA” (2003)—it’s hard-hitting, and the vocals are inspired. Rise And Fall “Into Oblivion” (2005)—for the darkness of it all and the visceral quality of the production.

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?
Julien: Marvin Heemeyer started in 2019; the lineup back then was quite different from the current one. Only Gaëtan (drums) and I were already in the band. It’s worth noting that the two of us have been making music together for a very long time. We had a fastcore/powerviolence band called Fracture. I’m talking about that… it was around 2011–2012. We started Marvin Heemeyer with the goal of forming a hardcore band, driven by the passion of the singer at the time, with whom we recorded two EPs.
Then Joule, the new singer, joined in 2023, and before him, Quentin on bass in 2022… We’ve known Joule for a very long time as well, since we were in a melodic hardcore band together (Exit Wounds, which released an EP on Youth Way Records in 2007—Alex from Twisted Minds’ label). This whole crew got back together with a burning desire to do it all over again—faster and more intense—who knows why...

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all costs?
Julien: Our band is like a lot of others—it’s still punk rock. I’d say we still try to bring our own twist with a pretty aggressive sound—not overly polished, but instinctive and honest. In fact, our album was recorded with that in mind: live takes, no cheating, just energy and aggression—and very little time to record, I have to admit.
Joule: Abrasive punk rock & fast-paced hardcore—it’s direct and unpretentious.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences? How important are lyrics to you? Are there specific messages or ideas you’re trying to convey and share through your lyrics?
Julien: As for me, on guitar, I draw inspiration (or copy—depending on how you look at it) from what I consider the best that hardcore has produced: American Nightmare, Go It Alone, Hope Conspiracy… On top of that, I incorporate—not necessarily intentionally—influences from all the melodramatic stuff I’ve listened to in the past. As for the lyrics, our singer draws inspiration from the atmosphere around us, past mistakes, and the rearview mirror we sometimes start looking into with a touch of melancholy. Nothing particularly cheerful, to be honest.
Joule: Lyrics are important to us because words have meaning and “art” is, in fact, a political act. So it makes sense to write about things that touch you personally and/or that you observe in your immediate or extended circle. Most of the time I have a theme in mind before writing, but as I write, I often stray from the original idea. Because of my level of English, my style is more literal than figurative.

About your latest album?
Julien: The album’s journey was a wonderful adventure, fraught with obstacles, but we made it! We ran into a few hurdles typical of a debut album—I guess everyone has to go through that. We recorded in Metz, at L’Autre Oreille studio. They offered live takes, and that was exactly what we wanted: to keep the raw energy and not over-edit or over-process the recordings. Our goal was for what you hear to be true to what you experience at a live show.
The album was recorded in November 2025 for a release a year later in October 2026. It took us a while to find the label that would support us, and that turned out to be Deviance Records. A label based in the Vosges region that really boosted our enthusiasm. Thanks to them, we’ve put together a great co-production with a total of five labels
(Maloka / Capoulet / Schlag / Blackout Prod). By the way, Schlag Records is run by the former singer of the Burning Heads (now with Monde De Merde), and for me, getting his seal of approval really means a lot. As for the cover art, it’s based on a photo taken by a friend. We wanted something simple, not necessarily following the classic hardcore conventions. The album will be released on vinyl in early October.

What are your plans?
Julien: To play as much as possible and promote this album as much as we can!

What would be your wildest dream with the band?
Julien: Playing at a few big festivals would be a real blast. Honestly, releasing the album on vinyl is already a huge success for me; I’d also love to record a second album as soon as possible, but someone’s whispering in my ear that we need to take our time.
Quentin: That’s me whispering in his ear… The dream would be to play in the XtremFest cage!

Your BEST & WORST concert—as a band—and why?
Julien: The worst one, easy. An organizer that makes you play two to three hours after the scheduled time, a band member who stays too close to the bar, and you’ve got a total disaster. We remember it, and we try to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but well…
As for the best show, I have fond memories of one of our first gigs with Joule on vocals. It was absolutely wild—on a houseboat, with an amazing vibe.

Upcoming live shows?
Joule: That’s a really, really good question! Book us!

A few words about your local music scene—which bands are you friends with and would like to mention?
Julien: Unfortunately, like many cities in France, concert venues—or so-called “alternative” venues—are closing one after another in Nancy. To name a few places we really appreciate but that are facing difficulties, there’s the Cafard’Naüm in Saint-Etienne-lès-Remiremont, as well as Le Royal and the Black Baron in Nancy. This doesn’t bode well for the future. There are quite a few reasons for this: gentrification, administrative closures due to recent tragedies (Crans Montana), and venue owners’ reluctance to take risks because of complaints from neighbors… Only two or three venues remain here.
That said, the “scene” is actually pretty lively. There’s something for every style: hardcore with Muscu, thrash/crossover with Illegal Corpse & Old Rotten Bastards, or oi/post-punk with Rancoeur !

What’s the question you’d love to answer but have never been asked? Careful—I’m also waiting for the answer that goes with it…
Joule: Pizza or burger? Raclette!
Julien: Your top three favorite guitarists? Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), Kurt Ballou (Converge), Todd Jones (Nails, Terror, Carry On, Fireburn)

Well, the interview is coming to an end… Is there anything you’d like to add? Something I didn’t think of? Something important, funny, silly… Whatever!
Joule: Thanks to fanzines like yours and radio shows that keep broadcasting and promoting this “slightly fringe” culture—it makes us feel a little less alone, and it warms our hearts!