In a music landscape increasingly dominated by hyper-specific algorithmically generated niches and “cores,” Deux Visages stands out among the simulacra of rehashed genre mashups as a band that echoes the voice of an older generation for the new. Deux Visages is a kinetic indie rock band from Miami, Florida that channels the frenetic energy of math rock with the melancholic melodies of bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Made up of Daphney Hanono on vocals, Antoine Lappin on drums, Jack Chiu on guitar, and Tony Jouvin on bass, the four-piece are rising stars in the alternative music scene after their recent tour with the eclectic art and noise rock band Julie. Deux Visages signed with the label Atlantic Records after the strength of the songwriting on their first single, “Cheetah.” Yet, despite this rising fame the band remains grounded in making music that reflects their chemistry as a group of friends. Recently, I was able to catch up with the band in Miami after a practice session in their garage.
Image Credit: The Nuance Magazine
I honestly went full Nardwuar and found a lot of early covers you guys did on YouTube. I loved your cover of “Black Sheep” and it’s awesome to see how far you guys have come. How did you get started as a band and how would you say you’ve grown?
Antoine: I went to high school with Daphnee and heard about her singing because she had released a single to apply for schools on YouTube. I sent her a DM on Instagram to try to find a band to play shows with. We’ve been a band since November 2019, but we don’t really consider that the start of the band. Originally, we had other members, but once Tony and Jack came into the lineup in 2021 everything solidified. We’ve been writing, practicing, and recording more than ever. Daphney and I being in the band before Tony and Jack helped us grow.
Daphney: Yeah, it felt like we had to do those two years before they joined so that we were good enough.
Tony: This is my first band. I just joined because I had started playing bass. I auditioned with six months of experience on bass, but I had been playing guitar for a year since Covid. It all just lined up. We knew each other from driver’s ed…
Daphney: Jack auditioned for bass on the same day so we decided to pick them both to join our band. I think chemistry is what has helped us grow so much as a band. We’re friends and all share the same goals of doing this long-term and living off of our art. That’s what makes our compatibility translate to a tight live show.
Antoine: The chemistry is a byproduct of all of us wanting it bad. I only have three really close friends and they’re all here.
I hear a bit of math rock in the instrumentals and jangle-pop influences in the vocals, especially in songs like “Cheetah”. It remind me a lot of Chon’s guitar parts and The Cranberries vocal stylings. What are some of your biggest musical influences?
Tony: We all have pretty different tastes. I started off playing metal in a pretty anxious rebellious phase. I also loved classic rock growing up, but I got into bass after discovering funk and slapping.
Antoine: If I had to say a top three I would say indie, college rock from the 80s, and grunge. In terms of drummers, I love Dave Grohl and Fergal Lawler from The Cranberries. I’m also really into Midwest emo.
Jack: I started playing guitar when I was fourteen and went from classic rock to classic metal like Slayer and Metallica. I then got really into technical guitar playing, so bands like Chon. Crazy alternative rock has a lot of what I like so I’ve been digging shoegaze. Recently Momma, Sweet Pill, and Julie have been in a lot of my playlists. Ok honestly, I’ve been obsessed with Julie ever since our tour with them. They’re awesome.
Daphney: I have an older sister who put me onto a lot of late 2000s indie music. So I listen to a lot of that and post-punk/new wave revival. That type of music led me to find Talking Heads who are one of my fav bands. I also love more of that 90s alternative rock like The Sundays and Smashing Pumpkins.
Image Credit: The Jitney
When I saw you guys live, I could tell even from the songs you hadn’t released that your songwriting is so unique. How do you handle crafting a song and the storytelling behind it?
Tony: We do it step-by-step. Usually, someone brings in one aspect like a riff, a melody, or a subject for lyrics.
Jack: We try to stick away from genres too by completely avoiding it and going off pure instinct. We also talk a lot about why we do or don’t like a certain part of a song which helps us continue to build and discover what the vibe or message is of a song.
Antoine: No matter what, it will sound like us so we don’t care about genre. Our own limitations also help us especially since we’re still early enough to completely shape our sound. Normally we jam to an idea and from there we connect the dots. We have a language and watch each other to match.
Daphney: I usually just sway towards sad love songs and I’m always influenced by lots of media I’m consuming. I’ll have ideas with a bigger project in mind with themes, ideas, and topics that I want to write or talk about. That usually helps me. I also like to write a story about a song before writing lyrics which helps me focus.
You guys just had your first East Coast tour. What do you think was the highlight for each of you guys?
All: Philly.
Daphney: Wait, New York.
Jack: Ok, maybe D.C. too.
Daphney: D.C. was sick and so was Atlanta, which was our first show.
Antoine: Atlanta had the shock factor, D.C. had the first moshing crowd, and Philly took it to the next level. People singing our songs were also crazy. New York was the biggest show and also our families showed up. We look up to New York as a city so playing there meant so much to us. That was the first show my mom went to.
Daphney: My dad hadn’t seen us play in years and we played the best there, like the stars aligned.
Tony: One of my cousins didn’t know I was in a band until we went to New York.
Antoine: We had one fan from D.C. named Iris who brought us gifts. It was so elaborate and we felt so many good vibes from them.
Daphney: Iris wrote the sweetest note to us.
What was it like for you guys starting in the Miami indie scene and playing at local venues like Tea and Poets?
Daphney: It was very different before Covid so many venues were growing, but that all went downhill as venues started to close down. For a bit, the metal and hardcore scenes started doing well.
Jack: Rave music and DJ sets dominate here, but there’s a real growing scene that’s come back.
Antoine: For a band it’s tough to get a start in the capital of reggaeton and electronic, but we were lucky to ride off the indie wave. We’re kinda in a weird spot locally, but sometimes it's really tough. Most of the time we don’t care to make money here, but for the longest time it felt like it was only friends showing up. As an artist that sucked, but it looks like it's getting better.
Tony: It felt like for years there was a cap where the scene wasn’t growing at all and it was the same people going out. It’s not even the scene; it is more so the venues and the lack of infrastructure after Covid.
All of you guys got a tattoo when you got signed to Atlantic. What is your next big milestone?
All: Moving together.
Antoine: Music goals aside, moving in together somewhere we can afford would help. Tattoos were the first big decision, the next one is definitely moving together or playing a festival.
What is your dream festival?
Daphney: Borno, Gov Ball, Lollapalooza and obviously Coachella.
Tony: I don’t know festival circuits like that but I just want to impress my mom. Sick New World or Rockville would be cool!
Daphney: Wait, also U.K. festivals as well Glastonbury, Leeds, Glasgow. Ok wait… fuck it; Argentina and Brazil.
Jack: Some of my favorite rock concerts ever were in Brazil.
Antoine: Japan would be awesome. A lot of people come up to us and say our stuff sounds like it fits in an anime, so like J-Rock kind of music. I think that’s such a compliment. Someone on our socials once said our songs sound like they belong in the show Nana.
Last question: how would you describe your aesthetics?
Daphney: Indie sleaze.
Tony: I don’t know, I kinda just dress in all-black and baggy clothes. Dark muted colors.
Antoine: I love baggy clothes too, the kinda comfortable alternative aesthetic that manifests itself through stuff that just feels chill.
Daphney: I feel like we just end up looking British sometimes…
Andres Alfonso is a senior in the SFS studying Culture & Politics and is jamming out to the new Deux Visages single “February.”