Beau, in both English and French, is a statement on external beauty and what goes on underneath. They embody both the confidence and fragility of 21 year-old women. For them, starting a band was the vital, necessary thing to do. Heather and Emma, are as close as sisters, they met in elementary school and embarked on a musical partnership that would span most of their young lives. Growing up in the fertile artistic community of downtown NYC the duo began writing songs together at 13 years old, some of those songs remain in the repertoire today.
They are equally passionate and enthusiastic but this sentiment didn’t extend to Heather's time studying advertising: she dropped out after two weeks. As for Emma, she knew that a solely academic career would not bring her the success and satisfaction she desired; turning down a handful of colleges, she stayed in New York and they both decided to dedicate their undivided attention to creating music. Immersed in art and culture, music quickly became a way of expressing themselves. This played a role in their influences and writing process. It made them versatile which would be important when forming the duo.
Nothing deters them. The girls toil, and they toil hard. They recruit the members for their live show themselves, while continuing to write and compose. It's about the music; it’s always been about the music. Everything else is geared toward this goal—even their modeling and acting – Heather was discovered on the streets of New York at 13 years old and Emma appeared in commercials and even the Dave Chappelle show as a child. Famous photographers such as Ryan McGinley have photographed the girls.
These experiences, simply allow them to assert their styles, without having to force it. This approach is reflected in Beau’s downtown New York bohemian lifestyle. It's less of an episode of Girls than it is a real view of their everyday lives. They met Gildas Loaëc, founder of the seminal French label Kitsuné and they recorded their first tracks between London and Nashville with producer Al O’Connell (Paul McCartney, Rufus Wainwright).
Their first EP showcases Beau perfectly, with the infinitely sad love song "Soar Across the Sea", the hopeful "One Wing", or the nod to Joni Mitchell’s line "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" that is somewhere between Warpaint and The White Stripes on "C'mon Please." The duo also bare themselves on "Lost Soul", a more sentimental track for the girls. One of the first songs they wrote, it reflects an often- ignored desperate need for parental attention, and is an acknowledgement of French hip hop group, Suprême NTM’s "Look at your youth in the eyes!”
Beau says, "Our music is an outlet to express ourselves in an infinitely relatable way that welcomes anyone. We hope that with our songs in mind it will be almost impossible to feel lonely. We are all in this together after all." Beau is a snapshot. It's a prism through which we see and understand New York youth rocked by their hope and illusions. It's where the strange and glamorous live alongside one another, but where all dreams are valid, and where still waters run deep.
