By: Jennifer Vintzileos
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) We have a few influences mixing together, Americana and singer-songwriter with some danceable indie songs with horns and some loose gypsy jazz chord progressions and references.
Q) Who are some of your earliest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound?
Abigail: I grew up with my musician father playing church songs and some classic Americana songs on guitar. We played [Bob] Dylan, John Denver and The Beatles in our home growing up, with lots of musicals and show tunes as well. The Sherman Brothers songs from the Disney movies were staples. When I turned sixteen years old I got into songwriters like M Ward and Tom Waits, Fleetwood Mac and Elliott Smith and growing up in southern California No Doubt and Sublime were big on the radio.
Q) Abigail and Jeremy, as married musicians leading the band, how does your personal and creative partnership influence the songwriting process and the overall dynamic of Bon Bon Vivant?
Abigail: We have been playing music together for twenty-one years. From early on seeing me play solo shows, Jeremy was very supportive of my songwriting and my singular voice coming through the music. When we formed a band, he became a great addition to the songwriting process in helping to build up the songs after the bones have been set. I write the lyrics and the music and then I share it with him and we work out dynamics and parts. I feel comfortable bringing him the songs in their very raw form and having him help bring them to life. Bon Bon Vivant is very much a dynamic of our dual natures; I can be more serious and thoughtful and Jeremy can bring life and charisma to almost any situation.
Q) Tell us the story behind your latest single “Sin Eater.”
Abigail: I was learning about the death ritual of “Sin Eating,” a chosen profession, a calling. A Sin Eater would symbolically please the soul of your loved one after they passed by consuming bread off the body to take on the sins of the deceased. With our modern aversion to death, I appreciated the willingness of the Sin Eater to do this service at a sacrifice to themselves. Sin Eaters were commonly outcasts in society. It sounded like a deep and unflinching form of love to me, so I wrote a love song with some macabre imagery.
Q) The production of “Sin Eater” involved a unique collaboration with Stan Keightley Jr., known for working with shoegaze, alt-rock and metal bands. What was it like bringing his style to your New Orleans sound, and how do you feel it impacted the final product?
Jeremy: Stan was recommended to record sound for a live music video that Bon Bon Vivant shot at the Salem Gand Theater in the summer of 2024. We enjoyed working with Stan so much that we asked him to work with us on the new album! Thankfully, he agreed. Stan’s influence and production style are both highly creative, exploratory and he encourages risk taking. So for the first two singles from the new record are the best work that BBV has released to date.
Q) The “Sin Eater” video was shot in the French Quarter of New Orleans. How important is the city of New Orleans to your band’s identity and musical style?
Jeremy: In New Orleans music is on every street corner, BBQ, club and park. Living there is to be totally immersed in the creativity of the best musicians in the world that play everyday and everywhere. It is impossible not to be influenced by all the music, food, parades and culture that ornaments every experience with music. I think we have been deeply influenced by our community, the music, spirit and culture. Abigail has always written songs as a storyteller and New Orleans has so many stories.
Q) Abigail, you directed and edited the “Sin Eater” music video. What was your vision for the video and how did you aim to visually represent the song’s themes and the character of the Sin Eater?
Abigail: In the “Sin Eater” video, we follow the Sin Eater through the night symbolically possessing people as he passes by them, with them becoming a devotee to the cause of a Sin Eater. I wanted to give the Sin Eater an elevated status, in contrast to the historical cultural opinion, to make him a dapper and beautiful figure.
Q) Since its release, what has been the reception from your fans and listeners to the new music?
Jeremy: The new music reflects the band’s live shows a little more closely than previous studio albums. We sought out to make a record that sounded more raw, vibrant and alive this round. Stan has been instrumental in actualizing that. The fans have been loving it’ it is really a gift when you put out music that resonates with folks. We are excited for our next release “Here We Go” that will be out in August.
Q) The band incorporates a unique instrumentation, including brass horns and elements of New Orleans brass. How do these instruments contribute to your signature sound?
Abigail: We did not really think about instrumentation when we started the band. I was moving from acoustic guitar to electric….Jeremy grew up playing saxophone in school and then played bass guitar in bands over the years. When we started to form Bon Bon Vivant, Jeremy was reconnecting with the saxophone and it fit well with the songs that I was writing at the time. The instruments in the band came about naturally from our community in New Orleans and featuring horn players. Rather than lead guitar we have Trombone and Sax, bass guitar is sometimes played by sousaphone, we have had fiddle players. Accordion, piano, keys, percussion…one of the luxuries of living in NOLA is that our community is full of talented musicians that play a lot of different instruments and we love to create with them all.
Q) With “Sin Eater” out now, is this a prelude to a full album or EP?
Abigail: “Sin Eater” is the first single from our new full length studio release….”Here We Go” will be the next single to come out. “Sin Eater” is a dark distorted love story…. “Here We Go” is a brassy dance song that is a call to action. We are excited for this full record; it is a totally different creative process and we are really proud of this album.
Q) You’ve been on tour this spring and summer. What are some of your favorite songs to perform to live audiences?
Jeremy: We have had a wonderful year so far, the songs that seem to be on the set list most often are “The Bones,” “Lost Soul,” “USOS (United States Of Suckers),” “Here We Go” and “Dust.”
Q) With your genre-bending sound that incorporates indie, gypsy, dark ballads, and dance rock, how do you craft your setlist to different venues and audiences on tour?
Jeremy: We love to craft a set list that speaks to the venue and audience we are playing for. Some nights it just feels like ballads, folk songs and jazz and other rooms just want to dance it out with us….The variety is really fun for us. It allows us to reinterpret our songs, take a dance song, slow it down and play it acoustic and our audiences have been down with the journey.
Q) Who are some of your favorite artists you are currently listening to?
Jeremy: In the van driving to shows we have been playing Budos Band, Woody Gutherie, La Lom, Rubblebucket, Anna Moss and some Lola Young.
Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of your music?
Jeremy: Thank you! It’s amazing to make music we love and then have people connect with it. Thank you for listening.