Melody’s Echo Chamber, the project of French musician Melody Prochet, became a staple among neo-psychedelia listeners with her 2012 self-titled debut album. Though she’s only dropped two albums since, her latest being the just-released Emotional Eternal, Prochet prioritizes enchanting melodies and spellbinding songs that examine the world with childlike wonder.
Prochet’s playfulness on Emotional Eternal is no accident; The album was written after she gave birth to her daughter and was overcome with a renewed bliss. Songs like “Looking Backward” call back to her early days with swirling chords and fuzzy vocal treatment, while others like “Alma” lean into groovy compositions and emotive strings.
Ahead of the release of Emotional Eternal, Prochet tells Uproxx about her love of collaboration, crashing on tour with a lot of smelly men, and why she always performs barefoot in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Echoes of the Unknown
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I just saw Only The Earth Is Eternal movie; the spiritual testament of a wise old man from Montana, my favorite poet Jim Harrisson; I personally love envisioning the natural world taking over temples and skyscrapers and the sound of silence.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
It’s been in Pioneertown, at Pappy’s and Harriet, between two Coachella weekends. It was very special. I’ve enjoyed touring in America the most I think, it was epic, the natural sanctuaries are mind-blowing and the crowds were insanely welcoming and had the best energy (with Mexico).
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
It was actually several encounters that shaped the sound of the music I love to create, I love to create in a collaborative way, it is a kind of spiritual experience I often have shared with special people I deeply trust and connect to in a special vibrational way. I guess living in all those beautiful foreign otherworlds, all those magical landscapes and places for a bubble of time were inspiring.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
The last great meal I remember was on the Elephantine Island in Egypt, we stayed at a Nubian man’s guest house. It was absolute magic and the food heavenly, I have no idea how the vegetable tasted so good, he cultivated his veggies on the Nile. It was a small oasis in the desert.
What album do you know every word to?
Radiohead’s and Broadcast albums, they were two obsessions of mine being younger.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Dungen in Malmo, Silver Apples in Stockholm, Flaming Lips down South Western Australia
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Bare feet. I saw my former producer do it and I tried and loved the feeling of getting grounded and so I don’t think I’ve ever performed with shoes on.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I guess Chris Daddy Dave on IG, legendary drummer who always post great snippets of Groove and also hilarious content of church services and animals.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
That must have been “Hallogallo” by Neu!
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Ethiopian tribe dig pits to turn water out of steam”
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Emotional Eternal
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Tour bus with lots of smelly men.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I don’t have one but my childhood best friend turned into a brilliant tattoo artist (Silly Jane) and I loved her drawings and the symbol of asking her to make a piece for my previous album Bon Voyage‘s artwork.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
World music, any kind of folklore, for example I love Turkish music, Bulgarian choirs, Ethiopian music.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
The experience of creating music with such special people has been a great gift I’ve been given, I’m grateful to them all. But I think having children is the highlight of my life as challenging as it can be.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Dance into the Unknown.
What’s the last show you went to?
Egyptian musicians in Luxor.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
I ended up only watching amazing documentaries on the computer because I am free from the city and the TV. I still love going to the movie theater.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I love to write and cultivate poetry in secrecy.
Emotional Eternal is out now via Domino. Get it here.
Some of the aritsts covered here are Warner Music artists. .
