The gorgeous Baby et Lulu, or here left to right: Lulu et Baby!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles episode 52
Guest: Abby Dobson & Lara Goodridge (aka Baby et Lulu)
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A while ago a friend told me of a très fabuleux band called Baby et Lulu based in Sydney. J’adore their music, singing exclusively en français so I decided to seek them out for a chat! I thought why not share their loveliness that shines through beautifully in our petite podcast papotage with all our Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles community!
Abby Dobson and Lara Goodridge are the sassy, talented, wonderful women behind the ARIA nominated French singing duo Baby et Lulu. The band name came about from their nicknames as Abby is often called “Baby” and Lara “Lulu”, so the name just seemed to fit!
They have been described as a sublime faux-French sensation, sexy, romantic and classic. Whenever I’m listening to their latest album, the music transports me away to France in such a gorgeous way. In my mind I can imagine I’m in the Caveau de la Huchette in Paris in the jazz basement or somewhere just as fabulous! I just float away!
It was on a visit to Paris that they both discovered their love of the French language. Lara had a just bought a book of “naughty” French stories! Et voilà! A short stint singing together in French at a warehouse party back in Australia and “Baby et Lulu” was born! Both women had found a new love in immersing in chanson and as Abby said to me, she had finally discovered what she wanted to do “when I grow up”!
They both seem to me to have different styles that compliment each other so well. FrancoFilers in Australia may know Abby from the terrifically successful band Leonardo’s Bride (of which I’m a huge fan!) and Lara is in another band Four Play String Quartet which is not your average string quartet but one that often makes quite a social statement and reinvents pop at times too.
So for me, not being from France but having learnt French for many years I love to listen to French music all the time. I listen closely to the words and I think it is the constant and repetitive French lyrics in my head that helps my fluency. I find at times now even though I’m surrounded by English here in Australia I catch myself thinking in French!
I found in my chat with Abby and Lara that I’m not alone in my obsession with the origins and root word similarities between French, English and other languages. It was quite lovely (and somewhat of a relief!) to see that there are other odd people like me out there whose inner voice is often checking for links to make a foreign language seem familiar. Lara actually mentioned how her father and she shared their love of French words sharing books and times discussing they French-related family history. A lovely paternal closeness and memory to look back on for her. I love that I share a similar closeness with my dad. Very special.
Both Abby and Lara have been to France numerous times, with Abby having lived there at times over the years and I just loved hearing their memories of being there, their ideas for a perfect day and the places they’d like to visit when we eventually get to return.
Baby et Lulu has both original and traditional French songs in the repertoire. But everything has a Baby et Lulu flavour to it. My current fave from Album Trois is Je T’ai Supplié which translates as I Begged You, but it has a lovely laconic feel to the music and a dreamlike quality for me. I also just love how their voices sound together in this track.
Baby et Lulu links
Musique
The most recent release from Album Trois: La Ballade De La Mer
Recette
