UK based French Singer brings a ‘je ne sais quoi’ to a classic Bacharach song with her release of 'The look of love’

Fresh from the Radio 2 airwaves with her first single, Nicole Perez is injecting her own unique French charm into her second single. A cover of one her favourite song’s ‘The look of love’.

Inspired by the unforgettable 1967 ‘Casino Royale’ movie version, Nicole adds the distinctive French touch bringing to life the original song and making it her own: a sexy and seductive ballad that will make you long for a romantic evening!

Nicole Perez, the first French chanteuse to come out of the UK, releases uplifting and catchy bossa nova and jazz style songs mostly in French though co-written with a British R&B composer.

Her music style evokes the sounds of the late 50’s/early 60’s with a contemporary slant.

‘Music and singing bring an incredible ‘joie de vivre’ in me, sounds are very visual to me and in a few bars I can be transported to a different place, moment or era. A chorus can make me bounce with energy and a smile that is contagious!’

Nicole started singing when she was 4 years old and believed she would be a singer one day but her mum thought ballet was more respectable for a young girl and closed that door. A motorbike accident that kept up her bed ridden for 5 months when she was 17 was a turning point in her life that made her embrace life at a fast pace. From ballet she moved to modern jazz, from college to Uni and resumed singing to her favourite old musicals, bossa nova and jazz artists she watched on TV as a teenager. She also realised that she had inherited her dad’s music genes (he played saxophone when he was young) as she sang by ear with no music training.

She then orchestrated a move from the Languedoc in the South of France to London in a bid to improve her English for further studies and never returned to France! She had a band within 2 months of arrival and a long music apprenticeship began. She had always preferred Anglo-Saxon music with catchy melodies and creative production largely influenced by a mother who never listened to French music so London was the perfect outlet to learn.

Throughout the long apprenticeship Nicole knew what she wanted to hear musically and wouldn’t stop until she reached her destination. The initial handicap of no music training turned out to be an advantage as she retained her identity and began to define a sound for herself. Many songs, studios and recordings later, Nicole could play some keyboard to help her writing melodies and from that attract a different calibre of co-writers.

Nicole was introduced to writer Rickardo Reid who’s heritage and style was in R&B and hip-hop but completely understood her ideas and embraced her style whilst bringing the touch of soul she so wanted to retain. She also just started to write in French and that was a departure after years of writing in English. Somehow she had a fresh, bossa nova soul and jazz story to tell and it came out in French. Unfazed by it she pursued a new route that seemed to nail what her style and sound was all about.

To Nicole, London is home after living here more than 15 years and she learned to write songs in English building on years of listening to rare groove, jazz funk, bossa from her greatest influence Donald Falgen, Al Jarreau and Stan Getz.

‘I feel my songs are English but with French lyrics!’ The opposite of what many French artists seem to attempt these days.

To debut her single at home in England is key to Nicole and is a first! Perhaps a challenge too but she is at ease in the town that taught her everything she knows about music.

At home performing live, Nicole is a joy to watch as she carries her passion for the late 50’s style and fashion on stage where clad in a glamorous vintage dress, by Marilyn Monroe’s favourite designer, she evokes the New York supper clubs era. Her sound and dolce vita approach seduces her audience and her French singing adds a sexy ‘je ne sais quoi’.

Her stage persona is as unique as her postings and blog about the 1950’s era; whether she praises the talent of Hollywood studios’ costumes designers, New York nightlife, classic cars or iconic actresses, one can’t help but be fascinated by her endearing story telling of a glamorous and seductive era.