At only 30 years of age, Yoann Lemoine has already established himself as a Renaissance man.
The Lyonnais graphic designer, music video director, and singer-songwriter has been called upon to direct music videos for recording artists most dream of. He directed the music video for summer 2010’s hit single, “Teenage Dream,” by Katy Perry. Collaborated with Taylor Swift to direct the music video for the country pop song “Back to December.” He then rocketed further into the stratosphere with directing the video “Born to Die” for Lana Del Rey; he later sang alongside her at NYC’s Highline Ballroom in October 2011. Two years after sharing the NYC stage, Yoann returns as Woodkid, transformed by accolades and acclaim, to wash Webster Hall over with his orchestral pop this Tuesday, October 15th.
The first taste of Woodkid came in the form of the music video for his song, “Iron.” It became an immediate hit, now closing in on 23 million views on YouTube. The black and white video was a dramatic call to arms with the hallmark touches of a classic, fantasy film magically reviving museum artifacts and antiquities. So daring, he debuted an early live performance on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower January 2012. It worked. His debut album The Golden Age soared to number one on iTunes in France its first week available. Treating the concept of the loss and youthful innocence, this album received Gold Certification in France in March. He has since performed nonstop including the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Printemps de Bourges, and Francofolies de la Rochelle.
Along with Paris and Lyon, Yoann has called Brooklyn home. He has had “a very peaceful time” in the borough according to his interview with FILTER Magazine. Brooklyn itself received an eponymous homage on the Iron EP. The lyrics describe this amour, “…I’m not leaving Brooklyn anymore. Would it be that nice if you were not part of it? Would Brooklyn be worth crossing the Atlantic?” This love has grown so strong that it lured Yoann to call Brooklyn home to study cinema history and screen writing.
Get your tickets soon for this experience. This summer, Yoann indicated to L’Express that 2015 may see the “death” of the project in lieu of focusing more on film. A surprise to many swept up by one of the most beautiful music endeavors of the past few years to come from France.
