Doomed Confessionary: Thibault, Kerch, Dragan & Jérémie (Sheraff)
French four-piece stoner/doom metal band Sheraff is gearing up to release their debut EP »Concrete By The Ocean« on October 18th, 2024. Three tracks where stoner rock and doom metal converge, a tormented snapshot of daily life between concrete and ocean. In an era fraught with uncertainties and anxieties: the Frenchmen answer with noise and fury.
Sheraff was born in Brest, Brittany. It’s a sinister, angular urban isolate, a gray mass lashed by wind and rain. The melancholy that often occupies this environment is beaten to a pulp by the richness of its alternative scenes, whose boards the band scours. Sheraff emulates these storms (elemental and inner), as pious riff cultists in the straight line of stoner/doom/psych cultures.
Sheraff consists of Thibault (lead vocals), Kerch (guitar), Dragan (bass) and Jérémie (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
We’re a stoner/doom band from Brest, a small town in western France. We’re four dudes who like the same music, and we’ve each had different bands before. We’re a tight-knit group. Sheraff is a project in which each of us has found his place, and in which we’re blossoming artistically.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The fact that we completed our line-up at the end of 2019, and just when we started composing and projecting ourselves, the Covid and restrictions came along. During this period it was very difficult to find even a place to rehearse. But we got on with it, kept working and the band survived. It was only two years ago that we were really able to start realizing our ambitions.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Dragan: The reception of our concerts by the crowd is nothing but positive, we have a blast sharing our music on stage.
Jérémie: We recently finished our first EP, »Concrete By The Ocean«. It’s the result of a lot of hard work and we got lots of support in the process. I’m particularly proud of the collaboration with Ertemelle, the artist who created our visual universe.
What was your biggest regret?
To date, we have no particular regrets. We’ve had our problems, like all bands, but who hasn’t? We make the best of it and move on.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Thibault: We’d played in a very small art gallery, invited to an exhibition by an artist working on the same themes as us. It was very intimate, in the middle of the afternoon. People came to see us because we played quite loudly, and you could hear the concert all over the neighborhood. It was a really special atmosphere, super energetic, I was on fire.
Kerch: It was our last concert of the spring, the first time we’d played outdoors. It was for a music festival in the street, and there were all sorts of different people in the audience, not necessarily the kind of people you’d expect at a stoner concert. A lot of people were discovering this kind of music and were curious and enthusiastic about it.
Jérémie: It was our concert at La Carène (a local venue in our town, the one in our video on YouTube), because it was the first time I’d heard the other musicians (laughs).
Dragan: The concert at Davarn Breizh (a live bar in the small town of Landerneau), with our buddies from the post-metal band Dragunov, I’ve never sweated so much in my life.
Photo by @bb.bleu666
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Dragan: I was surprised by Inter Arma’s concert at Hellfest in 2022. They had a very stoner energy that blended perfectly with the aggressiveness of metal.
Jérémie: At the same festival, I was particularly impressed by The Vintage Caravan’s performance. I found the show very lively, their closeness to the audience live, and they played really fucking well!
Kerch: The last time I saw Devin Townsend live, I really took a beating. The sound was incredible.
Thibault: At the Motocultor festival last year, I saw Amenra live. The way they set up a heavy, angst-ridden atmosphere, I found incredible. It put me in a state of calm that’s hard to describe. It was truly a lesson in doom metal.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Jérémie: Russian Circles, Slift and Revocation.
Dragan: Amenra, Archspire and the original Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack.
Thibault: Sleep, Butthole Surfers and Maria Takeuchi.
Kerch: Red Sun Atacama, Gnome and Ghost.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Thibault: “Don’t even think about it just fuckin do it.”
Dragan: “Put your ego in the garbage can.”
Kerch: “Don’t bother learning other people’s solos, play your own.”
Jérémie: “No more than two pints before going on stage.”
What are your guilty pleasures?
Dragan: Gachi music and lame movies.
Jérémie: Green stuff.
Kerch: Epic symphonic metal (as kitsch as possible).
Thibault: Drinking coffee during insomnia and dream pop from the 2000s.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Brest / western France?
The scene here is slowly coming back to life. In our town/province there hasn’t been much stoner music in recent years, but lots of bands are popping up and we’re trying to be part of the revival.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’re playing in our town on October 31st, to celebrate the release of the EP (which comes out on October 18th). And we’ll be announcing dates in France for the end of the year and 2025, so don’t hesitate to follow us on our social media!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We already have a repertoire of compositions, which continues to grow. We want to grow and play as much as possible. We loved the studio and production work and can’t wait to get back out there and keep releasing our music.
How can people best support your band?
Listen to our music, share it and talk about us with as many people as you can! If you get the chance, come and see us live, and in any case, you can buy our EP on Bandcamp when it’s released!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Support local bands!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well