Video: French 79 Premieres Video for 'You Always Say' Featuring Olivia Merilahti

Acclaimed international electronic artist French 79—the musical alias of French producer, remixer and songwriter Simon Henner—premieres the video for his track, “You Always Say,” featuring singer and composer Olivia Merilahti of The Dø. The video was directed by a pair of Henner’s lifelong friends and creative collaborators, who go by the name Cauboyz. 

“The music video of ‘You Always Say’ is representative of aesthetics that were very popular in the 80's thrillers, reminding us of John Carpenter,” says the Cauboyz. “Taking us into an intense, powerful and enigmatic atmosphere, we are the witnesses of a break from daily life, a moment suspended in time. Inside a mysterious castle, shrouded in darkness, Simon and Olivia only appear in a red or blue light from directed towards them from the camera.”

“You Always Say” appears on Henner’s new album, Teenagers, which was released earlier this month. Like its predecessors (Olympic and Joshua), Teenagers is an album where keyboards and analog synthesizers are predominant. However, the new project reveals a much more personal and musically ambitious side of Henner, showcasing his sonic evolution as French 79. 

In support of the new music, Henner confirms an extensive run of North American tour dates. Kicking off on August 4, the headline dates include visits to New York’s Racket, DC’s Black Cat, Boston’s Paradise and Chicago’s Lincoln Hall as well as an appearance at Osheaga Music & Arts Festival in Montréal. See below for a complete tour routing.

The 12-track album was produced by Henner and mixed by Damien Quintard (Brian Eno, Justice, Sade) at composer Jean-Michel Jarre’s home studio as well as the renowned Miraval Studios in France. Recently reopened after being purchased by Brad Pitt, Miraval Studios is in the heart of the 17th Century Provençal Estate of Château Miraval, where legendary acts such as Pink Floyd, AC/DC and The Cure recorded. 

Born in Marseille, Henner began making a name for himself as an electronic music producer, remixer and songwriter, including tracks like NTO’s “Seasons,” Tiësto’s “Diamond Veins,” Erik Satie’s “Gnossienne No. 5” and Cliff Martinez’s “Rubber Head.” Henner’s continued production accolades include his co-write on Kid Francescoli’s single “Moon,” which is now certified Diamond in France.

In 2014, Henner began creating music under the French 79 moniker and released his debut album Olympic in 2016 and his follow-up record Joshua in 2019. His signature tracks “Between the Buttons,” “Hometown” and the certified Platinum hit, “Diamond Veins,” featuring Sarah Rebecca have received commercial and critical praise both stateside and abroad. In addition, his French 79 track “Lovin’ Feeling” was featured in the first season Netflix’s series “Emily in Paris.”

FRENCH 79 LIVE

May 27-28—Marseille, FR—Le Bon Air Festival
June 2—Lourmarin, FR—Yeah Festival
June 3—Sète, FR—K-Live @ Théâtre de la Mer
June 23—Paris, FR—Le Trabendo
July 22—Lyon, FR—Nuits de Fourviere Festival
August 4—New York, NY—Racket
August 5—Montréal, QC—Osheaga Music & Arts Festival
August 20—Montpellier, FR—Palmarosa Festival
October 13—Philadelphia, PA—Underground Arts
October 14—Washington, DC—Black Cat
October 15—Boston, MA—Paradise
October 18—Quebec City, QC—Imperial Bell
October 20— Montréal, QC—Club Soda
October 21—Toronto, ON—Velvet Underground
October 23—Chicago, IL—Lincoln Hall
October 24—Minneapolis, MN—Fine Line
October 26—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theatre
October 28—Phoenix, AZ—Thundercat Theatre
October 29—Los Angeles, CA—Regent Theatre
October 30—San Francisco, CA—Great American Music Hall
November 1—Portland, OR—Wonder Ballroom
November 2—Seattle, WA—Neumos
November 3—Victoria, BC—Capital Ballroom
November 4—Vancouver, BC—Vogue Theatre