Behind the scenes,Music,Women we love

Madame Josephine

Josephine de La Baume’s forays into mainstream media seem to be limited to fashion magazines in which she peers out from the pages with pouting lips, a floppy fringe over liquid eyes and legs like slivers of skin-coloured rope. But, as we found out when we caught up with her after a recent DJ set for Bacardi, Mark Ronson’s current squeeze has some big plans in the pipeline…

ESQ: The thing that’s probably got you the most attention so far is the mock wedding fashion shoot that featured you and your boyfriend Mark Rohnson tying the proverbial knot 

JDLB: I don’t think that it’s brought more attention really, or maybe it did just because it looked fun. We got superstitious for a second, but it sounded fun.

ESQ: The shoot included all your ‘IT’ kid friends – Alice Dellal, The Virgins, Neimo…

JDLB: They were happy to come and get drunk in the countryside, I guess.

ESQ: Does it bother you that the press writes about you mainly from a fashion perspective?

JDLB: I don’t really work in fashion, apart from the fact that I appreciate fashion and I am interested in it. But I have a lot of other work too; I am doing a play and a movie.

ESQ: The film you’re talking about is Aldolfo Doring’s The Locust? 

JDLB: Yes, it’s a movie that follows one character in New York who goes through different adventures; one of them is meeting this bipolar, psycho woman who is obsessed with him. That’s me.

ESQ: And after this we understand you’re attached to quite a big French project? 

JDLB: Yes, I am about to start shooting a French period movie directed by Bertrand Tavernier 

ESQ: That’s quite a big name to be working with, especially when you’re still in the early stages of acting. Were you a fan of his before you got the part?

JDLB: Yes, a big time fan! I grew up with his movies, imagine. And it’s a period movie so it s a little girl’s dream. 

ESQ: There’s also a music career in the making. Are you classically trained in music, as well as acting?

JDLB: I learned Piano for seven years. In my band, I play around with my brother, I write some lyrics while he writes melodies. We rearrange things together, and when you get along with someone musically, you grow and learn and discover while you make it.

ESQ: So what’s your upcoming album sounding like? 

JDLB: The music influence is 6os pop and90s rock with Baroque harmonies. My brother plays all the instruments apart from the drum which is played by Alberto Cabrera. 

ESQ: And you’re working with Nellee Hooper – the same Nellee Hooper who has worked with Massive Attack, Bjork, Madonna, Sneaker Pimps… 

JDLB: Yes. I was a fan before we worked together; I love Nellee Hooper’s work. He has made unbelievable things and “he knows his shit”, as they say. He really understood the vibe of what we do and tries to keep it quite raw. But on some tracks it helped making the sound wider and bigger and more dynamic to the point that you automatically start secretly “feet dancing” while sitting, if that makes sense?

ESQ: And he’s doing the whole album, or just a few songs?

JDLB: The whole album, probably. 

ESQ: And finally, a bit of an obvious question; will Mark be helping out with the album?

JDLB: No.

Hynam Kendall