One of the first things that comes up in conversation with Axel Basquiat of Parisian electro-rock duo the Penelopes is arrogance - or to be exact, their lack of it.
Maybe it's the Parisian stereotype or their fashionable outfits, but even Basquiat admits the first impression they give off is one of arrogance. 'We are just impassioned by art, looking for light in this sad world,' he says. 'People think we are obsessed by fashion or stupid things like that.'
Admittedly, Basquiat and partner Vincent Tremel are edgy and stylish, which befits a dance-pop outfit from the French capital who were discovered by Agnes b. at one of their first concerts, and subsequently sponsored for concert jaunts to Russia and New York.
'We just want to beautify our daily life, and sometimes having this demanding behaviour could lead people to think we are arrogant,' he says. He's also quick to add that people don't really say he and Tremel are arrogant, although it's often a first impression.
'We have worked hard, but we have also been lucky,' says Basquiat. 'We were still students when Agnes b. helped us after a little concert in a Parisian club.'
Tremel and Basquiat have known each other since they were children, 'younger than three', Basquiat says. Growing up in the northern suburbs of Paris, Basquiat describes his childhood as 'hardcore', neglected by the French government and very poor.