It was quite by chance that Juliette Paquereau (vocals and lyrics) and Rémy Galichet (keys and arrangements) met in July 2003. And it was a pure coincidence that they shared a love for British pop music, a similar approach to songwriting as well as common influences such as Stina Nordenstam, Blondredhead, Cat Power, The Notwist and Suzanne Vega. Rémy was attracted to the voice of the young woman, who had recently moved to London, and he decided he would write her songs. To record and produce their first two pieces entitled Where does it lead? and Manderley, Rémy collaborated with Julien Perraudeau (Guitar, Bass, Drums, and sound engineering).The trio set to work bearing in mind that Juliette would then add her own words to the music, for each song to become a story of its own. The band was named after the title of a short story by an unknown, taken from True Tales of American Life, a collection compiled by Paul Auster. But its title was clumsily forgotten, slightly misquoted and eventually turned into Diving with Andy.
Compliments and encouragements from producers and musicians such as Benjamin Biolay, Yvan Cassar, Stuart Bruce, Marie-Jeanne Serero, Patrick Sigwalt and Pascal Besnard were decisive.
Between London and Paris, the band sought after atmospheres and arrangements by turns intimate and sophisticated. Influenced by several years studying sound engineering at the national school of music in Paris, Rémy and Juliens music oscillates between the subtlety of crafted classical arrangements and an instinctive and spontaneous approach to working sessions in recording studios. Minimalist drums give way to tense harmonies of guitars, and breathtaking strings echo the sweet and melancholic voice of Juliette'.
In July 2004 the members of Diving with Andy got together at ICP Studios in Brussels to finalize and mix the 11 pieces of their first LP. Without difficulty the band signed with the French record label Dièse, which gave them the opportunity to have their LP distributed by Harmonia Mundi. Soon after the band supported Tahiti 80 in Paris (November 2005) and played at Les Bars en Trans in Rennes (December 2005). Between Paris and London, Diving with Andy is like a British melody with a French accent, and a French song with a British accent.
