“I bought a bass that was expensive enough to keep me from smashing it on the ground!” – W!ZARD’s Romain Arnault on the gear behind ‘Not Good Enough’

Since their emergence on the music scene, W!ZARD, a post-punk noise band from Aquitaine, France, have been electrifying audiences with their powerful and raw performances. Following their EP Definitely Unfinished in June 2021, which garnered critical acclaim and paved their way through a successful tour across France and its neighbouring countries, the band is now set to captivate their fans once more. Their latest full-length album, Not Good Enough, was released in April 2024 and promises to deliver not only their signature energy but also introduces new musical explorations that resonate with influences from across the Channel.

In an exclusive interview, bassist and vocalist Romain Arnault sheds light on the intricacies of the band’s newest project and their musical evolution. “I’m using a Fender Precision, crafted In Japan in 2004-2005. I’ve always had Fender basses, starting with a Mexican Jazz bass and then a Mexican Precision. I broke those two previous basses, so I bought a bass that was expensive enough to keep me from smashing it on the ground! For me, I think a Jazz bass sounds better, and you can have a PB sound easily if you turn down the neck pick-up button, but a Precision bass looks way nicer and more badass.”

Delving deeper into the album’s creation, Arnault describes the diverse range of equipment used to achieve the unique sounds on Not Good Enough. “On the new album, I have a lot of stuff going on! In terms of pedals, I did most of the record with the Rusty Box by Tronographic turned on. I’ve also used a compressor by Empire, a classic Big Muff with a Lehle Mixer pedal, the Black Hole Symmetry by Collision Devices for reverbs and delays. For the amps, I went through an Ampeg VR amp and a Chillbass 2×15, and I have also used a rather poor-quality Peavey combo to bring some dirty presence.”

Arnault also highlights his philosophical approach to playing the bass: “For me, the bass doesn’t have to be in the foreground. It needs to be the bridge between the drums and the guitars/voices, between the rhythm and the melody/chords. So less is better. It has to be there, but without us noticing. I’m basically a drummer, so when I write bass lines, they will always be similar to the kick-snare. Low sounds go on the kick, and high sounds on the snare, or it can be just straight punk lines! But as it’s a simple craft, I need to make it sound good. So I dig for the best two-step sounds I can (crunch and dirty). I still have bass player inspirations for my bass lines! I love Henrik Höckert from Viagra Boys, Daniel Fox from Gilla Band, and Adam Devonshire from Idles.”

“We found an efficient way of working, and we already have other stuff cooking…”

In crafting Not Good Enough, W!ZARD aimed to broaden their appeal without compromising their core sound. “For this record, we wanted to reach more people. Thus, the guidelines were to create something with more melodies, dancing, and also simplicity (straight rhythms and easy pop structures), and we wanted to mix it with the energy we had on the previous EP. As we are pop music lovers along with the drummer, we wanted to use certain codes. Like Max Martin productions, when the song starts, you can figure out immediately what it is, and you need only one play to get the melody stuck in your head for the day! We loved having no boundaries, and if we’d had more time, we would have done a lot more experimentation on the mix. We found an efficient way of working, and we already have other stuff cooking…”

The album is available for purchase via A Tant Rêver Du Roi Records.