The French (British rock band)

The French are a British Electronic band, formed by Darren Hayman and John Morrison after the band Hefner declared an indefinite hiatus. The pair continued to use vintage drum machines and synthesizers, a choice that was present on Hefner's last recordings. The French released one album, Local Information, on Too Pure in 2003, which received a five star review in The Guardian, and saw two songs, "Porn Shoes" and "Gabriel in the Airport," appear in the John Peel BBC Radio 1 Festive Fifty at #27 and #36 respectively. The band also recorded two Maida Vale sessions between 2003 and 2004 After which Hayman was involved in a legal dispute with Too Pure before launching his solo career. Hayman has stated that he "spunked his career up the wall spectacularly" by following Hefner with The French, adding in 2026 that "when I make an electronic record, I have to expect a smaller reaction." Hayman considers it one of his best albums. In 2011, Allo Darlin' covered the song "The Wu-Tang Clan," and released it on the Darren EP, which featured a song about Hayman. In 2018, Electronic Sound Magazine featured Local Information as a "Buried Treasure," stating "All Darren Hayman’s albums are good, but in my view, there’s none better than Local Information." Like Hefner, the French are now on an indefinite hiatus, but in an interview for The J-Card Podcast on 21 May 2026, Hayman suggested unreleased material by The French could be released before the end of the year. Local Information (2003, Too Pure) "Dagenham EP" (2003, Too Pure) "Porn Shoes / Gabriel in the Airport" (2003, Too Pure) Vital Music - Chain With No Name (2003, Vital) – contributes "Porn Shoes" Too Pure Records 2003/2004 (2004, Too Pure) – contributes "Porn Shoes" and "Gabriel in the Airport" Songs to Break God's Heart (2005, Acuarela Discos) – contributes "Watery For..." snö (2023, Where It's at Is Where You Are) – contributes "Snaa" Kenyon Hopkin. "The French biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2008. Jim Ledbetter (August 2003). "Vive the French!". Time Magazine. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2008. "The French: Digital EP From Ex-Hefner Boyos!". DrownedInSound. 15 September 2003. Retrieved 14 June 2026. Writer, Guest (12 June 2026). "The Making of 'The Violence'": An Essay by Darren Hayman". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 14 June 2026. O'Sullivan, Eimear. "Darren Hayman on Creativity, Songwriting and His Favourite Second-Hand Synths". musicngear.com. Retrieved 14 June 2026. "The French 'Local Information' (Too Pure, 2003) – Electronic Sound". Retrieved 9 June 2026. Peschek, David (8 August 2003). "The French: Local Information". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 June 2026. Peschek, David (8 August 2003). "The French: Local Information". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2026. "Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - French". BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2026. Moores, J. R. "Forgotten Songs: The French's "The Wu-Tang Clan"". Under the Radar Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2026. Mules, Adrian (2 September 2009). "Darren Hayman interview". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2015. November 2010, Words: Simone Scott Warren 18th (18 November 2010). "Allo Darlin', Cargo, London". DIY. Retrieved 24 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) ".: chromewaves.net v7.5 » Blog Archive » NYC Popfest with Allo Darlin', The Ladybug Transistor, The Wave Pictures, and White Town at Littlefield in Brooklyn". Retrieved 24 June 2026. Lefort (11 November 2012). "After Hurricane Sandy–Listen to Allo Darlin' Cover the Touching "Wu-Tang Clan" and Watch Aftermath Videos | The Lefort Report". thelefortreport.com. Retrieved 24 June 2026. "The French 'Local Information' (Too Pure, 2003) – Electronic Sound". Retrieved 14 June 2026. Rue Defense (21 May 2026). Six Songs That Were Lost (Until Now) w/ Darren Hayman | The J-Card Podcast. Retrieved 22 May 2026 – via YouTube. "PODCAST: In The Spotlight: Darren Hayman - God Is in the TV". 9 June 2026. Retrieved 9 June 2026. v t e my