Bryan's Magic Tears

Emerging in mid-2010s Paris, Bryan's Magic Tears channeled the spirit of vintage shoegaze alongside 1990s Midwestern indie imprints into their own fuzzy, snarling brand of indie pop and rock. Their self-titled debut appeared on XVIII Records toward the end of 2016, after which the group incorporated flashes of propulsive dance-rock into subsequent releases, among them the gritty yet tuneful Vacuum Sealed of 2021.

Benjamin Dupont, previously of Dame Blanche, assembled the band in the French capital during 2014. Their sophomore effort, 4 AM, surfaced in 2018 as the first title issued on Born Bad Records and confirmed the core membership of Dupont alongside drummer Paul Ramon, bassist/vocalist Lauriane Petit, and guitarists Raphael Berrichon and Medhi Briand, each already experienced within independent circles. Dupont joined Marc Portheau—who had previously worked with Kanye West and BMT labelmate Marietta—to helm production on Vacuum Sealed, which Born Bad released in late 2021.