Cocoon

Hailing from France, the English-language folk-pop duo Cocoon first drew widespread notice when their debut full-length album earned both critical praise and strong international sales in 2007. The pair came together in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, in 2006 and centers on Mark Daumail, who handles lead vocals along with acoustic guitar, ukulele, and banjo (born December 6, 1984), and Morgane Imbeaud, responsible for harmony vocals and keyboards (born April 14, 1987). Their sound reflects the classic folk-rock approach of Pentangle and Fairport Convention as well as the contemporary folk-pop style of Devendra Banhart and Sufjan Stevens.

Cocoon entered the studio for the first time in 2006, issuing the independent EP I Hate Birds, which the respected French indie imprint Sober & Gentle later adopted for wider release. Work soon began on the full-length project My Friends All Died in a Plane Crash, scheduled for 2007 and previewed by the EP From Panda Mountains. That release contained fresh recordings of three tracks originally heard on I Hate Birds—“On My Way,” “Tell Me,” and “I Don’t Give a Shit”—with “On My Way” chosen as the lead single. Upon arrival, My Friends All Died in a Plane Crash not only received enthusiastic reviews but also performed well commercially, reaching the Top 40 on the French albums chart and the Top 100 on both the Belgian and Swiss albums charts.