Dolly

Dolly emerged as a French alternative rock outfit in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, where the group came together during 1989. Initially operating as a three-piece with Emmanuelle Monet handling vocals and guitar alongside Mickaël Chamberlin on bass and Thierry Lacroix at the drums, the act put out the EP No One No Feeling in 1992 and followed with the album Amours Lynchées two years later, both credited to Dolly & Co. The addition of guitarist Nicolas Bonnière in 1995 prompted a name simplification to Dolly alone.

Drawing inspiration from English-language alternative rock figures including Sonic Youth, Pixies, and PJ Harvey in particular, Dolly issued its self-titled debut album through East West in 1997. The record included the breakout single "Je N'veux Pas Rester Sage" and achieved modest chart success by entering the Top 40 on the French albums listing. Subsequent releases Un Jour de Rêves in 1999, Plein Air in 2002, and Tous des Stars in 2004 each performed progressively better, with the latter two entering the Top 20.

Tragedy struck when Chamberlin perished in a car accident on May 25, 2005, leading the remaining members to disband Dolly. Following a year-long hiatus, Monet assembled Manú with the other surviving original members and new bassist Bayrem Ben Amor. The group secured a deal with Universal Music France and delivered its first full-length album, Rendez-Vous, in 2008. Drummer Thierry Niro, also known as Nirox, eventually stepped in for Lacroix.