Renan Luce

Born in Paris in 1980, French singer and songwriter Renan Luce passed his childhood and teenage years in Bretagne, where he first mastered piano, moved on to saxophone, and ultimately took up guitar while composing an initial pair of songs. Early in the 2000s he settled back in Paris and began appearing regularly onstage, which soon drew the interest of Olivier Lefebvre at Universal Publishing. The connection quickly secured him steady opening slots with Bénabar, whose lyrical sensibility closely mirrored his own. His debut album, Repenti, appeared in late 2006 and showcased a personal spectrum of influences that ranged from near-rebellious inflections to perceptive reflections on ordinary life. Luce then launched an intensive touring schedule; although Repenti moved steadily rather than swiftly, it climbed to its highest chart position in early 2008 on the strength of its lead single’s belated yet widespread success. Since 2006 his recordings have brought him repeated awards and nominations, among them the Académie Charles-Cros prize in 2007 and the Victoires de la musique honors for Best Breakthrough Album and Best Breakthrough Live Act in 2008. He returned in 2009 with Le Clan des Miros, the follow-up to his award-winning first record, extending the thoughtful songwriting already evident in the singles “La Fille de la Bande” and “On N'est Pas à une Bêtise Près.”