7 WEEKS

“We wanted to get back to what feels natural to us, our DNA, in a way.”

“We never look for complexity. Some of our older tracks might have been complex, but there was always a reason for it; it’s never gratuitous.”

“It’s harder with just a trio; you can’t cheat.”

“We don’t want to fit into a mold.”

“A song is, first and foremost, a melody with words.”

“The interaction with the audience is something that definitely cannot be captured.”

“The big spectacle and perfection is not the ultimate goal.”

“We’ve never experienced such a straightforward recording process: no technical questions and a huge amount of mutual respect.”

“If there’s sound, amps, and good vibes, we feel at home.”

“We wanted to write in a simple, direct way – but simplicity is often the hardest thing to achieve.”

“The goal is not to create a perfect illusion, but to keep the human element alive in the music.”

After almost two decades of creating their own vision of Heavy Rock, French trio 7 Weeks are set to return with ‘Going Back Home‘, an album that feels like a reconnection with the band’s own identity rather than a simple look into the past.
Throughout their career, 7 Weeks have built their sound around authenticity, independence, powerful songwriting, and the search for the right balance between emotion and intensity.
Their music has continued to evolve, but without losing the raw energy that defines them.
In this interview with Fok ‘bs‘, Julien Bernard (vocals, bass) talks about the meaning behind ‘Going Back Home’, the challenges of being a power trio, artistic independence, live energy, and the importance of staying true to yourself.
The title ‘Going Back Home’ suggests a return, but not necessarily a retreat.
What exactly were you trying to rediscover on this album:
a sound, a mindset, or something even more personal?
“Something familiar, something obvious. A band’s music and sound are always dependent on their mindset; we wanted to get back to what feels natural to us – our DNA, in a way.”
After nearly two decades together, how do you distinguish between musical growth and simply adding complexity for its own sake?
“We never look for complexity. Some of our older tracks might have been complex, but there was always a reason for it; it’s never gratuitous. It’s more a matter of ambition, like the time we covered King Crimson’s ‘Cirkus’. For this new EP, we tried to write in a simple, direct way… which is very hard because you have to rely only on the essentials. A multiplicity of arrangements and instruments makes it easier to create dynamics. It’s harder with just a trio; you can’t cheat.”
Many bands become prisoners of their own catalogue.
Have there been moments where you consciously had to unlearn things that had become part of the ‘7 Weeks formula’?
“That can happen, especially harmonically and rhythmically, because as musicians we always have ‘recipes’ – things that come more naturally than others. But in the end, all our albums have a different vibe because the songwriting and the performance follow the mood of the band at the time of composition. The ‘complexity’ lies in defining that mood if you want to be able to control it, and I think that’s what we managed to do on the new record.”
You’ve remained fiercely independent throughout your career, even when many bands seek validation through labels, trends, or algorithms.
Has independence become easier over the years, or has it become a bigger challenge than ever?
“France is a bit of a unique country because the music scene is both heavily subsidized and tightly controlled by a few people or systems. The choice to go independent came naturally because we realized this early on, and we wanted to be able to go at our own pace with our own label – even if it meant making mistakes and risking being perceived as outsiders. But above all, I think our personalities are just like that: we don’t want to fit into a mold.”
‘Shape Me’ feels direct and emotionally exposed.
Is vulnerability harder to put into a song than aggression or anger?
“It’s interesting that you perceive it that way because, as a singer, I don’t feel it like that. On the previous album, there were tracks where I really laid myself bare in the lyrics and the performance. Here, I’m more sarcastic, ironic. But since I have a clean singing voice, I suppose it’s perceived as emotional, especially by an English speaker.”
Your discography contains records that explored different shades of heaviness and experimentation.
Looking back, which album taught you the most about what 7 Weeks should not be?
“None of them. We followed certain directions where, once the album was done and played live – because that’s where things make sense and where you can get some perspective – we knew we wouldn’t go any further down that road. But we never told ourselves that we shouldn’t become a certain type of band. We experimented, we followed different paths, and that allows us today to know what feels natural and familiar. A kind of serenity.”
As a power trio, there’s nowhere to hide.
Do limitations actually make you more creative, or do they sometimes feel like obstacles when writing new material?
“It’s harder, as I said earlier, but once you get past that hurdle, it’s easier – especially for playing the songs live. I believe that regardless of the level of songwriting, performance, and production, when an artist can make their music sound the same live, in rehearsal, or in the studio, it’s a kind of return to roots. Today, with the multiplicity of technical tools and artifices, it’s easy to forget that a song is, first and foremost, a melody with words.”
You’ve played everything from underground clubs to major festivals like Hellfest and Dour.
What is the biggest misconception young bands have about reaching larger stages?
“That it’s the ultimate goal, that the big ‘spectacle’ and perfection (assisted by backing tracks and massive light shows) is the ultimate goal. But I can’t know how I would react if I were 18 today and had access to the billion pieces of information, videos, and social networks we have now. I think it distorts reality, and therefore your perspective. But maybe they’re right; I think with my reference points, they think with theirs. We are, however, seeing a comeback of angry, very rock-oriented young bands, but at some point, the music and entertainment industry will impose a smoothing out of the message. The best example is how harshly people criticize ‘old’ bands for their imperfections on stage, yet they still sell out venues and there is no one to replace them. It’s ironic and revealing.”
Adrian Bushby has worked with some enormous rock bands.
During the recording process, was there a moment when he challenged an assumption you had carried for years about your own music?
“No, actually we’ve never experienced such a straightforward recording process: no ‘technical’ questions and a huge amount of mutual respect. It’s very rewarding and builds confidence, so we give the best of ourselves, and the producer is there to bring out the best version of it… and then, when it’s done, we go grab a beer at the pub. ;)”
Many listeners discovered 7 Weeks during the pandemic years, long after your early releases.
How strange is it when people treat your band as a ‘new discovery’ despite the fact that you’ve been building this story for almost twenty years?
“No, it makes sense. Before COVID, the band had gone through a period of soul-searching; we had fallen off the radar a bit. We came back with the album ‘Sisyphus’ in February 2020, and then COVID hit. Our independent structure allowed us to hold on during that period and even release another record in the same year (‘What’s Next?’), thereby staying active and present when live shows resumed. We were ready, we didn’t let it get us down, and we got opportunities like ‘Hellfest From Home’ which put the band right back in the spotlight.”
The image of ‘home’ often carries both comfort and conflict.
When you think about the phrase ‘going back home’, what emotions come to mind first:
pride, nostalgia, relief, disappointment, or something else entirely?
“Feeling in harmony with yourself, being in the right place. We feel just as good in our rehearsal space in Limoges as we do in the middle of England in a studio. If there’s sound, amps, and good vibes, we feel at home.”
France has produced countless great heavy bands, yet many still struggle for international recognition compared to their British, American, or Scandinavian counterparts.
Why do you think that perception persists?
“I think it’s a matter of culture and mindset. Anglo-Saxon rock isn’t ‘natural’ for French people (unlike Belgians, for instance, even though we are very close to them). There’s this Latin culture that gets in the way a bit – it’s a culture of blending, of more traditional, folk-influenced music from the south (some of the French rock artists who exported best are Les Négresses Vertes, Manu Chao, that kind of artist; it’s crossover music, and that goes back to the 90s/2000s). That’s why metal is easier to export, because it doesn’t have that in its artistic DNA, and the vocals are ‘distorted’ enough not to sound ‘exotic’. French rock is often sung in French, and that’s a dealbreaker internationally. But things are changing, cultures are standardizing, and it’s true that quite a few French bands manage to sound ‘Anglo-Saxon’ now.”
Imagine the three musicians who recorded ‘All Channels Off’ in 2009 could sit down and listen to ‘Going Back Home’.
What would surprise them most about the band they eventually became?
“Not much, I think. We would have thought it was good, I’m sure of it.”
With ‘Going Back Home‘, 7 Weeks prove that evolution does not mean abandoning your roots.
The band continues to move forward by staying connected to the foundation that has carried them through nearly twenty years of music.
Honest, independent, and driven by real emotion, 7 Weeks remain a reminder that Heavy Rock does not need artificial formulas.
It needs identity, energy, and something genuine behind the sound.
by Fok ‘bs’