History of the Group

It all began in the shadow of a mask. From the first whispers in the shadows to the rebirth of a new era.

This transitional phase confirmed the need to get back to the basics of the project. The original idea of Nothing But Real needed to be returned to its essence, where visuals and music are deeply connected, each feeding the other.

The arrival of new musicians has breathed new life into the group, strengthening the team's artistic approach. 

From 19 May to 24 May 2024, some of the new line-up went into the studio to record a new project.

29 May 2024 marked the end of an era with the separation of Hanta and paved the way for a complete artistic renaissance.

To be continued ...

In December 2022, NOTHING BUT REAL underwent another change with the departure of drummer Eghan. He was replaced at short notice by Laurent, a regular at the DGD studio in Pantin, allowing the band to continue playing a few dates before being replaced by Emilio.

In March 2023, Emilio joins NOTHING BUT REAL as official drummer, bringing new energy to the team and helping to finalise the mini-tour.

In July 2023, the departure of Victor (bassist) marked a new stage. The last dates of the tour were played with one bass on sequence, ensuring that the concerts went smoothly despite these adjustments.

The world of NOTHING BUT REAL is gradually fleshed out through clips introducing the key characters and a mythology based around Sakar, the band's avatar.

The journey begins with a short introduction, The Arrival, which, in just one minute, sets the scene for Sakar's arrival on Earth. This clip, shot in the impressive setting of the Sables du Cul de Chien, serves as a transition to the main clip, Snake Eyes. In it, the two actresses Yannie and Vanessa play the Snake Eyes, symbols of manipulation and seduction.

Both clips are linked to the strong imagery of the new album cover, plunging the audience into the heart of NBR's universe.

To delve deeper into this universe, an interlude entitled The Symbols is produced. It introduces Sakar's symbols of power, essential to its history and evolution. This interlude is the bridge to Behind the Door, Behind the Door, a clip centred on the villainous Shadow, the embodiment of lies. Shot on a green screen at the Ollieship studio, Behind the Door ran into difficulties during production.

Despite this, the video clip was released, helping to flesh out Nothing But Real's complex and intriguing imagination.

Following the release of LOST IN THE WORLD in March 2022, Nothing But Real are embarking on a series of concerts across France. The tour kicks off with a release party at La Péniche Antipode, followed by standout performances at iconic venues such as the Palladium Bus, as well as festivals such as No Limit Cars N Bikes Festival and the Festival of’Eye Gloomy.

The band also played at Covent Garden, the Black Shelter, the Batterie de Guyancourt and the Black Sheep Tavern, consolidating their presence on the live circuit.

The opportunity to project their visual universe on stage is now a reality, as several venues allow it, creating an immersive experience. This early stage show heralded the band's ambition to offer much more than a simple concert, by combining storytelling, music and projections.

In May 2021, NOTHING BUT REAL will begin work on a second album entitled LOST IN THE WORLD. This prequel explores Sakar's arrival on Earth, marking a new chapter in the band's visual and musical universe.

This ambitious project is the result of a crowdfunding campaign, successfully supported by a loyal community. This album is an opportunity to resurrect songs that were imagined long before the band was formed, such as «Here I Am» (2009) and «Lost in the World» (2013).

Musically, LOST IN THE WORLD fuses electro, pop and hip hop influences, while retaining the rock essence that defines Nothing But Real's unique sound. The album was recorded at the Cream studio in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre with Yohann François on mix and mastering.

He continues to expand the group's visual universe, exploring new narrative dimensions while seeking a sonic identity.

LOST IN THE WORLD will be released on 25 March 2022.

The beginning of 2020 marks a period of transition for NOTHING BUT REAL. In January, bassist David left the band, paving the way for a restructuring.

Shortly afterwards, the entire world was plunged into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the impossibility of playing live, the band persevered and released the album NOTHING BUT REAL in full self-production on 10 July 2020, well received by the public and the media.

During this period of confinement, Tom and Eghan never stopped working on new compositions, reinforcing the band's creative dynamic despite the obstacles.

The search for a new bassist eventually led to the arrival of Victor, allowing the band to embark on its first evolution.

NOTHING BUT REAL's self-titled debut album is taking shape with recording sessions initiated in December 2018 at Big Foot Studio in Burgundy, orchestrated by Augustin. The instrumental part was captured without a hitch, but an unexpected hitch involving an ear of corn forced the band to rethink their plans for the vocal sessions.

In 2019, the band will record a live acoustic session of 3 new tracks: My Daemon, From the inside and Is there anyone.

In January 2020, Nothing But Real resumed vocal recordings at the Le Bearded Fish in Paris, under Romain's direction. The album was then mixed by Susie and mastered by Jean-Sébastien de Phase Mastering, The result is a seminal opus that establishes the band's sound and lifts the veil on their universe.

On 1 January 2019, NOTHING BUT REAL unveiled their first single, « Don't You Know« marking the start of their musical adventure. This track was quickly followed by « Noisy Mind« released on 20 February 2019.

These tracks lay the foundations for the band's unique universe, a blend of hybrid rock and striking visual aesthetics.

On 23 March 2019, «Don't You Know» comes to life in a black-and-white video, shot in the studio DGD in Pantin. The clip, produced with the help of Max from Salut les Vivants and Nicolas, introduces Shadow, the first villain in the NBR universe, embodying lies and manipulation.

This dark, enigmatic entity paves the way for the band's mythology, which will continue to develop through its future projects.

At the end of 2018, NOTHING BUT REAL took a crucial first step by entering Big Foot Studio, in Burgundy, at Augustin's home.

This marked the band's first official recording with the singles «Don't You Know» and «Noisy Mind».»

This secret recording, made in complete secrecy, laid the foundations of the group's sound and identity. At the time, the band was evolving with its original line-up (Hanta - Eghan - David), a combination of musicians who shared Tom's vision for a project combining strong imagery and hybrid music.

These first sessions in Burgundy are essential for refining NBR's artistic direction and launching the dynamic that will lead to the production of more complex works later on.

In 2018, the world of NOTHING BUT REAL began to take shape visually thanks to the collaboration with illustrator Koaline Kra. Together, Tom and Koaline created the first striking visual: the head of Sakar, the central entity in the band's universe. This collaboration symbolises the beginnings of the marriage between music and iconography at NBR, combining concept and visual aesthetics.

However, from November 2019, the group will take a new turn with the arrival of Flow, an artist from the Chromatorium Music.

Tom's artistic vision was given a new lease of life through Flow's unique style, which succeeded in sublimating the initial ideas and giving them a new dimension. This collaboration marks the beginning of a long-distance friendship between Brittany and Burgundy, and helps to anchor Nothing But Real's visual identity even more firmly.

In 2016-2017, after the end of a musical project, Tom, the band's creator, felt the need to create something radically different. He imagined a project that went far beyond music, a strong narrative and visual universe where every note and every image told a story. And so NOTHING BUT REAL was born. The name «Nothing But Real» was born of a reflection on the idea of existing in spite of everything, of being «nothing but real». A simple but evocative phrase that perfectly embodies the essence of the project. The mask quickly became a central part of the group's identity. More than a simple disguise, it symbolises the duality between light and shadow, and highlights the narrative aspect, allowing the members of the group to remain anonymous to better embody the characters of their universe.

NOTHING BUT REAL is also a tribute to multiple influences: science fiction, comic books, cinema and pop culture. These sources of inspiration are reflected in the band's universe, which combines music, visuals and a reflection on humanity and its contradictions.