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 confirms the need to return to the basics of Tom’s project. The original idea of Nothing But Real had to be taken back to its essence, where visuals and music are deeply connected, each feeding the other.

In November 2023, Tim’s arrival on bass breathed new life into the band, strengthening the team in this artistic approach.

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

On 29 May 2024, Hanta left the band, marking the end of an era and paving the way for a complete artistic renewal.

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 joined 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 final dates of the tour were played with one bass on sequence, ensuring that the concerts ran smoothly despite these adjustments.

The universe of NOTHING BUT REAL is gradually fleshed out through clips that introduce the key characters and a mythology 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 the latter, the two actresses Yannie and Vanessa embody 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 deepen this universe, an interlude entitled The Symbols was produced. It introduces Sakar’s symbols of power, essential to his history and evolution. This interlude bridges the gap to Behind the Door, a video focusing on the villainous Shadow, the embodiment of lies. Shot at the Ollieship studio on a green screen, Behind the Door ran into difficulties during production.

Despite this, the clip saw the light of day and helped 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 embark on a series of concerts across France. The tour kicks off with a release party at La Péniche Antipode, followed by stand-out performances at iconic venues such as the Bus Palladium, as well as festivals including the Festival No Limit Cars N Bikes and the Festival de l’Oeil Glauque.

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

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

In May 2021, NOTHING BUT REAL began 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 tracks imagined long before the band’s creation, 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 Cream studio in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, with Yohann François on mix and mastering.

It continues the expansion of the band’s visual universe, exploring new narrative dimensions while searching for a sonic identity.

LOST IN THE WORLD is released on March 25, 2022.

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

Shortly afterwards, the entire world is plunged into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the impossibility of playing live, the band perseveres, releasing the totally self-produced album NOTHING BUT REAL on July 10, 2020, which was well received by the public and the media.

During this phase of confinement, Tom and Eghan never stop working on new compositions, reinforcing the band’s creative dynamic despite the obstacles.

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

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

During 2019, the band records a live acoustic session on 3 new tracks: My Daemon, From the inside and Is there anyone.

In January 2020, Nothing But Real resumes vocal recordings at Le Poisson Barbu studio in Paris, under Romain’s direction. The album is then mixed by Susie and mastered by Jean-Sébastien of Phase Mastering, finalizing a seminal opus that sets the band’s sound and unveils their universe.

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

These tracks lay the foundations for the band’s unique universe of hybrid rock and striking visual aesthetics.

On March 23, 2019, “Don’t You Know” comes to life in a black-and-white video, shot at the DGD studio in Pantin. The clip, directed 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 future projects.

At the end of 2018, NOTHING BUT REAL took their first crucial step when they entered Augustin’s Big Foot Studio in Burgundy.

This moment marks the band’s very 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 band’s sound and identity. By this time, the band was evolving with its original line-up (Hanta – Eghan – David), a combination of musicians sharing Tom’s vision for a project that blends strong imagery and hybrid music.

These first sessions in Burgundy were essential in refining NBR’s artistic direction and launching the dynamic that would lead to the production of more complex works later on.

In 2018, the NOTHING BUT REAL universe begins to take visual shape thanks to a collaboration with illustrator Koaline Kra. Together, Tom and Koaline create the first striking visual: the head of Sakar, the central entity of the band’s universe. This collaboration symbolizes the beginnings of the marriage between music and iconography at NBR, combining concept and visual aesthetics.

However, it’s from November 2019 that the band takes a new turn with the arrival of Chromatorium Music artist Flow.

Tom’s artistic vision is given a new lease of life through Flow’s unique style, which succeeds 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 further anchor Nothing But Real’s visual identity.

In 2016-2017, after the end of a musical project, Tom, the band’s creator, felt the need to create something radically different. He imagines a project that goes far beyond music, a strong narrative and visual universe where every note and every image tells 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 element of the group’s identity. More than a simple disguise, it symbolizes the duality between light and shadow, and emphasizes the narrative aspect, allowing the band members to remain anonymous to better embody the characters of their universe.

NOTHING BUT REAL is also a tribute to multiple influences: science fiction, comics, 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.