Solène Delinger 11:00 am, March 18, 2023

The blind auditions of "The Voice" continue this Saturday, March 18, 2023 on TF1. The coaches will have the pleasure of discovering the hoarse and assertive voice of Xavier Polycarpe, former member of the group Gush. This talent with an incredible career already has the first part of Johnny Hallyday at the Stade de France. He tells us about his meeting and his relationship with the rocker. Interview.

Xavier Polycarpe has the pressure: this Saturday, March 18, 2023, he will sing in front of The Voice coaches, Amel Bent, Bigflo and Oli, Vianney and Zazie. This talent, who has been singing for 20 years now and who was part of the group Gush, wants to reinvent himself by participating in the contest. A real challenge for this rocker who has already had the chance to sing with the greatest, including a certain Johnny Hallyday ... Interview.

You've already made a career in music with the band Gush. So what made you decide to embark on an adventure like The Voice?

The production came to me and convinced me to participate in the show. Me, I did not have a very good image of tele-hooks because you do not necessarily control your image and you can also be manipulated on certain things. Eventually, I realized that The Voice really respected the identity of the artists and that there was a lot of freedom.

"I don't have the right to make mistakes in blind auditions"

Your participation in The Voice also coincides with the launch of your solo career...

Yes, I'm releasing my first solo sign in early May and my first EP in June. So it made perfect sense to participate in The Voice now because I needed to go and defend my music without compromise.

You have already found success and done several scenes with Gush. Are you afraid of facing failure in The Voice?

There is apprehension because I throw myself into the water. And, the other talents are much younger than me. They are 20 years old and therefore have a chance to bounce back if they fail. I also have a lot of pressure compared to everything I've done before, whether it's shows like Taratata or the Victoires de la musique en direct. I do not have the right to make mistakes in blind auditions.

"Johnny was very instinctive"

What other musical experiences have you had before?

I opened for Johnny Hallyday at the Stade de France in 2012. I met him with my band Gush thanks to Matthieu Chedid. At that time, he was going to record a record with Johnny in Australia and he had proposed to my brother, who was the drummer of Gush, to participate in the recording. Johnny met my brother and then he came to see us at a club in Los Angeles when we were on tour. He was there, in the front row, in incognito mode in the bar. Afterwards, he invited us to his house and we spent evenings together with him and Laeticia. We ate together, made music and sang the Beatles. Johnny was very happy.

What advice did he give you?

Johnny was a bit of a disconnected guy but also very instinctive. And that's what he passed on to me. It was great to be able to meet him. I am very grateful to him because it opened doors for me.