Everyone has their personal story about 2020. An exceptional year? That might be a gross understatement. But, for Olympe Bille, “exceptional” meant far more than “unusual” or “atypical”. Navigating through 2020’s turbulent waters also meant taking the plunge and realising a lifelong dream. Olympe formed a band!

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. True to form, the sky was cloudy and high humidity hung in the air. That’s April for you, in Amsterdam. Or any other month up to June. It seems 2021 skipped Spring altogether. That day, I was meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen for months (except for the week before for a quick cup of tea). Olympe had told me the news: "I formed a band!". Obviously, my initial thought was…. “When? In 2020?” (cue flabbergasted expression). An unusual story for an unusual year. We sat down in her bright living room, had (another) warm cup of tea and chatted away. What you’re about to read is a conversation between two friends reconnecting in their city, talking about the realisation of a lifelong dream. 

Note: Click below to listen to the full conversation or read the interview till the end.

Could you introduce yourself again? 

My name is Olympe, and I'm 41. I've been living in Amsterdam for almost nine years now. I’d like to introduce myself as a well-being coach. I'm passionate about movement, and I love dancing and singing. 

Before coming to Amsterdam, where did you live?

I used to live in Nice, in the South of France. 

And you're French?...

I am French, indeed [laughter].

So, quite briefly, why did you decide to move to Amsterdam nine years ago?

I was in a long-distance relationship with a guy who was already living here. Two years [into the relationship], we wanted to be closer to each other, but I was actually doing my professional reorientation. I wanted, first, to obtain my diploma as a personal trainer ‘slash’ fitness instructor and have a one-year [professional] experience before coming here. After that, I moved in with my... ex-… boyfriend, now [laughter].

[laughter]… So why music? What is your relationship with music?

Music has been part of my life forever. My mum listened to a lot of music back then... Yeah, a lot of music... Classical music, jazz, soul, gospel, sometimes. Besides, I always loved dancing and singing on my own. When I was a late teenager, I had a female rap band for two years, with two cousins and a friend. Then, I just continued singing, met some musicians, and had a few on and off band experiences. I also collaborated with a rapper back in Nice. I still have the CD, actually. On top of that, I did a few weddings and Bar Mitzvahs as a backup singer, and I sang for a reggae artist. 

So, your relationship with music started very early in your life... But when did you decide to pursue your passion in The Netherlands? Was there a specific moment?...

Actually, the first two years after I moved here were really heavy for me. Mentally, it was hard to adapt. First of all, coming from the south of France, the weather is totally different. That was a shock for me. And it was just hard altogether: moving in with my boyfriend, we had to move every year… We had quite some challenges. And I also had to establish my own business. That was tough. Because of that, I didn't find the strength and motivation to sing for two years. But then, at some point, I felt the urge again and decided to take some classes to improve my technique. I started to train with my singing coach, Josephine, in 2014 or 2015. 

After you started training with a vocal coach, when was the moment you decided, 'OK, I want to do more than just practising, I want to really invest my time and go ahead, sing solo or form my band...'. What was your idea?

I already wanted to have a band for a while. I was saying it [out aloud], but I wasn't taking action. And then I had a big down at the beginning of the crisis, in March 2020. 

Just to be clear, what does it mean to be 'down' for you, in this case? What happened?

Yeah, I was depressed. Really depressed. But then I started to feel better and nurture this self-love relationship with myself and began to sing again. I was also working on some songs with my singing coach, which motivated me even more to have a band. I was already in two Facebook groups for a long time, Musicians in Amsterdam and Amsterdam musicians, and I posted an announcement. I got a lot of answers. 

When was that?

October 2020. Yeah, I held an audition! First, I wanted to have one guitar player, bass guitar, keyboardist, and drum [player]. But then one of the guitarists suggested, 'How about having two guitars?'. I was like... ‘yes’. I like the way both play; they have different styles. So, that's how it started. 

What are the main challenges of forming a band?... Because you're basically recruiting people who've never played together before...

Well, the difficult part is that we could only rehearse up to a certain point because then we had the second lockdown. Q-Factory, where we were rehearsing, closed up. Also, the first day we held the audition, we had one bass guitar player, but he quit after two days. So, we had to find another one, and that took even longer. 

What were the criteria? Who were you looking for?

The vibe. Yeah, if the vibe was good. And their active involvement [in the project]. Because the idea is to perform at some point. So, yeah, to be involved and to rehearse at least once a week.

So, right now, the band is you and...

Two guitarists, one bass guitarist, one keyboard player and one drummer.

And what is the name of the band?

It's Mimo, Mimo is me, and The Monkey Peppers. 

Mimo and the Monkey Peppers?

It's the name of a Brazilian tree. David, the drummer, talked about that plant, and I thought the name was funny. 

But your name is Olympe. Where does Mimo come from?

Mimo is a nickname that came from one of my cousins. First, he used to call me Mimo Olympe and then it became Mimo. Everybody started to use it afterwards. My nephew and niece call me tata Mimo. So, it's a nickname, but more in France. No one is calling me Mimo, here, in The Netherlands.

And what kind of music are you playing with the band? 

Soul... Funk... Soulful funk... That's the spirit. But there're some songs, like Les Poèmes de Michelle, that are more pop music. 

Do you sing in French and English?

Yeah, both. 

And you're singing songs that you wrote, or the other members wrote?... How does that work?

Well, we started with covers and also rehearsed a song I wrote with Josephine. Maybe when I'm finished with the other songs, I'll play them with the band as well. For the writing, it's quite recent. It happened at the end of last year when we couldn't rehearse anymore, [because of the lockdown]. Just before Christmas, I asked the guys, 'Would you like to write songs? Maybe we can just stay in touch and be creative together in a different way'. They all said, 'Yeah, let's do it!'. We recorded on our phones and sent ideas to each other on WhatsApp. That way, everybody could be creative on their own. 

So, you're still rehearsing with the band?... You haven't recorded anything yet...

No, no. We actually wrote one song when I came back from the Christmas holidays early this year. Now, we've just finished a second song, and sometimes I meet with one of the guys, especially Matt, the keyboard player, to create the melody and stuff. We have a good creative connection with Matt. Anyway, I think it'd be nice to have another song [before recording]. 

What is the first song you'd like to record with the band? Do you already have an idea?

I think the two songs we've written are good to be recorded.

What are they about?

The first one is called "Action-Reaction". It's funny because the title came from [an unexpected situation]... We were supposed to have the rehearsal test with the third bass guitar player. He made us wait two weeks for that date and then, ten minutes before the start of the rehearsal, he said, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I cannot come. I'm sick'. I was like, 'Okaay!!!!... That was worth the wait!' [laughter]. We were at Q-Factory, one of the largest places with rehearsal studios in Amsterdam. The other guys were already in the room, so I just went to the reception and rented a bass guitar because I knew one of the guitarists also played it. It was pretty cool! We had never rehearsed that well. Afterwards, I told them that we say in French "Action-Reaction": when something happens [fingers snapping]… let's just take action, you know? [laughter]. 

And the second song?

The second song is "Faire des Folies de Nos Corps". It's difficult to translate; there's no equivalent [expression] in English. But faire des folies de son corps means something like 'enjoy yourself with... your body' [laughter]. That usually means to have sex. The song is about a conversation between a new couple. The girl wants to have sex with her boyfriend or partner, but he doesn't really get it because he doesn't speak French. So, it leads to a kind of a misunderstanding. But they finally understand each other in the end.

Yeah, that's what normally happens, anyway... [laughter]. What are your bandmates’ expectations about this project?

We haven't really discussed it, but I think they all want to have a repertoire and perform at least once a month. But they all have a day job. So, for now, we're not ready to put everything into the project. We also have our own jobs, careers, and goals. 

But if you didn't have to think about all that, what would you like to achieve with music?

I'd like to travel, to be honest. I'd like to do small tours, maybe in Europe... Yeah, to travel. 

This is really the last question. In one sentence, what can we expect from Mimo and The Monkey Peppers?

Mimo and The Monkey Peppers will make you smile and bring you a lot of good vibes. 

Thank you so much!

Thank you.

At A City Made By People, we hope Mimo and The Monkey Peppers will soon make you smile at a venue near you.

Credits: (written and audio interview)
Text and production: Carla Vicente
Music: Wataboi - "Flavour" (Pixabay)
Mimo and The Monkey Peppers - "Les Poèmes de Michelle" and "Fast Food Love"

Mimo and The Monkey Peppers
Vocals: Olympe Bille
Keys: Matt Brady
Guitar 1: Rikkert Beek
Guitar 2: Bene Wimmer
Drums: David de Vries
Bass guitar: Murat Yatmas