{"id":22021,"date":"2026-08-17T17:04:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T22:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=22021"},"modified":"2026-08-17T17:06:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T22:06:27","slug":"frances-laurent-moitrot-shares-the-high-life-produced-by-james-mastro-the-bongos-mott-the-hoople-patti-smith-john-cale-via-magic-door-record-label","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=22021","title":{"rendered":"France’s LAURENT MOITROT shares “The High Life”, produced by JAMES MASTRO (The Bongos, Mott the Hoople, Patti Smith, John Cale) via Magic Door Record Label"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The High Life? For French singer-songwriter and guitarist Laurent Moitrot<\/strong><\/a>, it starts in a social-housing block, not a penthouse. Born from a darker song about a marriage falling apart, his new single \u201cThe High Life\u201d<\/strong><\/a> turns that same setting into a swaggering, character-driven blues-pop story about ordinary people, hard times and the stubborn possibility of something better. Released via New Jersey\u2019s Magic Door Record Label<\/strong><\/a>, the catchy bilingual single pairs the English title track with its French counterpart, “Le Blues du H.L.M.”<\/a> – <\/strong>two versions of the same world, seen through very different emotional lenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produced by James Mastro<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>, renowned for his work with The Bongos, Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter, Patti Smith <\/strong>and John Cale<\/strong>, “The High Life” was recorded, mixed and mastered by Ray Ketchem<\/strong><\/a> (Guided by Voices, <\/strong>Elk City<\/strong>, <\/strong>Gramercy Arms, Luna, The Dambuilders)<\/strong> at Magic Door Recording Studio<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> <\/strong>in Montclair, New Jersey. Moitrot is accompanied by Mastro on keyboards and Ketchem on percussion, as well as to <\/strong>bassist Paul Page<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Ian Hunter, John Cale, Bo Diddley)<\/strong> and Doug Yowell<\/strong><\/a>(The Joe Jackson Band, Suzanne Vega, Judy Collins, Howard Jones)<\/strong> on drums and percussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This single follows up his six-track \u201cDonne-moi du temps\u201d EP<\/strong><\/a>, recorded with the same team in May 2025, which Moitrot calls \u201cthe album I\u2019ve dreamt of making all my life\u201d. Packed with gritty, angular, crashing riffs that recall the energy and excitement of early Rolling Stones, Dr. Feelgood, Fleetwood Mac, Mott the Hoople and Mick Ronson, this mini-album marked a new chapter in Moitrot\u2019s songwriting, bringing his French-language material to the fore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing on nearly five decades as a performer, Moitrot\u2019s swaggering, character-driven offering turns a difficult subject into something unexpectedly warm, funny and hopeful. While the two songs share the same musical foundation, the English title track offers a strikingly different perspective than the original French version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The High Life”<\/strong> explores ordinary lives, difficult circumstances and the small but important decision to keep trying. This swaggering blues-pop indie rock song finds humour, character and optimism in an unlikely setting, while its French-language counterpart, “<\/strong>Le Blues du H.L.M.”<\/strong>, reveals the more troubled personal story from which it originated.  Written as his marriage was falling apart, it is set among the inhabitants of an H.L.M. (social housing typically associated with large apartment blocks), reflecting the sadness and uncertainty he felt at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In May 2025, I was in Montclair, NJ to record a six-track mini album, produced by James Mastro. In contrast with my first album from 2020, which featured material written in English, this one was in French and included a French version of Mastro’s song “My God”. Among these, one of  them in particular — “Le Blues du H.L.M.” — seemed to please Mastro very much,” says Laurent Moitrot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This song goes back to a time when I was feeling very sad as my marriage was on the rocks. The lyrics reflected that mood. What we call a H.L.M. in France is generally a cheaply built high-rise building, built so that the poorest families can rent a flat to live there. This is “social housing” of sorts, though some would call it a ghetto.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He initially translated the lyrics, under the title “The Social Housing Blues”, but the darker mood of the original no longer reflected how he felt. The breakthrough came during a conversation with his Manchester friend Andrew Field, who reminded him of the tongue-in-cheek expression \u201cliving the high life\u201d, used to describe life on a social housing estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new title changed its direction. Inspired by the character-driven storytelling of Ray Davies, Moitrot introduced Curtiss, the lonely man; Mary, the pretty girl; and Nigel, the neighbourhood bully. He also added a fourth verse, bringing a sense of optimism to their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resultant is a companion piece: the same setting seen through a different emotional lens. Where the original captures a moment of personal despair, “The High Life” finds warmth and humour in the lives of its characters, leaving them with the possibility of something better. Ultimately, “The High Life” is a song about finding another way to tell a difficult story \u2014 with a little more distance, a little more humour and, ultimately, a little more hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This instinct for turning everyday lives into songs places Moitrot within a long tradition of French rock songwriting, from the wry observations of Jacques Dutronc and Jacques Higelin to the more contemporary perspective of Jean Leloup, while his musical foundation remains firmly rooted in blues and rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Angers, France, Moitrot has been performing since 1976, playing the piano from seven. After discovering the Rolling Stones \u201cExile on Main St.\u201d in his teens, he moved toward guitar and rock music. For decades, he balanced a life between his music and a career as a mathematics teacher \u2013 maintaining a steady presence on the regional blues and rock scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moitrot\u2019s debut album “Little Monsters Most Of Them Blue.s”<\/strong><\/a> was produced by Laurent Thibault<\/strong>, a founding member of Magma <\/strong>and former director of the legendary Ch\u00e2teau d\u2019H\u00e9rouville studio, which had hosted ?David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, and Fleetwood Mac. He subsequently released an EP with his Dr. Feelgood tribute project \u201cHands Up!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 18, “The High Life” is everywhere digitally<\/strong><\/a>, including  Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>and Bandcamp<\/strong><\/a>, where his back catalogue can also be found. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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