Born and raised in the south of France, Pierre-Marie Maulini was a musician from a young age. With his older brother and a couple of friends he played in the band "A Red Season Shade" and released a debut album in 2006 on swiss label Gentlemen Records. A post-rock effort influenced by Sigur Ros and Explotions in the Sky which led him to meet local shoegaze icon Anthony Gonzalez. It didn’t take them long to become friends and Gonzalez soon asked him to join M83 on tour for the release of their fifth album « Saturday = Youth ». The band spent almost 2 years travelling around the world, opening for bands such as Kings Of Leon in the UK or Midnight Juggernauts in Australia, and of course headlining sold out shows all over America! Back home and enthrilled by this experience, Pierre-Marie decided it was time for him to lead his own project and started STAL. Recording bedroom demos first, then moving to Ireland for a while where renowned sound engineer Patrick Walsh helped him develop his keyboard and synthesizer knowledge and skills. The first demos started spreading in 2011, they defined Stal’s sound as epic with a strong rock energy but also a touch of electronica and even ambient. On stage, the band is also composed by Hugo Rattoray on synths and guitars, Renaud Rodier on drums. STAL is the word for steel in many languages. It evoques the coldness of machines and modern industrial life. But behind this cold varnish Stal’s music reveals itself as harmonious, luminous and somehow exhilarating, its lyrics speaking of the true and simple happiness one can find in life, love and hope.
