About us…

A great meeting of minds happened in the French countryside.

Cédric Psaïla, eminent singer songwriter originally from the Cote d’Azur with a back-catalogue including 12 albums and more than 1500 concerts all over France (Petite musique, Chainsaw Billies and Ramblin’ Pickers) decides to uproot his family, saying goodbye to the turquoise sea in favor of the quiet, provincial Burgandy region. He didn’t expect to find anything uncommon apart from the black squirrel population and yet…

A few mere miles away, a young English Artist, Gemma Hosey, seeking more than the circus and cabaret footlights she had been used to, picks up a ukulele and begins writing charmingly English love and (not fussed about) loss songs. Already an accomplished singer and decided businesswoman she began touring and managing the group Lilly and the Fox, performing mainly covers in a vintage jukebox style, but soon her creativity and the itch to write overtake. 

The planets align.

The star-crossed colleagues meet at a gig in a bar in the Allier region, Cedric is looking for an actress for his next music video, and Gemma is looking for a guitarist to bring her songs to life…. 

The songs, stories of amorous misadventures and reflexions about life in general, instantly strike a chord with Cédric and the two get to work. They soon garner enough new songs to launch a set and begin touring in the summer of 2019. 

Their style delights French audiences and bit by bit they refine their sound into a vintage tinged jazzy mix of pop and folk, happily flicking between French and English like an air hostess from one of the better airlines, almost bilingual but with enough of an accent to still sound exotic.  

With a minimalist back up (guitar, ukulele and a bit of strategically placed percussion) the strong and sensual voice of the charismatic front woman, mix harmoniously with the deep backing vocals of « the driver », creating a powerful sound for a small line up that remains intimate while packing an energetic punch. The easy dialogue between the two on stage and their audience invite interaction. 

To round off 2019 in fashion, the Driver duet will be recording and polishing their first album as well as booking a highly anticipated tour for Spring 2020.