‘Autonomy is so important – to be the engine yourself’: why Yann Tiersen is now touring by sailboat

Creatively frustrated by his association with the Amélie soundtrack and yearning to perform with no environmental impact, the French musician and his wife took to the sea

In 2014 Yann Tiersen – the French musician best known for his multimillion selling soundtrack for Amélie – was cycling with his wife Émelie through Sinkyone Wilderness Park in northern California. They realised a mountain lion was stalking them: for 20 or so minutes it followed them until a car, the first they’d seen in hours, drove past and disrupted it. They cycled on in fear, wondering if it was still in pursuit. “For the next six hours we were thinking ‘this is the end’,” recalls Yann. “That we will end up eaten by this mountain lion.”

It was a life-changing experience. “It shifted our understanding of the world,” says Yann. “We realised we were ignorant of where we were. Knowing the environment can save your life. It was stupid to be there with …” they descend into laughter as they recall what may have piqued the interest of the lion, “… pastrami sandwiches in our bags.”

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by Daniel Dylan Wray via Electronic music | The Guardian