Singer, songwriter, and performer for thirty years, the Niçois Pascal Mono is preparing to release Healing Fire, his fifth album. Ten tracks selected from 28 written, conceived between Seattle and France over a year and a half of work. A soul rock project tinged with gospel and blues that marks a turning point in his career. An encounter with an artist driven by the fire of faith and groove.
Healing Fire has a unique story. Did it all start in Seattle?
Pascal Mono: “Yes. I left in the winter of 2023 for two or three dates in the city of Jimi Hendrix, a global legend of the electric guitar. A sailor friend working there coached me in the American way, and I ended up doing 33 solo concerts, meaning alone on stage without musicians, only guitar, voice, and bass drum at my feet. I had started writing the songs before, but I finished them there. I even recorded the demos on site before returning to France. I had just come out of a very difficult period. My previous album had been removed from platforms due to an unauthorized cover. The automatic detection algorithms block instantly. I learned the hard way that you can do that on YouTube, but not on Spotify or other platforms. This trip to Seattle was also a way to turn the page.
How long did the recording take and when is the album being released?
A year and a half, working intermittently. My producer built all the arrangements around my voice, I re-recorded all the vocals, and we selected ten tracks from the 28 I had written. He ensures that each track adds something new to the whole. I estimate that the release will be in 2026. I am waiting for two clips in editing. The album will be released as singles. Only those who participated in the crowdfunding and those who come to see me in concert can get a physical copy now.
Why this title, Healing Fire, the healing fire?
The healing fire is the fire of the soul, the inner flame. Believing in what you do, believing in yourself. I am Aries ascending Leo, so fire on fire. For a long time, I was a too-burning fire. With this album, I learned to stay in control of this flame, to keep it warmth and light without consuming myself.
What are the themes that run through this album?
The first track, Heal the Child, is about healing the inner child, reconciling with wonder. A Box of Stones, very gospel and blues, speaks of a heart locked in nested Russian boxes that must be freed one by one. Face to Fear invites you to face your fears rather than flee them. Grounded speaks about grounding, being well-rooted. And If I Ever Meet the Lord is the most gospel of all, with big choirs. There’s also a cover of Robert Johnson’s Me and the Devil, 1937, treated in a very bluesy, very dark way. These are universal themes: life, love, death, inner conflict, faith.
Is this soul rock gospel turn a natural evolution?
It’s largely thanks to my producer, who worked with Brian Eno, Fela Kuti, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant. After four pop rock albums together, he wanted to bring me into his groove universe. He only had this word on his lips. The result is an album with gospel voices, brass, violin, organ. Very American-produced. And the emotions? They are what worked on me, rather than me working on them.
How did Seattle influence the sound of the album?
Living in American English for weeks, playing every night in clubs, forges a mindset. I met a Native American whose presence profoundly inspired me. I have a song, Slow Train, referencing the Seattle Monorail, this overhead train that slowly crosses the city. And playing in the clubs where Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell started gives a particular gravity. I always began my concerts with a cover of Chris Cornell, revered there like a god. The audience was won over, and then I would play my compositions, even in French.
Does this album mark a turning point? And what’s new outside music?
Completely. I integrate groove and African American music much more deeply than before. It’s rooted in blues, rhythm and blues, gospel. Those who have listened to it tell me it’s mastered, round, luminous. I never scream. There is only singing. And outside of music, I can give you a sneak peek: I am finishing the writing of a book that I may publish one day. Like my father, who was a writer.
If you had to summarize Healing Fire in one sentence?
The fire of faith that warms the soul in need of light. And I would add a phrase from writer Christian Bobin: “The sky must darken to see the first star appear.” Transforming the difficulty of living into gold. It’s alchemical.”
