🌊 Water Rise is above all the universe of a passionate musician (bassist/guitarist) living in Nantes, France. He is driven by the desire to create sincere, lively pieces of music and share them with others.
Influenced by British rock and film scores, he refuses to be pigeonholed so as not to stifle his creativity. In March 2024, he released his first album, Water Rise, featuring 14 tracks, a true immersion into his sound laboratory, where each track recounts an exploration, a memory, a new emotional code.
Throughout the album, he invites you to discover talented French, Australian, American, and English artists (MIK’s Reaction, EQO, Hayden Kelly, Wilko Wilkes, and finally Cosmic Gateway).
Today, Water Rise continues to broaden his musical horizons with a new single, “AFK,” conceived as a bridge between his memories of youth and his avid thirst for creation. This new single would not have seen the light of day without two artists featured on the track: Nick Eyra (vocals), whose main influences are Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds To Mars, and Karbonium (guitar), a hybrid artist who refuses to be pigeonholed, with a style combining trap, rock, jazz, anime, and gaming.
Sit back, relax, and let yourself be surprised! 🌊
With “AFK (Away From Knitting)” out now, we took some time to hear from Water Rise. Read below to learn more about Water Rise, the story behind “AFK (Away From Knitting),” and what’s to come.
Hi Water Rise! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
There are three ideas behind this name:
First of all, because our planet Earth is not doing well, and things are not going to improve. I worry about the legacy we will leave to our children. With all the climate changes we are currently experiencing, this is my way of showing that I’m committed to this issue.
Then, I like the idea of an unstoppable rock band, a bit like water that cannot be stopped once it bursts forth. When I compose, that’s exactly the mindset I’m in — ideas flow quickly, and I keep every door open.
To finish, I love explore different style and I have many influences, so I refuse to let myself be locked into a single music style, and I’m committed to introducing my listeners to new artists who, in my opinion, deserve much more visibility.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m originally from the town of Vernon in Normandy, France. I lived in Paris for 10 years, and I moved to Nantes for work two years ago.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I truly started making music at the age of 16. I’ve had various experiences as a bass player, mostly in rock bands, but not only. I’m now 36, and I officially began sharing my own compositions with the launch of this project, Water Rise, back in 2021.
I have a job that supports my family and covers my needs. Music is an outlet for me — I remain deeply passionate about it, especially about playing in a band. Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to say that I can make a living from it!
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I’m clearly influenced largely by English‑speaking rock and film music. These are my two main preferred styles, but I still allow myself a few detours.
I explore both styles through my compositions, while also introducing, on certain tracks, featured artists from all over the world (the United States, Australia, France, England, etc.).
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I really love nature, animals, and I absolutely enjoy traveling and hiking.
I also have a family that I love more than anything, and they help me discover new interests and activities day after day.
I believe my creativity comes from everything that shaped my childhood — the music, films, comics and manga I listened to, watched, or read. I’m someone who becomes very curious and invested when a subject truly fascinates me.
One of the things that helps me stay creative is computer‑assisted music production. I’ve taken quite a few online courses just for fun, and I find this field truly fascinating.
In the past, I used to limit myself to creating only pieces that I could perform live with a band, but now I allow myself much more freedom when it comes to arrangements and instrument choices.
Understanding how to mix, choose effects, and make the right production decisions has been a real breakthrough for me in my creative process.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
My childhood was shaped by The Beatles, so quite naturally I would say that Paul McCartney and John Lennon are a major source of inspiration for me.
Among my other influences, I would also include The Rolling Stones, Supergrass, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, The Libertines, Mando Diao, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink‑182, Green Day, Linkin Park, A Perfect Circle, Radiohead, Blur, Muse, The Strokes, Daft Punk, Arctic Monkeys, OK Go, Royal Republic, Biffy Clyro, Metronomy, The xx, HER, and an abundance of film soundtracks (Matrix, John Williams, Hans Zimmer), among many others.
What is your dream collaboration right now?
I would absolutely love to collaborate or co‑write a track with Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro. A little orchestral rock delirium with that unique Scottish flair they’re so good at would really make me vibrate!
If you ever get bored, Simon, feel free to reach out! 🙂
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
I would say my key experiences include my time in 2006 with the band FIDDLE, during which we recorded an album and played nearly 60 self‑produced concerts.
Another important milestone is the release of my first album in March 2024 for my project, Water Rise.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
Patience and perseverance are, I believe, the keys to success (luck matters too, but you have to create your own opportunities!). It is also essential not to skip steps and to focus on the quality of your tracks before promoting them — listeners are more and more demanding, and you can easily lose potential fans if the sound isn’t ‘professional.
Now onto your release, “AFK (Away From Knitting).” What inspired this song?
I started working on this track just for fun with a drummer friend — simply wanting to make some pop‑punk like we used to listen to in our youth. The main idea behind the song at the time was to enjoy every moment and let go.
What is “AFK (Away From Knitting)” about?
The song AFK expresses a desire to break away, regain freedom, and follow one’s own path without listening to criticism. It talks about escaping, building one’s legacy, reconnecting with others, and encouraging them not to give up. The message becomes uplifting, focusing on self‑belief, solidarity, and chasing dreams.
The mood is energetic, rebellious, and liberating — very pop‑punk inspired. It mixes feelings of escape, empowerment, nostalgia, and positivity, ending with an anthem‑like encouragement to rise, love, and move forward.
How did the collaboration with Karbonium and Nick Eyra come about?
After a few versions, I felt that this track deserved to be finished. So, I started looking for guest artists to help complete it and share it with as many people as possible.
I knew Karbonium because he was part of my artist support community, Let’s ZZEU Music Play! Since I really liked his guitar style, I reached out to him, and he accepted.
Then I contacted Nick Eyra, who I could easily imagine on the track. We had already talked several times, and I had wanted to collaborate with him for a while. He listened to the song and also agreed to take care of the vocals and the lyrics to complete it.
Finally, I brought in my sound engineer, Étienne Pelosoff, to handle the STEM mastering and optimize my home mix, which I felt was not quite strong enough.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “AFK (Away From Knitting)?”
It was simply a desire to pay tribute to my carefree student years in the 2000s. Back then, I was playing in the band FIDDLE, skating with my friends, and listening to great music (Sum 41, Blink‑182). Those were the good times!
What was the creative process like when making “AFK (Away From Knitting)?”
It all started from a drum track recorded by my best friend back in 2020. I then added my bass, pushing the track slightly toward a more punk‑inspired feel, drawing influence from Rancid’s bass lines. That first instrumental version was born.
A year later, a friend added a first punk guitar part with some catchy gimmicks. This second version was created as part of a composition challenge within a musicians’ community on Discord.
Finally, in 2025, after improving my mixing and mastering skills, I completely remixed the track for another composition challenge, this time within the LZMP community mentioned earlier (Let’s ZZEU Music Play!).
From there came the search for featured artists, a newly re‑recorded bass line, a reworked structure…and you know the rest.
Karbonium joined the adventure on March 2025 and Nick Eyra on September 2025.
On December 2025, “AFK” was finished!
How long did it take to complete “AFK (Away From Knitting)?”
As explained earlier, the first idea came in 2020, followed by two more versions in 2021, and another in 2025.
The final version was completed in December 2025 and released online in March 2026 — a process that took five and a half years.
What do you hope fans take away from “AFK (Away From Knitting)” and your music in general?
My goal is to take listeners back 20 years to the golden age of pop‑punk (Green Day, Blink‑182, etc.).
As for my music, I hope they will listen with an open mind to my album, which explores various styles. It’s a true invitation to let go — moving through rock, pop/rock, film‑inspired music, and much more.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
This track, “AFK,” marks my return after a two‑year break from the project. The idea is for this new single to be the first in a long series — like a phoenix rising from its ashes.
For my Water Rise project, I’m not performing live for now, but if the project grows and finds its audience, concerts will definitely become part of the journey.
There’s another collaboration that I’m planning to revisit now that “AFK” has been released. It would be a soundtrack‑style rock piece, instrumental or not (we might look for a third featuring artist once the track is more developed). My goal is to release it within the next four to six months.
I also have several other tracks already started that I’d like to finish, either solo or with future collaborations — nothing is set in stone yet.
Where can we follow you on social media?
Here is my links page, featuring all of the links to listen to or follow (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, social media, etc.):
https://ffm.bio/waterrisemusic
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
