5 Songs I Love w/ DORRR

Following the release of her new EP, Ganbaru, Flex caught up with French artist DORRR to discover what influences her unique indie-rock sound. If you enjoy DORRR's picks, be sure to check out Ganbaru at the end of the article.

1. “Texas Sun” – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges

This song is deeply connected to a very personal chapter of my life. I spent several years traveling regularly to Austin, Texas, between 2016 and 2022 while touring with my former band, and over time it became a second home for me. I built a kind of chosen family there — musicians, artists, friends — people who really shaped my journey.

What I love about Texas Sun is how perfectly it captures the atmosphere of those places. The warmth, the slow pace, the light… There's something very special about the landscapes of the southern US: the open spaces, the desert, that golden glow at the end of the day.

Every time I listen to this track, it brings me right back there. It’s not just nostalgia. It’s a feeling, a state of mind. I really miss those moments, and this song holds that energy in a very pure way.

2. “Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac

I’ve always been deeply in love with Stevie Nicks’ voice. There’s something effortlessly captivating about it. The way she delivers the vocals feels so laid-back and natural, yet incredibly powerful.

The whole song has this unique atmosphere: the smooth slide guitar, the groove, the bass… everything flows in such an understated but hypnotic way. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t need to prove anything. It just exists, and that’s enough !

Dreams has this ability to completely calm me down while bringing back a kind of soft, unexplainable nostalgia. It feels both distant and familiar at the same time, like a memory you can’t quite place but still deeply feel.

3. “No Wow” – The Kills

I couldn’t not mention a song by The Kills as I’ve been a huge fan of this duo since my teenage years. Honestly, I could have picked almost any track from their discography, but I chose No Wow because it perfectly captures what I love about them.

There’s something incredibly captivating in its raw, wild energy — the structure, the textures, the tension running through the song. The way they build their sound, often around a drum machine and Jamie Hince’s very distinctive guitar style, creates this minimal yet powerful sonic world.

And then there’s Alison’s voice... completely electrifying. It brings that sense of danger and sensuality that defines The Kills so well. Every time I listen to this track, I get goosebumps. And live, it’s just on another level.

I truly love this band, and this song feels like a perfect embodiment of their spirit.

4.“Blade Bird” – Oklou

Oklou is a fairly recent discovery for me, and I was immediately struck by her universe. There’s something quite inspiring about the fact that she’s a French artist coming from a place that isn’t particularly known for its music scene, and yet she’s building such a strong presence internationally, especially in the US.

Her latest album, Choke Enough, feels almost magical to me. It blends fragility and sensitivity in a very unique way, with these soft, almost “choked” synth textures that sound both complex and strangely intuitive at the same time. Everything flows so naturally, often with very minimal percussion, which gives the music this floating, weightless quality.

Listening to it feels like a slightly out-of-space experience — like her voice is coming from somewhere distant and intimate at once. Blade Bird in particular — leans more toward a classic pop structure, but its simplicity and purity make it incredibly soothing. 

5. “Tucson Kills” – Billy Sedlmyer

Billy Sedlmyer is a songwriter from Tucson, Arizona, whom I met during a trip there in 2023, while attending a music masterclass. He was one of my songwriting mentors during that time, and someone I deeply connected with, both artistically and personally.

He’s one of those rare artists whose music feels completely authentic — shaped by a life fully lived, with all its weight and depth. His work is less about production or trends, and more about storytelling. Something raw, honest, and deeply human.

Tucson Kills is a song I can listen to on repeat without ever getting tired of it. It’s beautifully written and arranged, and there’s something in the way Billy sings that genuinely moves me to tears.

He’s the kind of artist who deserves far more recognition, and I feel lucky to have crossed paths with his music and his story.

Note : I think these songs shaped my sound in a more emotional than purely sonic way. It’s not so much about directly referencing their production or trying to recreate a specific aesthetic — it’s more about how they made me feel, and what they unlocked in me as an artist.

Each of these tracks carries a very strong sense of identity and honesty. Whether it’s the warmth and openness of Texas Sun, the introspective calm of Dreams, the fragility in Oklou’s music, the raw tension of The Kills, or the deep storytelling in Billy Sedlmyer’s work... they all share a kind of emotional truth that really resonates with me.

With Ganbaru, I was trying to reconnect with that same place. A more instinctive, vulnerable way of creating, where emotion leads the process rather than technique or expectations.

So in a way, these songs didn’t shape how the EP sounds — they shaped why it sounds the way it does.

Now make sure you listen to Ganbaru: