Nicolas Henri Didier Sirchis, better known by his stage nameNicola Sirkis, is the frontman and singer of the Frenchrock bandIndochine. He is the only remaining member of the original line-up of the band which he formed in 1981 with a friend, Dominique Nicolas, soon to be joined by his twin brother Stéphane and Dimitri Bodianski. The band has been active for 38 years, and Nicola Sirkis saw critical and wide appeal and success in 2002 with the release of Paradize. The group received further critical acclaim with their album 13. Upon its release in 2017, the album topped the charts in France, Belgium and Switzerland, and they are hailed as the top rock group in France. In 1992, Nicola Sirkis released a solo-album, Dans la Lune, covering a few of his favourite songs, in French or English. Nicola Sirkis is also the author of the collection of short stories "Les Mauvaises Nouvelles", published in 1998. And "Les petites notes du Meteor Tour".
Personal life
Nicola Sirkis has two brothers, his fraternal twin :fr:Stéphane Sirkis|Stéphane and elder brother :fr:Christophe Sirchis|Christophe. Stéphane joined Indochine in 1982, playing synthesizers and guitar, and remained with the band until his death from hepatitis C after years of struggling with drug addiction. Their elder brother wrote Starmustang, published in 2009, recounting his point of view and blaming Nicola for Stéphane's death. Nicola does have a close relationship with Stéphane's daughter Lou who has founded her own band Toybloïd. She sometimes joins Indochine on stage, most recently with her cousin Théa to celebrate Nicola's 60th birthday on June 22, 2019. Nicola married twice in the 1990s, first to graphic designer :fr:Marion Bataille|Marion Bataille who designed Indochine's album covers from 1982 to 1989 and second, in 1995, to actress :fr:Marie Guillard|Marie Guillard. They divorced in 1998. In 1996 he met Gwenaëlle Bouchet, the bassiste for the band :fr:Madinkà|Madinkà. They married in 2003 and eventually separated and divorced in 2009. They have a daughter, Théa. His daughter is the inspiration for several of Indochine's songs: Bye Bye Valentine, Memoria,2033 and Mao Boy. Written before Théa's birth, Mao Boy is a song celebrating the impending joys and fears of becoming a parent. The last stanza begins with, "You are my life, the rest of my life, so be it. You taught me how to save my life" referring to his grief after his brother's death, and now finding joy in the birth of this new life. Nicola also has two sons, Alice-Tom and, with his latest girlfriend, Jules.
