Introducing: Make It Shine

French band Make It Shine fuse rock and metal influences with touches of electronica to craft a fun, catchy but heavy-riffing sound that they describe as “energetic, melodic and bouncy.”

The trio, from Dinan in Brittany, met 10 years ago when they were in middle school, but are all now based in Paris for studies. They originally started a punk rock band called Jet Teens but shifted to an electro-rock sound after Covid, as they sought out “something more epic.” In Justin’s words: “‘Make It Shine’ was an expression we’d been using for ages when polishing our tracks. It just made sense because that’s exactly what we aim for: to make every track shine. And since the beginning, it’s always been just the three of us!”

On the sound they’ve honed since, Justin told us: “The Make It Shine sound is rooted in rock with a heavy electro presence. We also add touches of metal in some riffs. It’s heavy, catchy, and powerful, with choruses that really stick with you!”

The band sent us their recent track Programmed_4, which was released in September. It opens up with stabbing synths that continue as engaging vocals take over. A huge guitar riff kicks in with big crashing cymbals, leading in to a huge chorus “I’m searching, The best seed, I know the secret lies, In a part of heart, It’s up to me to shine.” A second chorus drops into a building guitar riff that’s joined by a darting riff and powerful synths that bring the track to a heavy ending. Check it out in the video here:

That’s been followed by Cave, which was released at the end of month and is the kind of track that you can’t help but bop along to. It opens up with a fun riff that drops into lively vocals, which feed into a catchy chorus and an even more fun riff. A second chorus ends with a big siren noise as the pace slows down, builds up to a lively concoction of driving guitars, twinkling synths and catchy vocals, before ending on the big fun riff. Check it out in the video here:

On those tracks, Justin told us: “The feedback on our recent tracks has been amazing. We’re super happy because they’ve done much better than our first few singles. These songs are better produced, and we’ve worked hard to get closer to a professional level. Even though we still have a long way to go, we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved with these two tracks.

“For Programmed_4, we shot the video in May at an abandoned location near Paris. It was a real team effort with our friends. We write and edit all our music videos ourselves. Our friends from film schools come to help us a lot on set, and then all the post-production happens… in my apartment!

“For Cave, we shot it less than two months ago. We were once again looking for an abandoned, slightly grungy spot, and two weeks before shooting, we found the perfect place – a cool basement in my building! It made so much sense, and it ended up being our most efficient shoot ever. To balance out the simplicity of the setting, we added a lot of glitch effects in post-production. It really reflects our mindset: three young people with crazy ideas, stuck in a basement. The song itself is relatable for everyone, and musically, it’s more complex but still super catchy! If you haven’t heard them yet, go check them out! We promise they’ll stick in your head.”

If you like what you’ve heard so far, we firmly recommend checking out Make It Shine’s atmospheric debut single The Truth and follow-up tracks I’m Falling and a personal favourite track Take My Hand, which features an especially filthy riff.

The Make It Shine sound has been heavily influenced by Muse, who the band have admired since they were kids, along with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and Linkin Park. “We listen to a mix of genres – from rock to pop and rap – and love analyzing the production work behind every style,” Justin explains. “Our songs cover themes like love, inequality, and the environment. Make It Shine is our outlet to express how we feel about the world around us. When I write lyrics, I often draw from my daily life—doubts, disappointments, small victories… real-life stuff.”

There’s plenty more to come from Make It Shine, who are set to release their debut album this year and the album will be supported by new music videos. They also have a few gigs lined up across France in the summer and are hopeful of getting gigs and an international tour beyond that.

You can follow Make It Shine on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.