Victoria Legrand

Victoria Legrand
Legrand performing in Oslo, 2013
Legrand performing in Oslo, 2013
Background information
Born
Victoria Garance Alixe Legrand

(1981-05-28) May 28, 1981 (age 45)
Paris, France
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenreDream pop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • guitar
  • bass
Years active2004–present
Member ofBeach House

Victoria Garance Alixe Legrand (born May 28, 1981) is a French-American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist of the dream pop band Beach House.

Early life

Legrand was born on May 28, 1981, in Paris, France. She is the daughter of painter Olivier Legrand [fr] and niece of the French composer Michel Legrand and vocalist Christiane Legrand of The Swingle Singers. When she was six years old, she relocated with her family to the United States, where they resided in Baltimore and, later, rural Cecil County, Maryland. The family subsequently moved to Philadelphia, where Legrand spent her adolescent and teenage years. She is fluent in both French and English.

Legrand studied piano throughout her early life and adolescence, and, as a teenager, performed in a Led Zeppelin cover band. She graduated from the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1999, and subsequently attended Vassar College, where she majored in drama. After graduating in 2003, she relocated to Paris to study acting at the International Theatre School of Jacques Lecoq. After becoming "disenchanted with theater school" and more interested in songwriting and in musical artists such as Le Tigre and Yo La Tengo, she dropped out of the program and returned to the United States, settling in Baltimore.

Career

Legrand performing "Two Weeks" with Grizzly Bear at JellyNYC's Pool Party in August 2009

In 2004, Legrand met Baltimore native Alex Scally, through a mutual friend. At around this time, both were also part of a band called Daggerhearts, which would end up disbanding in late 2005 due to dysfunctionality. Wanting to form a new band feeling as though they both "grew out of [Daggerhearts]," they began writing music together, often spending time at Scally's house. Apart from writing music during this time, Legrand worked as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in Baltimore and continued to do so until 2008. Legrand often mentions how organically they work together, and how in Scally, she found her "musical soulmate." Since the band's formation, they have released eight studio albums as part of their discography: Beach House (2006), Devotion (2008), Teen Dream (2010), Bloom (2012), Depression Cherry (2015), Thank Your Lucky Stars (2015), 7 (2018), and Once Twice Melody (2022); as well as an EP, Become (2023).

Aside from her work with Beach House, Legrand has also collaborated with indie rock band Grizzly Bear on various occasions; initially, Beach House were the openers for one of Grizzly Bear's shows in 2007. She also provided backing vocals on their song "Two Weeks", which they later performed together on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien in October 2009. She later collaborated with the band again by featuring on "Slow Life", the band's contribution to the soundtrack for the film Twilight: New Moon. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear joined Beach House, among several musicians, as part of the supergroup Gene Clark No Other Band, who live-covered American singer-songwriter Gene Clark's album No Other (1974) in its entirety. Beach House wanted to perform the entire album live in order to bring it to a new audience. In October 2025, Grizzly Bear announced their first tour dates since 2019, with Legrand joining them on most headline dates to "sing a few songs" with them.

Musicianship

Vocal style

Legrand possesses a contralto vocal range. Some music outlets have compared her vocals to those of Nico, and Hope Sandoval's.

Songwriting and influences

Legrand and Scally write music anywhere between eight and 16 hours a day, and strive to create thoughtful music they feel strongly about. Legrand often emphasizes the honesty, thoughtfulness, and authenticity Beach House tries to get across in their music. Legrand laments the references to Beach House as being "wafty, wavy, floaty, dreamy," and insists on the band's loudness and all-encompassing soundscapes they create: "We are a loud band. OK, so it's not abrasive, but it's not soft."

Legrand has said in interviews that she wishes audiences would focus on the craft of their songwriting. She commented, "what you're feeling is the craft, that everything is there with intention," as opposed to the individual sounds that surround "the real meat of it all....There's a lot of great sounds in music, but it's not gonna necessarily make you feel something." She is protective of the identity of the band and cautiously chooses how they expose themselves to their audience.

She has remarked on her love of The Cure, the Cocteau Twins, and Gene Clark, and cited Courtney Love of Hole as an influence.

Discography

Guest appearances

Title Year Other artist(s) Album Contribution
"Slow Life" 2009 Grizzly Bear The Twilight Saga: New Moon (soundtrack) Featured vocalist
"Two Weeks" Veckatimest Backing vocalist
"Seven Stars" 2011 Air Le voyage dans la lune Lyricist, featured vocalist
"Not Yet" 2022 None For the Birds: The Birdsong Project, Vol. IV Spoken word

References

  1. ↑ "Beach House brings dream pop to the Paramount and a secret gallery show". Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. April 29, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ Nuc, Olivier (14 October 2018). "Le groupe Beach House, prêt à emmener l'Olympia au paradis" [The group Beach House, ready to take the Olympia to paradise]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Trucks, Rob (July 17, 2008). "Interview: Victoria Legrand of Beach House". Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Michel Legrand". Fnac (in French). Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Beach House: About". Carpark Records. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Beach House - Victoria Legrand - LSQ Podcast on Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. ↑ Zaleski, Annie (April 3, 2009). "Interview: Beach House's Victoria Legrand". Riverfront Times. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ Howe, Brian (March 4, 2008). "Beach House". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  9. ↑ The Shipley School Alumni Association (August 15, 2013). "Victoria Legrand '99 and her band, Beach House, have created an original score for a new short film by director Todd Cole and the fashion line Rodarte". Facebook.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "Beach House: An Alumna's Band Returns to Campus". Vassar College. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  11. ↑ Carew, Anthony. "Beach House - Artist Profile". About. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  12. ↑ Hockey-Smith, Sam. "Beach House: Tidal Pull". The FADER. No. 80 June/July 2012. Andy Cohn. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  13. ↑ Carew, Anthony (February 4, 2017). "An Interview with Alex Scally of Beach House". Thought Co. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  14. ↑ Newmark, Mike (April 13, 2007). "Victoria Legrand '03 to perform with Beach House". The Miscellany News. Vol. 80, no. 19. p. 14. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  15. ↑ Sisson, Patrick (February 24, 2008). "Beach House: Ether and Lace". XLR8R. Archived from the original on June 26, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Beach House: Dream Pop From Baltimore". WBUR-FM. NPR. August 6, 2015. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  17. ↑ Rolland, David (May 22, 2017). "Alex Scally Says Beach House Has Unfinished Business in South Florida". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  18. ↑ Powell, Mike (August 24, 2015). "Life's a Beach House". Grantland. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  19. ↑ Mapes, Julian (July 30, 2015). "All the Feels: Beach House's Intangible Truth". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  20. ↑ O'Connell, Chris (24 March 2010). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are not a couple—so stop asking". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  21. ↑ Cohen, Ian (August 28, 2025). "Every Beach House Studio Album, Ranked". Uproxx. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (October 7, 2026). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand Will Join Grizzly Bear Onstage At Almost All Headline Shows". Stereogum. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  23. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (October 17, 2009). "Watch: Grizzly Bear/Beach House on 'Conan'". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  24. ↑ Singh, Armit (October 2, 2009). "Hear Grizzly Bear's 'Slow Life' In Full". Stereogum. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  25. ↑ Minsker, Evan (December 3, 2013). "Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Walkmen, Grizzly Bear Members to Perform Gene Clark's No Other on Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Walkmen, Grizzly Bear Members Perform Gene Clark's No Other on Pitchfork.tv". Pitchfork. April 28, 2014. Archived from the original on November 16, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  27. ↑ Rudy, Greenburg (December 4, 2013). "Beach House recruits a big band to recreate Gene Clark's 'No Other' at 9:30 Club". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  28. ↑ Michaels, Sean (December 4, 2013). "Beach House spearhead project to tour Gene Clark's No Other album". The Guardian. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  29. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (October 7, 2025). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand singing with Grizzly Bear on tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  30. ↑ Koenig, Heather. "Music Review: Beach House - Bloom". WTSR 91.3FM. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Beach House - Beach House | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  32. 1 2 Roth, Chloe (27 September 2012). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand Says Justin Bieber's Music Makes Her "Need To Take a Shit"". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  33. 1 2 Rowe, Sian (19 May 2012). "Beach House and the curse of the big time". The Guardian. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  34. ↑ Gallagher, Natalie (October 8, 2012). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand on memory, female empowerment, and social media". City Pages. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  35. ↑ Kemp, Sam (May 1, 2022). "Beach House's Victoria Legrand discusses the brilliance of Courtney Love". Far Out.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ↑ ABC Rage Guest Programmer - Beach House - 23rd March 2013. ABC Rage. March 23, 2013. Event occurs at 2:30. Archived from the original on December 18, 2025 – via YouTube.
  37. ↑ Listen to "Slow Life" [ft. Victoria Legrand] by Grizzly Bear, retrieved 2021-01-21
  38. ↑ Goble, Corban (December 6, 2011). "Air – "Seven Stars" (Feat. Victoria Legrand)". Stereogum. Retrieved January 21, 2021.