Founded in Paris in 1992, William Pears was born from the pop chemistry between Thierry Dubois (vocals, guitar), Marc Pontet (bass) and Pierre-Gildas Pérot (guitar), soon joined by Eric Phélippeau on drums. The band emerged within the French indie pop scene of the 1990s and signed with the label le Village Vert alongside Autour de Lucie. Released in 1993, their first EP From a Chocolate Box received considerable acclaim, notably in Telerama (3 keys) and Best Magazine (single of the month). Their debut album, Elephant in China Shop (1994), established their style and led them to share the stage with international acts such as The Cranberries, The Boo Radleys, World Party and Marc Almond.
In 1996, the band switched to French lyrics : their second album, Déçu par l’an 2000, was released in 1999 on the XIII Bis Music label. At the same time, the band began to break into the international scene. They performed at the Poptopia and IPO (International Pop Overthrow) festivals in Los Angeles. Two albums were released in the United States on the Permanent Press Records label : William pears (1998) and Big Bang! (2001), which is the English-language version of Déçu par l’an 2000. Their music also reached Japan (New Two, 1998, Escalator Records and Big Bang! in 2002). After a performance at Liverpool’s Cavern Club in 2005, the band decided to take a break.
In 2025, the story continues. The band members have rediscovered the original tapes of their unreleased third album and want to give it a chance at a public release. Completely reworked and remixed by the young producer Roman Ditch, and mastered by Dominique Blanc-Francard, this new album, entitled Out Of Our System, will be released in October 2026 on the belgian label Hot Puma Records. It will be available on vinyl (12 tracks) and as an enhanced CD with two bonus tracks. Two singles are also planned: the first, an edited version of Life For Second-Hand Goods, will be released on June 10th, and the second, also an edited version of Pop Tears Anymore, on September 10th.
Alongside this release, their complete discography is now available on all digital platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.), offering a chance for a new generation of listeners to catch up.
In 2026, a new chapter begins for William Pears as they resume their musical adventures.
