Radio Delevine began in a Paris cave in 2007, as Richard Lewis et son Destin Cabotin. It featured songwriter Richard Lewis on accordion and vocals, Aaron Robertson, John Hughes and Jane Burke of Music for Grown-Ups on bass, guitar and cello respectively and Jimmy Virani on theremin. The material was written by Richard, influened by the street music of the southern French ferias and by acts such as Les Négresses Vertes and Manu Chao, while live shows had a strong improvised component.
Richard had been moonlighting with MFGU as an occasional accordionist when John convinced him to start his own band by offering MFGU as the musicians. By their third gig they had become Radio Delevine, added Chloe Dunn on violin, and started playing the Paris bar circuit, starting at the Babel.
Though it became infamous for its crowd-destroying song Platform 9, the band never recorded. Richard recorded and manufactured his first CD Postcard on his own, with contributions from Jane Burke, Aude Petras and Jude Rees. This led to record label collaborations and offers. After appearing at the legendary invitation-only event Les Concerts du 7ème Ciel, Richard slimmed the band down, switching to flamenco guitar, with Aaron on bass, Laurence Freund on violin and Amandine Origas on piano. After forming Louba Rêve Records, Richard released in 2011 and 2012 two solo albums with a markedly different musical direction, effectively shutting down his Radio Delevine project.
Fast-forward to 2022, with Richard now back in the UK, Laurence and Amandine in Provence and Aaron in New Zealand, Richard revived the name for an international studio project whose material recalls the Radio Delevine period, with its mix of Parisian, Latin-American and Rumba-Flamenca sounds.