As with their debut EP ''
What's Be Happen?'' from the previous year, "French Letter" reflected Herbs' strong connections to political activism, particularly in relation to the Pacific. The band had ties to the
Polynesian Panthers through their manager (and subsequent band member)
Will ’Ilolahia, with members of the band tracing their origins to various Pacific islands. French Letter was written by Herbs vocalist
Toni Fonoti as a protest against the French government's
testing of nuclear weapons at the atolls of
Mururoa and
Fangataufa and the potential impact which this would have on the region. When asked about the background of the song,
Dilworth Karaka described seeing the impact of the tests on from
Tahiti and the
Cook Islands who would get sick and have to come to New Zealand for medical treatment. Nuclear testing was first carried out in French Polynesia in July 1966 and continued through to February 1996. The testing of nuclear weapons in the region was widely condemned by nearby countries including New Zealand, who in 1973 formally challenged France's atmospheric testing at the
International Court of Justice and sent the
Royal New Zealand Navy frigates
HMNZS Canterbury and
HMNZS Otago to French Polynesia in protest of the tests. The testing was widely opposed by the New Zealand public for moral and environmental reasons, a sentiment which was tapped into and brought to a greater audience by French Letter. ==Release and reception==