What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I’m not sure I really made that decision. It’s something that’s been growing on me. I came to realise that writing songs and singing them myself was a vital means of expression for me.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I grew up in a tiny French seaside town with the strange name of Mimizan. It was so small, so empty in winter, that I imagined Bordeaux (the nearest town) to be as big as New York. Well, I was wrong! But that’s where I learned to play my first instruments, the clarinet and then the saxophone. Small towns also work miracles.
Unlike most young people my age, I immersed myself in jazz for quite a few years before discovering my need for a voice, for words.
What was life like for you before music?
It was good too. We would play table football. We would go to the beach, and watch the girls go by. But after the music, it was even better. I didn’t just watch them go by anymore…
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
It wasn’t exactly a song, but a piece by saxophonist Charlie Parker. I was 17 and it completely blew my mind. My life wasn’t really the same after “The Bird”.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I’m in the position of a do-it-yourself artist today. I have not always been, I was once under contract to a record company. But it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I’m not generalizing, I just prefer to assume everything on my own, including my limits.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned from someone else in the industry?
I’m lucky enough to know the legendary British rocker Terry Reid well, having worked and shared the stage with him. He taught me a lot about professionalism, and also about the importance of making the most of the moment and giving it your all without holding back.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
Two truths: I’m happier than I’ve ever been and I have a feeling this is just the beginning.
One lie: I’m 35.
If you could wish for one thing to aid your career what would it be?
To keep that energy, that hunger for adventure that drives me. And to continue to meet wonderful people, as I did in Nashville last May.
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture?
I have opinions, of course, but I’ve never felt like a militant, I don’t have that strength, or even that courage. Most of the time I stay in the register of emotions. So no, I don’t worry.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not why not?
No. I’m too suspicious, in the good sense of the word.
What was the worst experience on stage?
My first time, alone on stage in Paris. I forgot the words to a song twice in a row. I was scared to death. I wanted to disappear. Fortunately, it ended well and I drowned my anguish at the bar.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
When I’m not in the studio or on stage, I hardly ever sing.
What makes you stand out as an artist?
The only thing that could set me apart is that I no longer try to look or sound like anyone else.
I hear you have a new music, what can you tell us about it.
This song is special in that I wrote it at my parent’s house when my father was very ill. An old guitar that belonged to my brother was lying around, it was a very difficult time in every way, so I retired to the room where my grandmother used to sleep when we were children, a special place for me, and this song just came there: “It’s time to find our way home”, like a family story.
What was the recording process like?
I wanted it to be different, this time with a band, live in the same room. Antoine Delecroix, a great guitarist/producer with whom I often work, put together a brilliant band in his studio in Paris: Thibault Lecocq on drums, Sébastien Richelieu on bass, and Amédée Flament on keyboards. The energy, the connection, it was all there. That’s the magic of live performance.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
The most difficult thing was not writing but playing and singing in a band for the first time in years. That was my challenge. Like in Nashville, a month before, with an American group. I loved both experiences.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
No comment 🙂
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
A few months ago I had decided to leave Paris. I wanted to turn the page, or even change my book. But the universe sent me another message, a delicious message in the form of a new love. So my next EP, due out very soon, will be dedicated to Paris, and to the wonderful surprises that this city still has in store.
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