Music often has the power to transport people to different places and times. Can you describe a moment in your life when a particular song or album had a profound impact on you?

The song that changed my life is “Keep the Faith” by Bon Jovi. I was 12, on vacation, and it was a revelation. I started studying piano and harmony at the age of 5 with a classical piano teacher and at the music conservatory in Nice. I desperately needed a direction, a musical style that would guide me for the rest of my life. The first time I heard that song was on the radio and it was truly a defining moment. It had everything that I loved about music. Big chorus, big guitars, great melody, great vocals, powerful drum beat, and uplifting and inspiring lyrics. I was now sure of one thing, this was what I wanted to do, write songs and entertain people. To this day I still think that song is a masterpiece. Later on, in trying to figure out who were my influences’ influences were, I found out that « Keep the faith » was heavily influenced by « Sympathy for the devil » by the Rolling Stones. This exercise alone allowed me to expand my musical tastes exponentially.

Your lyrics often tell a story or convey a message. Can you share the story behind one of your songs and the inspiration that led to its creation?

A song is a three and a half minute short story. It has to have a beginning, a middle and an end. All my idols are wonderful lyricists and I always put some extra effort into writing meaningful lyrics. Since English isn’t my first language, I’m always reading and looking for new song topics. We just released a song called We Are One. This song was inspired by the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Being French, this is a national event! It started as a personal challenge, could I write a song for such a big event? I wanted to write an anthemic song that would bring people together. From the beginning I had the concept of the chorus in mind, “We are one heart, we are one dream, we are wonders”. I then called my friend Matt to finish the song. For the lyrics in the verses, I wanted to write from the athlete’s perspective. The swimmer in the pool before the race, the runner waiting for the loud bang, the team effort that makes it all possible, the individual struggle becoming a collective victory. And to come full circle, in the bridge, I wanted to talk about the next generation of aspiring athletes who dream of becoming Olympic champions themselves. I’m very proud of this song and I hope it resonates with many.

If you could curate a music festival with a lineup of your dream artists, who would be the headliners, and what would the theme of the festival be?

Wow, if I were in charge of creating a music festival, it would be hard to narrow it down to just one genre. Let’s call it EclectiX. A perfect Saturday lineup would be

• Morning show: Yuja Yang for a Beethoven recital
• Noon show: Joe Bonamassa
• Afternoon show 1 : John Mayer
• Afternoon show 2 : Stereophonics
• Evening show : Muse
• Late night show : Max Richter

Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change. Are there any social or political causes that you’re passionate about, and how does your music play a role in promoting these issues?

I would say 90% of my songs have some kind of social content. I really write full-on love songs with « Moon », « Spoon » and « June ». I’m much more comfortable telling someone’s story or being the character. I don’t know much about politics, I only care about people. I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world and I always keep my eyes and ears wide open. Lyrically, there’s a song on the first album called « I need you », that I’m really proud of. I was in Paris when Obama was elected and I remember seeing people gathered in Bastille Square singing in unison. It was fascinating to me that French people who knew nothing about US politics were so inspired by this man. In that very moment, he symbolized HOPE. And people all over the world need hope. It gave me the idea to go back in time and study some of the famous speeches of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. The opening line of the song is a direct quote from Martin Luther King: « Means we use shall be as pure as the ends we seek ». And that’s also the first line of the album. It’s a bold statement and I stand by it to this day.

The music industry has evolved significantly with technology. How do you see artificial intelligence and emerging technologies impacting the creation and distribution of music in the future?

I come from a time when records were important and could contain whole stories. I remember waiting for months before the release of an album, the anticipation was immense and I loved that feeling, finally buying the album was so rewarding and I was savoring each track on that album. Nowadays it’s a single based economy, you go from one single to another and you don’t have time to desire a song or an album, it’s already there. As soon as you want it’s just a click away. I’ve heard they are approximately 100,000 songs released every day so obviously it gets harder and harder to get heard and discovered. But technology allows creators to be independent, and that’s pretty amazing when you think about it. I can write, record, design, promote and sell music from the comfort of my own home with just a computer. Pro Tools, and digital recording, was a revolution, AI is the next chapter. I’m trying not to be afraid of it, it’s here to stay, so you might as well embrace it. My romantic side wants to believe that there will still be artists sitting at a piano or a table with a guitar with just a pen and a blank notebook.

Many recording artists evolve over time. How do you see your musical journey changing and growing in the next decade?

Everyone knows that all of your influences came together to create your debut album. My first album was influenced by the American music I grew up listening to a lot. While my songwriting was also influenced by my upbringing in Europe. The result is an American sounding debut album called « Our Revolution » with a British influence. There’s never a sure thing with a second album. That’s when you begin to discover your true self and the things you truly want to say. You tend to go far from your influences and discover your own voice and if you have what it takes. One of my favorite sayings is, « You have to go there to come back. » This means that you can always go back to what feels right and that it’s acceptable to make mistakes. Following the second album « let it out, » which sounded extremely raw and distinct from the first album, the next album will therefore be a blend of the first 2 albums. Now I know: I adore lush productions with big guitar and string sections. It is what inspires me.