Hello Nathan how are you?
I’m great, it’s nice to have a chat with you.
Congratulations on the release of La Grande Salle’ how does it feel?
Thank you so much. It feels really good—especially knowing that some of these songs waited a long time before being released. It’s a relief and a joy to finally have them out in the world.
It’s a five track EP, what’s the story behind it?
I had two of the songs almost finished for a while—Occupe-Toi and EDA aren’t new. I’d had them for some time, and they felt like they could belong on the same record. Around the same period, I recorded my own version of the classic Nature Boy for a film. I had always wanted to record that song, and we chose to go in a very pure, almost mystical direction with it. That experience really influenced the kind of sound and atmosphere I wanted for the EP.
At the same time, I knew I had this very energetic, sometimes rock’n’roll presence on stage. So I started asking myself: which songs could help me show all these different sides of who I am—without making the EP feel completely incoherent? In the end, it was the themes, the lyrics, and the underlying emotional truth of each song that led the way.
With In My Head, Aux Hommes, and La Grande Salle—even though they’re quite different musically—I realized I was exploring something similar, soul-wise, if that makes sense. La Grande Salle was actually the last song we recorded. We finished it in a single day, which had never happened to me before. And when it was done, I just knew. I knew I had the EP. It felt right.
What’s your favourite track from it?
You know that’s an impossible question, right? It’s like choosing a favorite child.
But if I had to pick the song that’s most representative of my state of mind for this EP, it would probably be La Grande Salle.
The title translates to The Grand Hall what’s the inspiration for the title?
I felt like La Grande Salle really embodied the whole project and how I was feeling. Yasmina Reza wrote the lyrics for that song, and they felt incredibly personal to me for many reasons. So it became the title track.
The ‘grand hall’ is, on one level, the place I dream of singing in—but it’s also a metaphor. It represents that space we’re all searching for, the place where we believe we could finally be happy. I think we all have our own grande salle somewhere.
You also directed the videos for the tracks – what was the easiest and most challenging part of the process for you?
I guess the easiest part is that I genuinely don’t mind the amount of work it takes—because I have so much fun doing it. I discovered that I really love the whole process.
The hardest part was definitely the budget. I released the EP independently, so the resources were very limited. And yet—I still wanted to make four music videos (don’t ask me why!). The real challenge was figuring out how to create something that looked very good and that I could be proud of, with very little money.
Thankfully, I wasn’t alone. I had help from incredibly talented people who, luckily for me, were just as passionate about the project as I was.
Also for “Occupe Toi” I had to climb a giant mountain, that was demanding but I loved it.
You’re a singer songwriter and dancer from France how did it all begin for you?
It started very early—by the time I was three, I was already singing on the kitchen table for my parents and my big sister. So for as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to do this as an adult.
It all happened progressively: finding musicians to jam with, writing my first songs, step by step. In my case, it’s been a long journey—but definitely an interesting one.
I do love dance, and I love directing too, but music is really where it all begins for me. It’s my main passion. As long as I’m singing, I’m happy.
What did you listen to growing up?
They were actually artists from very different genres, but there was one thing they all had in common: stage presence and emotional power. I remember being a fan of Aretha Franklin, Céline Dion, Mick Jagger, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Tracy Chapman, Tina Turner… all very different —but as a kid, I was completely fascinated by their voices, their intensity, and how immensely joyful it was to watch them perform.
You’ve been singing since the age of three what was your favourite song to sing at that age?
‘Pour que tu m’aimes encore’ by Céline Dion. My family definitely got tired of that one after the billionth time…
You’ve also performed around the world what’s been a pinch me moment for you?
Probably performing in the Philippines—because I was very young, and it was so far from home. I couldn’t believe people on the other side of the globe actually wanted to hear me sing. And they were such a great crowd, too.
Performing at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 was also a lovely, unexpected surprise. A very special moment.
If you could perform anywhere in the world where would you go?
Some venues represent a big dream—L’Olympia in Paris would definitely be one of them for me.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Right now I’m a big fan of Sam Fender, Holly Humberstone, Tamino…
What are you looking forward to doing next?
New songs, obviously—and also a few projects that it’s still a bit too soon to talk about, but they could represent an exciting new step for me creatively.
