We look up to wealthy artists too much

You’ve had quite the year. What has been a personal highlight?

It’s not a specific moment, but I have had my own band since this year. We’ve recorded my second album together, which will be out in 2026. I’ve really connected with them. I’m very happy that not only have I been able to form a band, but we’ve also strengthened our bond along the way.

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/69246997dc18ff3d907397aa_11.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/692469976d6756a4f1e5afa0_8.avif"/>

​

Your album, called Pit of Impressions, touches on topics like climate change, especially in the song ‘Trees’. Is this something you think about a lot?

Yes. There are so many inhumane things happening in the world. People tend to disconnect those issues from climate change, but that’s not right. Violence, inequality, climate change: it’s all connected. Wars, for example, emit a huge amount of CO2. The song is about how a few very powerful people make very damaging decisions. We’re not heard or represented by people with power or money, but we are heavily influenced by them. We look up to wealthy artists too much who aren’t necessarily aware of their emissions, how much they spend or how materialistic they are. Instead of focusing on community and equality, we aspire to that lifestyle.

Violence, inequality, climate change: it’s all connected

​

Another song, ‘Misunderstood’, is about whether truly altruistic actions – good deeds without any self-interest – really exist. Have you seen that Friends episode where Phoebe goes on a quest to perform a so-called selfless good deed?

Yes! [laughs] I was inspired by that episode. Friends playfully approached the topic – it’s a funny show – and I wanted to keep the song light-hearted too. It’s not something I think about every day, but I’m aware of what I do for others. Cooking for friends brings me a lot of joy, for example.

​

Cooking for friends brings me a lot of joy

​

In January, you’ll be performing at Brussels Jazz Festival. Which artists are you excited to see?

I’m looking forward to seeing Tortoise. They’re such a cool band, I didn’t know they were still active. Their music is in between krautrock and jazz; it’s genre-defying and timeless. I find the sounds they use really interesting. Orson Claeys and Yarno Matoka, some friends of mine, are also performing at the festival. I’m excited to see them there.

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/692469977ab093a3780ff0f4_7.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/69246997783fe79a61f3f896_9.avif"/>

​

Like you, Wajdi Riahi, the festival's artist-in-residence, incorporates rhythms from his native Tunisia into his work.

I’d love to see him too!

​

I’m looking forward to seeing Tortoise

​

What are your other influences?

I have so many. For this album, I was mostly inspired by old-school soul. Some of the first albums I listened to as a teenager were made by singers from the sixties and seventies, like Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway. I’ve studied jazz at the conservatory, and I was interested in the connection between soul and jazz. I listened to a lot of Horace Silver and Stevie Wonder. I love jazz fusion – Weather Report, Yellowjackets, The Brecker Brothers. And minimalistic piano. I often start writing songs on the piano, playing arpeggios. Chilly Gonzales, Debussy and Yann Tiersen were big inspirations. I could go on forever. [laughs]

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/69246996206ce3aeb379c53e_5.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/69246996edd32dc9ff854109_4.avif"/>

​

You were into seventies soul as a teenager? At that age, I was still obsessed with pop stars and anything Alex Turner.

I went through a pop phase too! I loved Rihanna, Beyoncé and the others. I find it interesting to straddle the line between jazz and more commercial music. What I make isn’t necessarily commercial, but it does fit into a festival setting.

How did you find your jazz studies? I interviewed violinist Elisabeth Klinck a while ago. After her studies, she rebelled against the rigid, structured world of the conservatory, where your value is determined by how many hours you practice each day.

I studied at the conservatory in Amsterdam, which was also a very competitive environment. I deliberately tried to get to know people who had found their own voice within that structure. It’s important to find your own place. To not just attend the classes and practice for hours, but also seek out the creativity of the jazz scene. Inside and outside of the conservatory. That was very liberating for me.

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/692469960f9332c67c0bbad4_10.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/692469965527e9987faa64d0_3.avif"/>

​

You studied in Amsterdam, grew up in Ghent and spent some time in Rio de Janeiro during your high school years. You moved around a lot. Do you have a happy place?

My family has a holiday home on the coast of São Paulo. That’s the place I love to go the most. I’ll be going there again during the holidays. I’d also love to move to the Brazilian countryside, where my grandmother lives. It’s a really remote place, surrounded by nature and waterfalls. It would be amazing to build a house there one day.

<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorialcredits”>@helena_casella<br><br>@flageystudios</div></div>