IN CONVERSATION WITH CRAYON
interview by MARIE-PAULINE CESARI
photography and artwork by ALEXANDRA WAESPI
Numéro Netherlands Digital presents Paris-based producer, songwriter, and visual artist Crayon, whose debut album Home Safe is out now via Erased Tapes. Blending soul, folk, jazz, hip-hop, and electronic textures, Home Safe marks a defining moment for the Parisian artist — a warm, introspective journey shaped by collaboration, solitude, and a deep dialogue between sound and image.
In this conversation, Crayon reflects on the making of Home Safe, his creative process, and the emotional world behind Cristaux Liquides.
How did your collaboration with Swing on Cristaux Liquides come to life?
I was producing his first album after working on his previous EP. I spent a lot of time in Brussels, where he lives, and during that period I went through a breakup. This song from Feu! Chatterton had just come out, and I was obsessed with the lyric “Caressing your face on my tactile screen.” It captures this new kind of absence — this modern feeling — through Arthur’s timeless poetry.
What drew you to reinterpret Feu! Chatterton’s song through your own emotional lens?
I started covering the song on the piano. It felt like some kind of exorcism, to be honest. I showed my version to Swing, and he began coming up with his own topline for it. I asked him to cover that specific lyric so we could turn it into a sort of chorus. It was originally meant for his record, but I think the idea felt a bit too personal to me and not quite right for his project. I still disagree with that, but I’m glad I kept it for Home Safe because it resonates deeply with my own story.
Can you tell us about your creative process while shaping Home Safe? Did it start with sound, visuals, or emotion?
It began with the first song on the album, Home Safe, during a jam session in my old flat with guitarist and friend Ingo Fishmann, and Jo from Tora, who came up with that main line. I didn’t know I’d end up moving back to my mom’s house for almost two years just a few months later. I had to make sense of it all, and naturally, the need to create an album around that concept became stronger over time.
How did those Sunday jam sessions in your Paris apartment influence the energy of the album?
They taught me a lot about musicianship. I’d hear five or six different drummers play the same tiny drum kit in one evening, which trained my ear immensely. I learned to recognize subtle differences and sensitivities. Some of the musicians I met there ended up on the record, like bassist Sam Fhima and violinist Serge Hirsch.
You merge music and visuals seamlessly. What role does the visual aspect play in expressing your identity as an artist?
Visuals are everything to me. My love and curiosity for music really developed while I was a teenager in boarding school, spending days and nights drawing and exploring all kinds of genres on Myspace. In the words of Virgil Abloh, I do what I do for the 15-year-old version of myself. My aesthetic needs to reflect those formative moments — the colors, textures, and shapes I imagine while creating music.
Fashion often carries emotion and story, much like your music. How does it weave into your artistic world?
I’ve been deeply influenced by Hedi Slimane, who became head of Dior when I was 14. The radicality and aesthetic he brought back still have a huge impact on me. I like to think my music looks like me. I approach everything similarly: I don’t like being eccentric or dull. I search for specific shapes and textures, drawing from ’60s psychedelic dandies, ’80s post-punk, and a touch of ’70s soul — just like my music.
What were some of your earliest inspirations growing up, musical or otherwise?
Hedi Slimane was a major one, as I mentioned. Francis Bacon for his brutal beauty, A Clockwork Orange for pushing every artistic boundary. Musically, The Beatles, Daniel Balavoine, and Radiohead were huge for me — then later, Flying Lotus, Frank Ocean, and Radiohead again.
Did you always know you’d become an artist, or did it evolve naturally over time?
My mom tells this story — one I obviously don’t remember — about how I’d get angry if I couldn’t choose my clothes when I was four. I started drawing a bit later, and my stepdad, who was a music producer, had left a bunch of instruments in my room. I spent hours making random noises on them. So yes, I’ve always had this deep need for self-expression, no matter the form.
How do you unwind or recharge when you step away from creating?
That’s evolved a lot, even during the album-making process. I used to go out and party a lot. I liked loud music — something very different from what I was making at home. Lately, I’ve moved toward a much healthier lifestyle. I work out daily, I cook, and I took my first proper holiday this summer. The “normal” things I used to be cynical about are actually working really well for me now.
What can we expect next after Home Safe? Are there collaborations or projects already in motion?
Yes! I’m so relieved the album is finally out, and I can feel a new wave of inspiration flowing. I’m producing again for some very inspiring artists, and I want to start playing live shows. I’m also planning an exhibition around the album and its concept. Everything’s taking shape, and I’m really excited about it all.
