There is a touch of the theatrical about Sylvie Kreush’s music. The Belgian artist writes pop music that’s underscored by a sense of drama and mystery, full of smouldering atmospheres, smoky vocals, and tense songwriting. She learned this kind of intricate world-building from the greats, citing expressive performers like Róisín Murphy, Nancy Sinatra, Nick Cave, and Julee Cruise as inspirations on her work.

Kreusch has only released two songs so far – the slow and intoxicating “Seedy Tricks”, and the faster, hypnotic rhythms of “Please to Devon” – but she’s no newcomer, having been a vocalist with lounge balladeer and fellow countryman Warhaus prior to launching a solo career. She’s preparing her debut EP, set for release later this year, and has now released a stylish, 16mm-shot video for “Please to Devon”, directed by Lukas Dhont with creative direction from Alessandro Cangelli.

Watch the video, and get to know Kreusch in an exclusive interview, below.

What sort of music would play around the house growing up? Has that had an impact on the music you make today?

Syvlie Kreusch: My parents didn’t really have a cool record collection. In fact, they didn’t have any records at all. So I kinda had to discover everything on my own. My grandparents listened to a lot of French chansons, I think that somehow seeped through in the music I’m writing now. When I was a kid, my dream was to become a famous musical theatre performer. I did a lot of auditions but never got in, and I remember I was always so devastated. Thinking about it, maybe the theatrical aspect from my music comes from that period?

Were any members of your family creative?

Syvlie Kreusch: I remember my grandfather could play a lot of instruments. And my dad built his own house – that’s creative, right? He could have been a great opera singer, but I’m afraid he never took it seriously.

What was the first music you discovered that you felt you could call your own?

Syvlie Kreusch: One of the first records I ever bought myself was Christina Aguilera’s Stripped. I remember at that time I felt “this could be me”, maybe because it was at the time I got in touch with my sexuality. I remember buying M.I.A.’s Kala a couple of years later, at first because I really liked the artwork (and I still do). To this day, it’s still one of my favourite albums.

However, the artists and records that made the biggest impact on my own music and performance would be Róisín Murphy, Nancy Sinatra, Nina Simone, Björk, Lou Reed, Julee Cruise, David Bowie, Mazzy Star, Ennio Morricone, Angelo Badalamenti, Nick Cave, Arthur Russell, and Grace Jones.

How did you start making music?

Syvlie Kreusch: I’ve been doing things in music from an early age, writing songs and performing with friends, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago I started writing my own songs from scratch. I started experimenting in Ableton without really having a clue what I was doing – and even now, I just do it my own way and follow my gut when writing.

Sometimes I wish I started writing when I was a kid, because it was always my dream to become a singer and dancer, but I guess I was afraid to start doing it because I would not have been able to deal with the realisation that I wasn’t cut out for it, you know? Being in a band was a comfort zone for me because I could always rely on someone else. At a certain point, I just realised I needed to get out of that cocoon and do it myself. I quit the band to push myself to that place, and I’ve never felt more strong and free as an artist.

“I always write about my personal life, but I love to pretend it’s a movie script so I can add some more drama to it” – Sylvie Kreusch

Was it nerve-wracking to start making solo music?

Syvlie Kreusch: At the start it wasn’t, simply because I wanted to make myself proud by creating something on my own. I didn’t really care about anyone’s opinion. It was the first time I felt like I was a ‘real’ artist, creating music out of nothing. Releasing music and putting songs out in the world is, however, still a scary experience, because once it’s out there, it’s out there, and I can’t change anything about it. Music is something very personal, and the more honest I get in my writing, the more personally I take criticism.

I think the most nerve-wracking feeling is that I’m always scared I won’t be able to write ‘good’ songs anymore. Writing songs is a very stressful experience in a way: one day you write something you’re happy with and you feel like you’re on top of the world, the next day you’re not happy with anything you’re doing and you feel insecure about literally everything in your life.

Are you the main character in your songs?

Syvlie Kreusch: I always write about my personal life, but I love to pretend it’s a movie script so I can add some more drama to it, and emphasise certain elements.

Where do you get your ideas from?

Syvlie Kreusch: I always start by creating hypnotic grooves that get me moving and dancing – if it doesn’t do it for me, it goes straight to the bin. As soon I find the right groove, I start to create a story. I get inspired by the melodies and sounds on the spot, and that’s when I start singing on it… usually the words just come out naturally and in the end it all makes sense. I try not to listen to other music, thinking I want to copy that sound or idea – even if I tried, I probably wouldn’t be able to copy it, because I wouldn’t technically know how.

There are these lucky days where I end up with a song and I’m like, “Wow, did I just write this? How did I do that?”, almost trying to retrace my steps. I think my writing happens pretty unconsciously, lyrics included. Kind of like a healing process, only realising what I’ve gone through when the song is finished.

Are you a spiritual person?

Syvlie Kreusch: No, not really. I have some friends who are very spiritual, and I do feel inspired when I hear all of their stories. When they call me a witch, and tell me I’m “one of them”, I feel very flattered, but I guess I’m too grounded to really lose myself in all of that.

What’s your favourite piece of clothing?

Syvlie Kreusch: Something I don’t have yet! Maria Schneider’s coat from the movie Last Tango in Paris. I would give everything for that coat!