Sylvie Kreusch steps into her latest era with a boldness that feels both familiar and transformative. “After each album, I will discover a new side of myself… I want to surprise not only the audience but also myself,” she shares, giving insight into her approach to artistry and reinvention. Raised in Belgium, Sylvie’s journey to music was shaped by her love for expressive storytelling and a rich inner world that eventually found its way to the stage.
Her latest album, “Comic Trip,” unfolds as a vivid exploration of identity and self-discovery. In her words, “I felt that I needed to make myself proud again, to surprise myself with new melodies where the audience didn’t exist for a moment.” It’s a record that finds her balancing playfulness and introspection, an ongoing theme in her work as she navigates the shifting terrains of music and self-perception. And so the whole LP has become a diverse collection, moving from wilder, energetic tracks like “Ride Away” to more nostalgic reflections in songs like “Daddy’s Selling Wine In A Burning House,” capturing the full range of Sylvie’s artistic expression.
In our interview, we talk about balancing vulnerability with performance, her reflections on beauty standards, and the ever-evolving journey of love.
photography by Oriane Verstraeten
Sylvie, congratulations on your new LP “Comic Trip”. How do you celebrate the release?
Thank you! It’s funny that I often get that question. I feel a bit too shy to organize a big party during a release period. I feel very vulnerable and sometimes just want to crawl into a cave until the tour starts. Only when I hear everyone singing my songs will I truly be able to enjoy the release. That’s the moment of gratitude for me.
The album is described as a “horizon-chasing voyage.” What are some of the “fruits of life” you’ve found most satisfying to savor or explore along the way?
I felt a huge inner conflict between the stable adult life that I really enjoy and my difficulty in letting go of the unpredictability of life. I’m searching for a balance where I don’t lose my playfulness and wonder. I want my senses to be fully open, without losing myself completely.
It’s not always easy to be a creative artist who goes to bed at 8 PM, is in a steady relationship, doesn’t take drugs, and never goes to parties anymore. (laughs) But it feels like the most genuine quest for myself. I tried to retreat into my childish fantasies, moments of complete carefreeness, but this didn’t come without encountering darker moments.
In a past interview, you mentioned the pressure and challenge of approaching your second album, saying it felt like you had to start fresh. Now that “Comic Trip” is here, do you feel you’ve achieved that “new mindset” you were aiming for?
It took some time to settle in after the whole adventure of the first album. Only when there was enough time could I imagine as if there had never been a first album. For me, that’s an important mindset because otherwise, I would put too much pressure on myself.
I felt that I needed to make myself proud again, to surprise myself with new melodies where the audience didn’t exist for a moment. That way, I could only be the truest version of myself, and in that way, I can truly touch people.
“I’m searching for a balance where I don’t lose my playfulness and wonder.”
You’ve moved from a nighttime persona to a bold, superheroine character. What does this change mean to you, and how does it feel sharing this new side with your fans?
I felt that people only knew one extreme side of me; I often read interviews where I was described as a ‘mysterious diva.’ In a way, this is a part of me that comes out when I perform, and I could show the most confident side of myself like a sort of superwoman. Still, I wanted to show a different part of myself in this album.
I will always want to rebel against what others want to make of me and what I have shown of myself. After each album, I will discover a new side of myself, and this can only happen by not always seeking the same aspects of myself. I want to surprise not only the audience but also myself. I can tell you that my next album will showcase a new persona, another new discovery.
In “Butterfly,” you challenge perfectionism and beauty ideals. How do you feel these themes resonate with your own journey?
I often hear everyone talking about body positivity, which makes me very happy, but I still feel that the pressure on women to stay young and thin has never been worse. I’m overwhelmed by diet commercials and receive so much information about plastic surgery from all sides.
I’m not going to lie; sometimes I don’t know how I should feel when I keep being confronted with this.
And as an artist, I can also feel insecure when I see all the young girls being praised for becoming popular with their music at such a young age. But you rarely see the same enthusiasm for women who find success in their 40s. I have just as much respect for those women who have been working for years and never gave up.
And my jaw drops even more when I see young women who combine their music careers with being full-time mothers. I think women still feel too much like they have to live with an expiration date.
“I think women still feel too much like they have to live with an expiration date.”
I really enjoy “Sweet Love”—there’s something uplifting yet melancholic about it. (smiles) When did you write this song, and what inspired its vibe?
It took a year for my boyfriend and me to finally dare to start our relationship. We struggled with both fear of commitment and fear of abandonment. My therapist asked me if I would still want him if we were on a deserted island. My final answer was, ‘Duh, yes!’ A year later, we went island hopping together for a long period, and it was one of the most beautiful times of my life. That’s when I wrote the lyrics with my feet in the water. The only moments we didn’t see each other for five minutes were when we went to fetch a coconut for each other.
I like that you give your best before each of your gigs. You once said, “It’s only after the concert that you realize: ‘Oh yeah, that was cool.’ (laughs)” Do you find yourself feeling anxious before the concert, or is it more of a routine by now?
I can get very anxious when I think about future performances. Just the idea that so many people will be looking at me is incredibly frightening. Then I sometimes ask myself why I’m even doing this. But as soon as I step foot on stage, all my fears disappear, and I feel a kind of superpower that completely takes over my body. Sometimes it goes so far that I forget I’m on stage. I feel like that little girl who dreamed of a career as a singer in her bedroom in front of the mirror. Then, by the end of the show, I open my eyes and realize it’s not a dream.
“We are all lost souls afraid of love. It can be a long journey as we search for a balance between freedom, security, and trust.”
What’s a lesson from love you wish you could tell your younger self?
We are all lost souls afraid of love. It can be a long journey as we search for a balance between freedom, security, and trust. Enjoy all the emotions that come your way.
What’s the first thing you do after finishing a long recording session?
I dance.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the tour bus, discovering the world, and when I come home to my farm—that’s the wild dream.
Check out the full EP here: sylviekreusch.lnk.to/albumcomictrip
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