In his latest album, Dust, French-born, New York-based pianist Romain Collin brings his nuanced approach to solo piano, crafting a work that’s equal parts intimate and expansive. Influenced by the poetic storytelling of icons like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Björk, Collin’s compositions unfold like personal reflections, captured through the warmth and intimacy of the upright piano.

The album pairs original compositions with carefully chosen covers, each distilled into a bare, focused style that reveals the soul of every melody. For Collin, Dust is an invitation into his world, where beauty emerges through simplicity, and a sense of calm permeates each note, as he explains: “With Dust, I wanted to let each note carry a weight of its own—a single tone that speaks like a line of poetry, raw and without pretense. Solo piano is the purest form of storytelling; it’s where the instrument disappears, leaving only the story behind. The upright brought an unexpected intimacy to these pieces, like sitting around a campfire with the ghosts of the great songwriters who taught me how to listen.”