Dust

Obsessed with how much story can be conveyed through a single note, the French, New York-based pianist draws on his love of song and the warmth and intimacy of the upright piano to create a cohesive and comforting solo piano album, balancing beauty and expression.

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. Set for release on 17 January 2025 Dust delves into Collin’s love for story-telling within music through the expressive power of a single note.

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.”