crêpe girl is the solo project of 21-year-old French-American songwriter and producer, Eliza Grégoire. Eliza grew up in Indianapolis speaking French and English and started writing and making music after her first semester in college. Her first single “Loverboy” showcases her bicultural influence paired with her love for indie rock and pop. crêpe girl has one EP out called ‘Le Début’ and is in the works on her second one. She started playing local shows in Grand Junction in the summer of 2021 and since then has opened up for two bigger artists: Inner Wave and Del Water Gap in Denver.
Eliza’s main musical influences are Clairo, beabadoobee, Snail Mail, Del Water Gap, and Omar Apollo. crêpe girl has been gaining some listeners with placements on Spotify’s “Indie Pop” playlist and the David Dean Burkhart Youtube page. She plans to release her second EP later this year. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
crêpe girl (eliza): My name is Eliza and I’m a 21yr old French-american indie artist from Indianapolis. I started playing guitar and drums at around 10 years of age and fell in love with both instruments. In 2018, I moved to western Colorado for college and shortly after that I started writing songs and this helped me go through the emotions I was going through at the time. About a year after that I started releasing my music under my artist name, “crêpe girl”!
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
crêpe girl (eliza): I had guitar lessons for a couple months when I was 10 years old but then my instructor moved to Japan so I decided I could teach myself after that. Then, I taught myself drums and started to try to sing haha.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘crêpe girl’?
crêpe girl (eliza): Justin Bieber was my first big musical influence because he’s the reason why I wanted to get my first guitar and start playing, and same with drums. I still really love him and am thankful for how much he inspired me to start playing music. When it comes to influences that inspire my songwriting and production, the biggest ones are Clairo, beabadoobee, Del Water Gap, Snail Mail and Omar Apollo. I look up to these artists so much and am heavily inspired by the music they create.
I am called “crêpe girl” because in 2019 I opened up a crêpe stand in the town where I live and went to make crêpes for Clairo in Denver. Lindsey from Snail Mail happened to be there that weekend and she called me “crêpe girl”. At first, it seemed silly to me, but then more and more people called me that and when I was looking for an artist name, I embraced it and decided I would use it.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
crêpe girl (eliza): My favorite part of making music is the production and putting together the instruments and pieces so I hope people feel that when they listen to my music. I personally don’t make music to fit to any genre, but most people have told me I make indie pop or indie rock music. I never want to be restricted to a musical genre or box because I think my musical inspirations vary and that changes the music that I make naturally.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?
crêpe girl (eliza): I would say my first “indie” inspiration was Clairo and it was more than just sonically. I saw her perform on the Ellen show and felt such a strong connection to what she was doing. Her self-expression and stage presence inspired me a lot. Through her, I discovered more artists that I have drawn inspiration from like beabadoobee, Snail Mail and girl in red. I think having other young female indie artists to look up to made a huge difference for me. I think it’s very important to have influences when it comes to art but you have to remember to still be genuine through that. I see musical influences as a spark or a push to go deeper into your own art and own artistry/originality. To add to that, the biggest most important thing to learn is your self-confidence. This can take a bit of time but it’s crucial because people can feel it when you believe in yourself and in return it helps them believe in you.
crêpe girl (eliza): I think music can be an incredibly powerful vehicle for these things. I admire artists that use their art in such way and I hope to do so in the future. As of now, I only really have written songs about love and heartbreak because it’s what I have felt the strongest and what I know. Through that, I hope that I have provided some sort of support or comfort for people in the LGBTQ+ community.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
crêpe girl (eliza): I love making music and expressing myself through music. Just that is realistically enough for me, but I hope that my work can translate to me being able to financially sustain myself with my music one day. I would absolutely love to go on tours and that is one of my goals for 2023.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
crêpe girl (eliza): I usually start writing my songs on the guitar and then I make vocal melodies with that. Then come the other elements like drums and bass. The lyrics usually naturally come to me hand in hand with the melody I’m singing.
9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
crêpe girl (eliza): I think there is a very steep learning curve when it comes to playing shows. You kind of have to just go for it and fake it till you make it. The first few shows were definitely terrifying for me. I still get very nervous but I feel a little more stable now that I have had the practice with previous shows. Despite the fear that comes with it, it’s my favorite thing ever.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
crêpe girl (eliza): I’m really happy with the music I am making and hope I can continue to make work that I am proud of. Luckily, people have seemed to like it so far and that means the world to me! I feel so lucky to be able to make music and relate to others through that. I have also met so many new amazing friends through music! As for the most memorable moment in my music career, it would have to be when I opened up for Del Water Gap for two shows in Denver. These shows were so much fun and felt like a dream because Del Water Gap is one of my favorite artists. He’s also one of the nicest people I have ever met!
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