We’ve been playlisting fantastic new track Gold Cowries here on Phoenix FM – and we caught up with singer/songwriter Jordan Olympus to find out more about his life and music.

Tell us a little bit about your yourself?

My name is Jordan Olympus; I am a singer and songwriter based in France although I was born in Madagascar.

As a self-taught musician, I learned to compose music with my keyboard and music software since I was a teenager.

I take special care with the aesthetic of my musical universe, trying to mix my African origins and my love for English pop and hip hop.

When did you first start to develop a passion for music?

When I was child as far as I can remember, I have always created melodies with everything I could like xylophones or a child’s piano.

I was fascinated by the possibilities of key combinations it was possible to make, and how good they sound.

The moment I developed a real passion for music was in high school for a concert in front of all my friends. I realised that moment how powerful music could be, and the way it could connect people.

Which artists did you listen to while growing up?

There are a lot of musicians in my family. As a guitarist and songwriter, my father listened to rock’n’roll and my mother was more into pop music.

So I would listen to different music from AC/DC to the Spice Girls. At home, we sang a lot of The Beatles, as well as French and Malagasy songs.

It was only when I went to high school that I started to listen more to Soul, R’n’B and hip hop music like Tracy Chapman, M.I.A, Kanye West or Beyonce.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

I would say my music is a blend of style between Urban Pop and Hip Hop. A result of an emotion or an energy, with a vocal interpretation sometimes dynamic and intense and sometimes more sensitive and emotional. All influenced by my African roots.

What music have you recorded and released to date?

I released my first EP “The Ascension” last summer. It’s a 5-track EP available on all streaming platforms. All songs have a music video on YouTube – the last one, “Gold Cowries”, is a self-esteem anthem.

I have two singles too, “Burn The Empire”, and “20/20”, my first collaboration with another artist, Kdessa. She sings the chorus in Manjak, a local dialect from Guinée Bissau.

Which artists do you enjoy listening to at the moment – and do they influence your work?

I listen a lot of songs from the Spanish artist Rosalia plus Jessie Reyez’s songs too. They definitely influence my work – I love the way they give so much intensity and energy to their songs.

These songs can thrill like a movie, just with vocal harmonies and string instruments; there is so much power inside.

I am actually looking for that kind of intensity to give more emotions or strong moods to my future songs.

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

I dream big, so I would say Rihanna or Beyonce. But there are so many more other talented artists I would love to work with, like Rosalia, or the Belgian artist Lous and The Yakuza.

What are your plans for the future?

I can say that I am ready to release more songs, even ready for my first album. My plan is to find a label to bring it to the light.

For now, I plan to get back to the stage and film a live show from my first EP. Two new singles are coming soon from my future next EP or album, who knows …

Where can we find out more about you?

The Ascension is on all streaming platforms and you can find the links here.

I have an official website at jordanolympus.com and you can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.