1.    You played as the warm-up act for a Cabrel concert and more recently for Grégoire, and you’ve performed in some of the top concert halls in France. How did you get where you are today?
It’s a combination of factors. First of all, the concert with Grégoire was scheduled in the Lyon area (where my family lives!) and as the regional council had backed me for other concerts, they put us in touch. I met Grégoire and his musicians, we ate together and got on really well. We’re not so very different musically speaking, it has to gel, you know! Unfortunately, during the concert on 24 October 2009, Grégoire lost his voice and couldn’t sing. I did the first part of the show and then they asked me to go back on stage. Even though Grégoire’s fans came for him, they didn’t boo me off stage, I sang for longer and the audience was great. For the 2nd concert on 21 November, the sore throat was gone and I got a fantastic reception. His fans had got a bit used to me and liked my show. So then I carried on singing with Grégoire in 2 great concert halls: the Nikaia in Nice and the Transbordeur in Lyon.

2.    Do you think your career is now taking a new turn?
I don’t know. I haven’t changed my lifestyle but I’m more confident about my work, and I’ve been more confident on stage in the last three years. I was a bit worried about doing the warm-up act before Grégoire because his public is mainly girls who’re real fans. But I managed to get my energy and sensitivity across to the audience who were really enthusiastic. It helped me to develop my reputation as a singer. As Grégoire gets lots of media attention, it also helped me to get really good press coverage, mainly local coverage, but it’s still another step on the ladder.

3.    What’s the next stage in your career?
On 19 & 20 June, I’m doing the warm-up act to Chris Isaak at the Grand Rex (Paris) and Salle 3000 (Lyon). It’s a real challenge to sing before an internationally famous singer, an American with a pretty sophisticated fan base! I’m also working on my second album. I learnt from the mistakes on my first CD. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again today. I know that I’ve got to like the music first and foremost. There’s no recipe for making a good album, it would be too easy to apply a harmonic framework or to use certain words to get through to people. I try to aim for quality. I work on my songs in my flat in Paris. It’s a very intimate and personal process, and I prefer to be alone with my notebook and pen in hand when I’m composing. Inspiration can suddenly hit me and I’ll write 5 or 6 songs one after another or else there’ll be nothing at all for several days at a time. You just never know.

• Auren will sing in the 1st part of the Chris Isaak concert at the Grand Rex (Paris) and at Salle 3000 (Lyon):
  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Auren/34398092502
  http://www.aurenmusic.fr
  http://www.myspace.com/aurenmusics
• Before the publication of news videos, here are a few extracts from Auren in concert at the European: http://www.vimeo.com/5725672