Claiming to be (slightly confusingly) both too old and too young to know everything, 23-year-old Vespertine was born in Romania, and moved to Los Angeles as a child.

When we interviewed him he was still in bed, planning lunch. In the larger scheme of things however, he is actually mixing his first album, finishing pre-production on a second, writing and producing material with other artists and “doing photo shoots to pay bills and replace all the equipment that I break along the way.”

A busy boy then.

How much of a creature of the night, as your name implies, are you?

I simply cannot function during the day. The sunlight saps my energy, and I walk around like a zombie. My body just doesn't tire until the sun comes up. It's behaviour that I learned when I was very young, and my imagination left me petrified of the darkness. The sunlight indicated that it was safe to rest. Now, the darkness is my friend, and together we sit chained to my laptop making stuff until dawn breaks.

How is the album coming along, and when can we expect to hear it?

The album is currently halfway through mixing. I've sat with it for so long that bringing it to life is a process of setting aside my expectations and trying to listen with fresh ears. People have been waiting for me to make a first impression for a long time, and I'm beating myself up making sure it's right. It should be out hopefully by the end of this year. I think my music is aiming at a demographic of people with a depth of intelligence and emotion.

How will you go about promoting it?

That remains to be seen. I've recently split with my label and have taken on the financial burden of moving my career ahead. I may be looking for a new record label, or perhaps the stars will align and I'll be able to continue doing everything on my own.

Who taught you to play so many instruments?

Necessity; I was only trained as a pianist and singer. Everything else was born out of frustration at trying to explain to former band members precisely what I was hearing.

Multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer – why have you chosen to work alone?

It's not really a choice. I'm open to finding the right people - but I'm highly selective. I'm writing and producing with other artists now and the experience has truly broadened my horizons. When I started, everybody wanted a say in what I was doing because they thought I was another kid with a cool haircut and tight pants who would do anything to be famous. Working alone is just a temporary situation born of a desire to say precisely what I want to say without outside influence.

The video for Save our Souls (Drunk) is genius. When can we expect more?

You can't really plan on getting drunk and attacking your piano with a guitar. These things must happen organically.

What made you cover Kerli’s Walking on Air?

I did it as a birthday present for her, and I wanted to avoid spending money on a proper gift. I put it on my Myspace page and people ripped it from there and put it on Youtube. The response has been very strange. Some people insist it's better than the original; others are literally threatening to kill me. I guess it's better than indifference.

Fame without fortune or fortune without fame?

Fame should be a by-product of having something important to say. I want a large audience but I don't want to be famous just for the fuck of it. I'll take a winning lotto ticket, but it won't stop me from doing what I do. Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it certainly affords you a lot of independence.

You are dangerously good looking – tell us about a bad look day.

I don't think I'm particularly good looking. Sometimes, I'm convinced that I'm a monster and I don't leave the house for days at a time. That's a bad look day for me.

Who would you like to perform with and why?

As egomaniacal as it may sound, nobody. Music is such an overwhelmingly personal experience that when I perform I can't have any interference from another soul trying as hard as mine to be heard. I don't really like sharing the spotlight. I guess I'd let Kerli play keyboard in my band or something...but only because she's hot.

words: Clarence Allen