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Featured Artists of the Day: LÖNA

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LÖNA

Indie Music Women’s Artist of the Day is…

LÖNA (@lonamusiclona)

A journey through the cold landscape in Iceland at the end of 2018 brought the inseparable twin sisters Madelon and Danielle Bruinhof inspiration. The shared love for dark pop music forms the basis, with icy synth sounds and wide echoing guitars flowing through the music as a common thread. The electropop duo came up with the name LÖNA in Iceland, which means valuable in Swedish. The twins are therefore inspired by northern acts such as Björk, Vök and pop artist Tove Lo. After the Iceland trip, the twins immediately went into the studio with producer Marg van Eenbergen (Ben Forte, Dési Ducrot, Cordon Rouge), where songs with feminist hues and personal stories were created.

On February 8, 2019, the first single “Stars Align” was released, including a video clip recorded in the rugged landscape near Reykjavik. The song has been picked up by Spotify and has reached more than 15,000 streams. The second single called ‘Lost In This Lie’ was released on June 20, 2019. This single is about a personal experience with anxiety and depression. The third single “I Never Wanna See You Again” was released on November 8, 2019, with an intriguing video clip that was recorded in an old and abandoned theater. The debut EP will be released in September 2020 with songs on topics such as slut-shaming and LGBT representation.

Madelon and Danelle shared with me what it means to them to be indie music women artists:

“We think women kick ass as much as men do. Women are good at making music, but sometimes get unfortunately less opportunities than men. So for us it is very important to be a woman in music and to be ambitious.”

You can hear Lona’s single, “I Never Wanna See You Again” on the IMW Spotify Playlist.

Dark Pop Artist Valencia James Releases Potent Debut Single, Flames

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(Official Press Release)

Can pop music be real? Can real music be pop? With songs as her weapon, singer/songwriter Valencia James confronts life’s issues with edgy melodies and polished production. Valencia’s brand of dark pop calls to attention the war between struggle and confidence. Her lyrics hold little back, navigating listeners towards the light that calls honesty to the front. Strong. Mysterious. Authentic. Life can throw shadows but one thing’s for sure — Valencia James isn’t afraid of the dark.

Born in New York and now residing in Sydney, Australia the dark-pop artist prides herself in crafting powerfully emotive music, which both thematically and sonically cuts deep to the soul. Valencia’s music is inspired by life events and aims to talk about darkness and shade, whilst casting a brightness and positivity to it.

Leading single ‘Flames’ stems from the tragic story of when Valencia’s family home was burnt down in the infamous Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Losing sentimental photos and videos of her childhood memories, the traumatic experience sparked inspiration in the songwriter and from the ashes came the song ‘Flames’. “The song also represents how easily a relationship can be destroyed through words and actions” reveals Valencia, “anyone that has ever had relationship difficulties or been hurt because of words or actions can probably relate to this song”. ‘Flames’ is a courageous anthem, blending playful instrumentation with powerful lyrics. Featuring pulsating rhythms, atmospheric soundscapes, and raw vocals, ‘Flames’ emits a potent and intimate experience for listeners.

The visuals for the single mimic the narrative, portraying explosive flames engulfing the singer. Bravely looking directly into the eyes of her audience, Valencia is expressing her story and remaining stoic through turmoil. This highlights Valencia’s message of taking responsibility for your words and actions and that seasons of heartbreak and difficult times will pass.

Valencia James is a hungry songwriter, unacquainted with defeat, her debut single ‘Flames’ is currently available worldwide.

You can follow Valencia on Instagram  Facebook  Twitter

Stream ‘Flames’ HERE  on Valencia’s Spotify Artist Page.  

 

Discover Singer-Songwriter Notelle

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Notelle / Photo Courtesy of

Singer-songwriter Notelle has stepped out into her own spotlight as a solo artist after working behind the scenes as an independent featured vocalist and topliner.  Since 2014, she has collaborated with DJs and producers worldwide, signed tracks to 10+ labels, and had 16 features. The Nashville-based singer has accumulated over 1.85 million streams on Spotify and 1.75 million on YouTube and 3+ million streams across all platforms. 

Notelle felt it was time to have the freedom to explore her untapped creativity in production and her hard work has paid off in spades. She won 2018’s Hollywood Songwriting Contest and was a finalist at New Media Film Festival, American Songwriting Awards, and the ASCAP Writers Night Competition Series. 

She defines her solo artistry as “heavy, messy pop” and is finding her voice with the help of producer Timothy Ryssemus of Altru Creative. Notelle drives her appreciation for the beauty of dark and painful things into her music with vocals and lyrics that penetrate deeply.  In December 2018, Notelle released her debut single, “Power”, which is a compelling and gripping revelation on what it feels like “to fall in love with fire.”  

Currently, Notelle will be playing a few shows coming up in January and February in Nashville as well as some local shows. It will be a busy 2019 for Notelle with four singles, a lot of feature vocalist and co-written topline tracks, and DJ collaborations all planned to come out this year.  

I interviewed Notelle via email recently about her debut single, collaborations, work as a featured vocalist and topliner, songwriting awards, production process, and much more.

Can you guess Notelle’s superpower? Check out her video after the interview for her answer to our bonus question!

Congratulations on the release of your debut single, “Power.”  The song is a “hard-hitting, thought-provoking expose on what it feels like “to fall in love with fire.” Can you expound on that?

Thank you so much! Of course, yeah. I’ve always been minorly obsessed with fire, how sultry it can be, the strength, the danger, the attraction, the pain it can induce – all of it. Some of us fall in love with people who hold that kind of power. It becomes consuming and passionate, and almost always in a bad way. It’s a scary place to be, you know? You’re vulnerable and then you look up and find that somehow someone else borderline controls you. Yet, you’re willing to tolerate the fire-like consumption because it’s all you want. That other horribly manipulative, powerful person is all that you want. The fire thing – it’s not a particularly unique metaphor, but it’s an accurate description of how I felt, how most people feel when they’re deep and dark in love like that.

What do you want the listener of “Power” to come away with?

Uh, two things I guess! One, I want them to get a sense of my sound and my vibe/ brand, or whatever they want to call it –  just get a sense of who I am. It’s my first true solo release with a campaign, and I wanted to make some type of mark. I want them to know my work will be a little bit darker, either in the sound design or in the subject matter.

I tend to explore heavier messages and heavier production because we all have darkness in us, and it needs a place to go or otherwise we’ll all go crazy.

The second thing is that I want my listeners to feel something with “Power”, to listen to the song and feel the disconnect between the provocative, sexual undertones matched with emotionally devastating aspects. Specifically, to everyone who listens to it and immediately relates – just know that at least one other person in the world understands the complexity of it – so you’re not alone in that.

Explain your production process.

Each of the songs I’ve worked on with my main producer, Timothy Ryssemus of Altru Creative, has had a different process. “Power” wasn’t the most straightforward. I believe I brought in the chords and the verses, and we went off of that. Laid down the progression, and then followed our ears from that point forward. We wrote and rewrote the chorus two or three times because the original direction wasn’t working. I guess it didn’t have the impact we were looking for. We ended up settling on a combination of the first couple of versions. All I know is that he nailed it, and when I perform it live with his tracks, it feels really really good.

Why did you work behind the scenes as an independent featured vocalist and topliner? What did you gain from the experience?

I’m not one for attention or performing. It’s something I’m having to get used to, honestly. I’ve always loved co-writing and the collaboration. It really teaches you to look at each song objectively.

Writing for and with others has forced me to flex the writing muscle – to not be Notelle the “artist” but be Notelle the “writer”,

 if that makes sense. Like Sia, a huge idol of mine. She has her personal work and she co-writes for others constantly. You can hear her sound woven in and out of her co-written songs, but she has a whole other part of her that’s truly her artist side. So learning to do what’s best for the other artists’ goals, or how to match the production, or how to deliver what the audience wants without undercutting what makes my writing me – that’s a hard balance and I learn more every time I collab. It’s always a challenge, but I really enjoy it.

Building on the previous question, why have you decided to become a solo artist?

Uhh, honestly, I just really wanted the freedom to do whatever I wanted to do with a song. I love the toplining work, but sometimes I felt like there was an untapped well of creativity in me. I wanted to explore more in the production. As a featured vocalist or topliner, you really don’t participate in that aspect of the track, and that provides its own unique opportunities, but still, I wanted more.

I’ve continued doing the collaborative stuff, because I don’t always want to be crying over my piano, alone, writing in the dark, cause that gets old as well, so it’s nice to have that balance.

 Surprisingly, the solo stuff, which has had significantly less traction compared my other featured releases, has opened up a bunch of cool doors. I would have done it a lot sooner had I known it would have had that type of impact.

You say you are developing your version of “heavy, messy pop”. Define what that is to you.

To be frank, I’m a mess. Don’t look in my car or my closet, or open up the “Sort Me” file on my desktop. I’m disorganized and emotional, I keep it to myself really, but it’s all up in my brain still. I’m the human equivalent of shoving everything under my bed till I have time to clean it up – which is hilarious because most people think I’m on top of my game. I’m not. “Heavy, messy pop” is really just how I feel when I’m writing. Feelings are difficult to sort through, and a lot of them are too heavy to deal with on my own, so I really just dump all mine out in my songs and hope that helps me figure it out. Consider each song one of those long rambling monologues in a play where the speaker works out his opinions in one breath by himself in front of the audience who helped him sort it all out without participating in the slightest – really just helping by listening. You know? Kind of like what I just did.

You have collaborated with DJs and producers around the world. Who did you collaborate with? How did those experiences influence or affect you as a singer/songwriter?

I’ve come across several collaborators that have given me some really amazing experiences. Jody Wisternoff of Way Out West with Anjunadeep gave me the opportunity to see one of my songs played live at a music festival on my birthday. That was wild!  Elliot Berger (Telomic) was the first international DJ I met in person when I flew over to London. He’s become a great collaborator and, dare I say, friend, at this point.

I think my collaborators have less influenced me and my own sound, but have helped me become a stronger collaborator and business women. Each DJ is essentially an entrepreneur and I’ve learned a lot about work ethic, creative marketing strategies and overall hustle from each one. 

How did it feel to have won the 2018 Hollywood Songwriting Contest and been a finalist at the New Media Film Festival, the American Songwriting Awards, and the ASCAP Writers Night Competition?

I don’t know how I won those things, honestly, but I’m not gunna push for a recount. I think the coolest thing about winning competitions or receiving awards is the validation – a little shallow, maybe – and I know those titles or accreditations technically do not make my work more creative or more powerful than anyone else’s – but every single musician faces rejection daily. We hear the word “no” a hell of a lot more than we hear the word “yes”. Eventually, your self-motivation tank runs depressingly low, so having someone from the outside go, “Hey you! By the way, you’re not completely awful at your job, in fact, here’s an award to tell you we believe in you!” – sometimes that encouragement really helps. Anyone who says they don’t struggle with rejection is probably lying to your face. We all feel like we suck at some point, musician or not, so who doesn’t want someone cheering you on from time to time.

What made you decide you wanted to become a singer/songwriter?

Oh lord, I wish it was a decision! Maybe then, I would have decided to be an accountant like half the insanely smart and wonderful people in my family. I’d have a retirement plan, health benefits, some semblance of savings account. I don’t really feel like I ever made a choice to become a singer/songwriter, I feel like what happened was that I chose not to avoid it any longer. I think every artist I know just has it in their DNA.

They live with this creative monster inside of them, and it feels like you’re going to die if you don’t let it out. I didn’t choose to let the monster in, I just chose to let it out.

In what way has producer Timothy Ryssemus of Altru Creative helped you find your voice?

Tim is one of those producers where he encourages his artists to take control. Some producers I’ve worked with have so many opinions and it’s stifling. He has an innate ability to push you when pushing is necessary, to step back when you need to step up and he knows when to let you know you’re being a control freak and are not trusting him to do his job. That last one is probably more specific to me cause I’m occasionally an obsessive perfectionist. Ultimately, I chose him because I knew he was cool with doing something weird. There’s no idea that’s too unorthodox for him. You want to write a folk song with a bass house drop in it? Yeah, he’s down. You want the third chorus to sound nothing like the first two? For sure, he’ll give that a try. He’s a unique and talented weirdo, and people like that are super inspiring. Those are my favorite kind of collaborators.

Why do you appreciate “the beauty of all things dark and painful” and incorporate this feeling into your music?

Oh man, I have no idea why I’m so attracted to the macabre, but I’ve always loved movie scores – Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer – so I know I’m deeply moved by things emotional and cinematic. Things so dark and beautiful that they pull at your soul. I guess that’s the point of a movie score, though, to support the emotion in the scene. It can just be so ridiculously powerful. I think my interest in the creepy painful stuff really stems from the fact that I’m a light-hearted person in day to day life. I prefer laughter, but that doesn’t mean that everything is bright and shiny inside of me. My family is like that, too, and I think my life long love affair with dark things is the equal and opposite pairing to that. It probably gives me a healthy outlet for digging into the unhappy pieces of me. I like to explore the dark because I am, on the surface, genuinely light. I am, on the surface, genuinely light, because I have the ability to explore the dark. You know what I mean? I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it’s my only guess at an explanation.

How do you think women can be better supported in the indie music industry?

I think the music industry can be a bit binary sometimes. There’s for sure an undercurrent of thinking that some roles are better played by men, while others are better suited for women, and I think that’s ludicrous across the board. There is no reason for women OR men to feel obligated to fill a certain role or be deterred from another just because of their gender. I don’t think there’s any secret to supporting another human. I mean, generally, just don’t be a judgemental prick. Show up to shows and events with friendly faces, reach out in person or on socials with encouraging words, be a decent human being. The women who are stepping out in pursuits of more male-dominated positions probably feel a little intimidated. I mean, don’t we all feel a little intimidated, sometimes?

Everything about life can be difficult, most definitely in the music industry. Knowing there’s a group of other brave, like-minded chicks behind you, cheering you on, makes it a little less daunting.

What advice do you have for women who are actively or thinking about pursuing a career in music?

I feel relatively unqualified to give advice, but if I had to – it would be this. Stay humble. I mean, everything you’ve done, you didn’t do it all on your own. There is always someone to genuinely thank and be appreciative of – so do it. My other piece of advice? If you’re the smartest, most talented person at the table, find yourself a different table because you’re never gunna grow surrounded by people who don’t challenge you.

Last piece? You got this.

Hit me up on Instagram if you need a pep talk – I rely on people for encouragement all the time so if you need a little, I’m down to pay that support forward.

What are your tour/show plans for 2019?

I already have two or three Nashville shows booked in January and February. For the most part next year, unless opportunities come up to change it, I’ll most likely be focusing on local shows. Since performing live solo is a new thing for me, I want to really work on that before I tour. However, I’m not saying “no” to anything.

What other projects besides your second single are you working on for 2019?

I should have at least four more singles coming out next year, so I’m excited to keep pushing those. Other than that, I’ve been collaborating with a bunch of new amazing local artists. I have a lot of feature vocalist or co-written topline tracks coming out. I get to work with one of my best friends and frequent co-writer, Brittany Cannarozzi, or Luma, and we have some great collaborations with DJs coming out next year. She’s insanely talented so check her out – @hernameisluma. Everything I’m involved in, I try and share it on my socials, so be sure to follow me (@notellemusic across platforms).

Thank you, Notelle, for the opportunity to interview you.

No, thank you! This was amazing. I appreciate it!

Video – Bonus Question  

Notelle, what is your superpower and how do you use it in your music?

 

Follow Notelle on social media:

Twitter: @notellemusic

Instagram:@notellemusic

Facebook: notellemusic

Website: www.notellemusic.com

You can purchase and/or stream “Power” HERE.

 

Official video – “Power”

 

Discover Dark Pop, R&B Singer/Songwriter Josephine

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Josephine / Photo courtesy of Josephine

LA-based singer/songwriter Josephine became a performer because of her love of the 90s fashion and pop culture that she grew up with. As a child, she never shied away from attention and performing, she started her musical journey at 6 years old when she wrote her first song, “Driving Me Crazy” while in a car when her father wouldn’t buy her a toy.

Josephine grew up listening to not only 90s music but also Middle Eastern music, world music, hip-hop, and blues. She was influenced by the melodies of Middle Eastern music and fused them with American styles. Josephine was also influenced by and connected to legendary artists Etta James and Janis Joplin for being their purest selves, full of emotion. Eminem’s influence was his unapologetic attitude and raw honesty.

Self-love and self-empowerment are behind Josephine’s signature motto, “Stay Weird”.  She’ll be spreading that message to inspire high school students and beyond using the funds from her recent successful Kickstarter campaign. Josephine plans to talk to young people around the country about staying true to themselves, to stay authentic, to “stay weird”.

In addition to her new single, “Okay,” Josephine is working on her sophomore EP, ‘Chasing High’ to be released this summer. There are more projects in the works as well. You can catch her at the Viper Room on May 29th and Street Food Cinema on July 28th, with more shows to be announced.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Josephine on her upcoming single, sophomore EP,  Kickstarter campaign, 90s pop culture, and much more.

Congratulations on your forthcoming single, “Okay”.  What is the concept or theme of the song? How did you come up with it?

It’s a satire on people telling me what to do. It’s really a fuck you to listening to what people say and just doing me. Like

I’m done trying to change the way people think or perceive me.

I was never good at being told what to do but somewhere along the line I pretended to be something I’m not and changed myself to appease others and this song is about not doing that. It’s stay weird explained. Tell me what you want, say what you will, I know who I am – I’m “okay” and my answer will remain the same – “Okay”.

You have a Kickstarter campaign for your sophomore EP, “Chasing High” to be released this summer. Explain how it will be reminiscent of the 90s pop culture. 

Chasing High satirically idealizes the stereotypical and impulsive behavior high school encapsulates. As a 90s baby, I was inspired by classic 90s movies like Clueless, She’s All That, etc. I’ve always loved 90s fashion, pop culture – Britney, Backstreet etc – they’re the reason I wanted to be a performer. Chasing High plays up those stereotypes of high school as it’s our introduction to adulthood and the beginning of society’s dependency on others for validation and confirmation.

What interests you about the 90s pop culture that inspired you to write an EP that takes one back to those days?

I’ve always felt nostalgic. Even as a kid my parents called me an old soul. Being a 90s baby I’ve always had this attachment and infatuation with the 90s. It was an era of rebellion, grunge, sex and the true rise of pop culture. Its the millennial resurgence of the 60s and Woodstock era.

Explain your “Stay Weird” message/motto and how you came up with it.

Stay weird is about self-love and self-empowerment. When we love ourselves fully we behave naturally in the moment, we don’t get in our heads, overthink etc. none of that. I came to a point in my life where I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself and I thought of my happier days and it took me back to childhood. Children are boundless, unapologetic, raw, pure emotion. And I believe that at the core of all humanity we are all trying to get back to our youth and who we were as children. That’s what “stay weird” is.

You recently announced that you plan to use the Kickstarter funds to spread your “Stay Weird” message to inspire high school students and beyond. What are your plans to accomplish this?

Chasing high is about going back to high school – nostalgia, reminiscence. So it only makes sense to really go back to high school. High school is such a sensitive and seemingly defining moment in our lives so my goal is to go to schools around the country and talk to kids about staying weird. It’s one thing for adults to tell kids to not follow the crowd and to stay true to themselves but I think coming from me – someone closer to their age range that actually lives and breathes this – I hope I can really make an impact for these kids to stay authentic.

You have spoken about your journey to overcome self-doubt and find your authentic self on social media and your Kickstarter campaign. How has music played a part in your journey?   

Music is therapeutic. It’s the capture of emotion into sound and it’s the most honest and vulnerable way I’ve ever been able to express myself and connect with people.

To create music that connects with people you must be fully connected to yourself – completely vulnerable and unrestricted.

It’s ironic how the exact point of raw connection with others is brought forth by the complete connection to self.

Your self-released debut visual album ‘Love Trap: The Story’ came out in August 2017. It’s concept “is the nonlinear 4-part story of the parallels amongst love, drugs, and success.” The album has garnered to date over 150,000 streams. How did you come up with the concept for the album? Were you surprised at its success?

The concept came to me when I recognized the patterns of unhealthy addictions. Many times we use love, drugs, and success interchangeably as a way of escaping real life and ourselves. They become coping mechanisms – acts of desperation and escapism instead of acts of want and love. I wanted to speak on this and finding the synonymity between these factors. Making a cohesive story of them and visually depicting their powers. Being my first official release, I was surprised! I knew there was something special about the music but I couldn’t place what exactly.

It felt like the first emergence of self for me, a real coming of age of channeling who I was at that time. I’m just happy my fans connected to it.

 

Josephine / Photo Courtesy of Josephine
You grew up listening to a wide variety of music ranging from world music, hip-hop, and blues that included legendary artists Etta James and Janis Joplin. You also listened to rap, including Eminem. All of them influenced you. How did you discover these genres and artists? In what ways did they influence your music style?

Etta and Janis came from my search for something more. It surprises people when I mention that I don’t like much music.

I’m very selective with my tastes and when I connect to a piece of art – music, visual, dance whatnot I either connect heavily and am extremely moved by it or not at all. Etta and Janis did that for me.

They are entirely themselves, full of emotion, their purest selves and I connect to that tremendously. Same goes for Eminem and other artists who have influenced me. Eminem came from growing up surrounded by boys. I was drawn to his unapologetic attitude. His raw honesty inspired me to start writing. My writing style is raw, a stream of consciousness and that’s where I developed my talk-sing cadence from. Growing up on Middle Eastern music I’m inspired by those melodies and so I fuse those with American styles as well.

What West Coast festivals and clubs have you played at? What were your favorite places to perform?

It’s a long list but Avalon, Peppermint Club, and Hotel Cafe were a few of my favorites. Going back to my hometown in Tucson and performing at Club Congress was an amazing experience too.

When did you start singing and writing songs? Was there a defining moment when you knew you were going to pursue a career in music?

6 years old, my dad wouldn’t buy me the toy I wanted so I wrote a song called “driving me crazy” while we were in the car, haha. I was always performing and dancing as a kid, I never shied away from attention so I guess I always knew.

How do you think women in indie music can be supported?

I think indie women in music, like women in any field, should focus on empowerment and uplifting of one another.

Many times in any industry women feel the need to put other women down and compete in a dirty matter to get ahead. I’m lucky to be surrounded by women that strive to push each other and help each other. I believe if everyone was more concerned with helping one another instead of worrying about being outdone, the world would be a happier, more positive and advanced place.

What advice would you give young women who are thinking about or already pursuing a career in music?

Follow your instinct. Music has and continues to strengthen my instinct and my faith in myself.

Do you. Always. That’s it. Take everyone and no one’s advice. Listen to everyone but at the end of the day do you.

What projects other than your forthcoming EP do you have planned for 2018?

It’s a surprise 😉 can’t tell you everything…

What tour/shows/performance plans do you have planned for 2018?

LA- I’ll be playing the Viper Room on May 29th and Street Food Cinema on July 28th, more shows TBA.

Thank you, Josephine, for the opportunity to interview you.

For updates and announcements, check out Josephine’s website.

Josephine on social media:

Instagram:  @itsjustjosephine

Twitter  @just1josephine

Facebook:  itsjustjosephine

Buy/stream Josephine’s music on these platforms

Soundcloud:  itsjustjosephine

Spotify

YouTube 

Discover Artist/Composer/Producer Valeska Rautenberg

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Credit: Valeska Rautenberg

Berlin native Valeska Rautenberg was a six-year-old when she discovered her love for ballet dance and being on stage. However, Rautenberg’s dreams of having a dance career were to be denied years later. She was left heartbroken when she was told she was not physically suited for ballet and it could never be more than a hobby. By the time she was a teenager, Rautenberg’s damaged knees would force her to stop dancing completely. As a result, Rautenberg would feel being led more into music.

Rautenberg won her first big movie role at the age of 11 without help from her celebrated actor father, Klaus-Peter Thiele. But after 10 years in movies and television while at school and college, Valeska wasn’t interested in being an actor. Consequently, music had become such an undeniable force that she realized this was her true love.

Her musical path began with vocal training in Jazz and Blues as well as a private scholarship provided by an opera singer who took an interest in Rautenberg. Although she wasn’t keen on singing classical music, she learned styles and techniques that would enable her to sing many different genres. Rautenberg would later join Der Wilde Garten, the band of famous violinist Georgi Gogow.

Her journey was then interrupted for several years while Rautenberg cared for her ailing parents. It was writing music that helped her cope during that time and with their loss. Now she has returned to the music world as an indie artist and is releasing music under her own name. Her ambient pop single “Midnight Children” came out in early March 2018. She is currently working on her forthcoming album, ‘Aerial Minds’.

I recently interviewed Rautenberg about her forthcoming album, production processes, teaching music, dancing, performing for the former President of Germany, and much more.

Congratulations on your new single release, “Midnight Children”. What is the concept or theme behind it?

Thank you so much! I’m happy it’s out 🙂 It’s about loving and accepting your beauty and your “ugliness“, about living your life a little differently, let’s say more intuitively…therefore its title was inspired by Salman Rushdie’s book “Midnight’s Children“. It’s an atmospheric, ambient downbeat song, living in the realm of Dark Pop. It’s the first singe of the “Aerial Minds“ EP.

Tell us about the 4 EPs and their themes that you are currently working on.

The 4 EPs will represent the 4 elements in an abstract, individual way. The first one will be “Aerial Minds“ which holds the more intangible, ethereal songs and themes as opposed to the “Fires“ EP, for example, which will include the passionate, more dramatic songs. I’ve written a lot of songs in the past years and they vary in theme and style, toying around with different genres, instrumentation, and vocal techniques. I’ve been exploring facets of feelings and it felt a bit like incorporating all the elements, that’s how this idea of the 4 EPs came to life.

How did you come up with the concept for the “Midnight Children” music video?

When I write music I can sort of see the song in my mind as shapes, colours, and structures.

So basically this video is a sneak peek into my brain…this is what Midnight Children looks like to me 😉 . There will be other videos (one is already done, two are in the making), that are more story driven but this one is just colours and shapes for the viewer to sink into while listening.

Explain your production process.

I guess there’s not only one process. It really depends on the song and its needs. I usually start writing on the piano even though the piano sometimes gets kicked out of the song later in the process. After recording a guideline, I record me jamming the song with my voice until I get a feel for it and then the fun begins when I get to toy around with beats, synthesizers, field recordings, and different plug-ins. That’s the “getting to know the song phase“. When I figure out what the song wants, the actual work begins and I start making decisions, do the cleaning up, and record everything properly. Once everything is edited and the effects are all in place, I do a little pre-mix to have some sort of blueprint for my lovely engineers who will then do the final mix, with me closely monitoring … me being the momma bear to my songs 😉 .

What are the advantages of being both a musician and a producer? Any disadvantages?

Well, I’m my own boss … there you have your advantage and your disadvantage already. I really love being able to not only write but also produce my own music and decide on every bit of sound and effect that goes in it.

I consider that to be my definition of success – to create a piece of music that sounds like me.

The disadvantage here is that I don’t know when the song is finished, I’m too close to it and I get lost in the musical forest quite a bit, so to speak. Even though I try to finish the very personal songs by myself and muscle my way through them, a big part of producing for me is to also know when to step aside.

When I hit a wall with a song and I don’t know where to go from there, I get myself some help and have it co-produced by Marian Kuch. Not only is he a fabulous engineer, but a great producer who can read me quite well and who provides the necessary objectivity. There will be a couple of songs on the 4 EPs that we worked on together.  Right now I’m working on songs that I want to open up to other musicians and co-producers. It will add new colours to the music and it’s always such an exciting process.

Why do you think there aren’t many women producers in the music industry?

Honestly, I think a lot of women don’t know what they’re capable of yet.

Or maybe women tend to think or have been told that the technical side of music isn’t for them. That was me 10 years ago. But one day I just had enough of being dependent on other people and started learning how to use recording gear, logic pro, etc. … and today I try to encourage all of my female students to do the same and to lose their illogical fear of those things and to just get started.

As a singer, composer, and producer, you have said you have been discredited in the music industry many times. Can you share any experiences? How do you think this attitude toward women can be changed in the music industry?

I don’t want to go into detail here, it’s not my style to bash people or blogs ;-). Let’s just say on a lot of occasions I “only“ get credited as the “pretty voice“ but not the writer/co-writer or producer. 

How can it be changed? Speak up for yourself;

I know haven’t many times and still have to learn that. I really hope women will continue to support each other more and more and I hope that men, who always thought of women as their equals anyway, will educate their fellow males.

Tell us about how you got your training in jazz, blues, and classical vocal techniques. Why did you train in all these different genres?

Constant curiosity I guess. I started with Jazz and Blues as a teenager, mainly because I was fascinated by how masterfully those singers could move their voices, in such pace, with such beautiful runs. A little later an opera singer took an interest in me and granted me some sort of private scholarship, even though I wasn’t too interested in singing classical music. She showed me a lot of techniques and styles that gave me the means to sing in a variety of genres. All of that broadened my understanding of voices. I’ll be forever grateful.

Photo Credit: Nele Sophie Bartel
You started out at age 11 working as an actress and went on to star in movies and television shows on and off for 10 years while at school and university. Why did you not continue it as a career?

It wasn’t for me. I never truly liked it. Don’t get me wrong, I always loved the experiences and I got to travel quite a bit which was invaluable and I’m grateful to have had this in my life but the acting itself just wasn’t for me. Coming from a family of actors it seemed to be the logical thing to do but I realized at some point I wasn’t really seriously interested in it. I think I was kicked out of my agency three (!) times (they brought me back two times 😉 ) for not showing enough interest … haha.

How did your father, the famous actor Klaus-Peter Thiele, influence your journey into acting?

My father was a very down to earth kind of person, even though he became famous overnight in the sixties, and this is what he wanted me to be as well. He always said acting is just another job; the work that runs in the family, and I shouldn’t get cocky about it. I got my first main role when I was still a child and it actually had nothing to do with him, it was a total coincidence. If I remember correctly, he was away from home at the time, playing in a theatre in Hamburg. He wasn’t especially happy when I told him that I got the part in this film. He wanted to protect me from the dark sides of the business, but still, he was very proud. He didn’t get too involved in my acting, but when he felt that I wasn’t happy with it, encouraged me to stop. My father wasn’t too pleased about me wanting to become a singer either. Even though he was an artist himself, he wanted me to do something “proper“ 😉 . It’s the wish for security and stability every parent has for their child, isn’t it?

When did you start to dance? What was your experience like being in a dance company? Why did you not pursue it as a career?

Oh, dancing was my first love! I think I was around six when I started and I would walk around in a little tutu all the time at home, and I enjoyed being on stage. Dancing accompanied me for about 10 years of my life. I loved it so much but it soon became quite clear that I didn’t have the physical dispositions for it – there was a doctor at ballet school who examined all the children whether they were suited for dancing as a career or not. So it would just stay a hobby which broke my heart at the time. When I was a teenager my knees were so damaged that I had to stop completely but this incident was what eventually steered me more and more into music. I still think about going to dance classes again, eventually.

How did you decide to pursue music instead of acting or dance as a career?

The circumstances described earlier and furthermore, the music itself, at some point, became so undeniable.

It was just a force possessing me. It became my language, my form of expression, and processing.

It never felt much like a decision, it was just an inevitable way with good and bad sides to it. Sometimes I describe music as being married to a very jealous spouse, who doesn’t leave room for anything else. This is why I eventually need to take a break from it for a while and do something completely different. Fostering kittens sounds like a brilliant alternative to me 😉 .

What do you enjoy most about doing voice-over work? When did you start?

I particularly enjoy the totally absurd stuff. The other day I gave my voice to a snail with a lisp for a children’s audiobook. I love that sort of thing. I used to overdub myself (the roles I played) as a teenager and this over time progressed into the occasional voice-over work.

Explain how you got the opportunity to perform with famed ‘City’ violinist Georgi Gogow and his band for the President of Germany, Horst Köhler in a televised Christmas concert.

Ha! I honestly don’t know how that happened. I joined Georgi’s band “Der Wilde Garten“ a couple of years prior to that gig and I don’t exactly know what the circumstances were leading to that opportunity. We turned an old German folk song from the 16th century into our own version and gave it a jazzy, gypsy, and classical spin and performed it there.

It was nerve-wracking performing in front of the president and a bazillion cameras in far too high high-heels – with a single thought in my head: “Don’t fall!”)

and had champagne with the president and his wife afterward 😉 . Lovely memories.  Fun fact: We just released that song, even though the recording already took place in 2008. You’ll find it on my Spotify page. It sticks out quite a bit 😉 .

How did you become a ghostwriter?

Just by chance … people realizing what I do and asking me to help out with their music. I don’t want to do it too often because it takes time away from my own music but I really like the occasional indulging in music or lyrics I would never write for myself.

You’re a music teacher training students in piano, singing, and speech. What do you like most about being a music teacher? How long have you been teaching?

Oh wow … I love everything about it. I could write a novel here ;-). It’s like unwrapping presents.

I can hear the musical and/or vocal potential in someone and then I  get to discover and unfold it together with the student.

It’s magical to listen to these developments. It’s the most rewarding experience and the best thing is I get to be a part of someone’s journey to get closer to themselves. I think I’ve been teaching for about 15 years now. It wasn’t planned, it sort of just happened. Musician friends asked me if I could help them out with a certain issue in their vocal techniques and so it progressed into much more … wouldn’t want to miss it for the world!

How do you train your students in body language? How does this help with singing and speech?

I guess I help them realize how they appear body language-wise by reflecting them and together we try to find out if their body language actually matches their inside. It’s all about becoming aware of yourself again. It’s helpful if you need to stand up to your boss, hold a presentation at work or end up in an uncomfortable situation where you have to stand your ground. Those are great tools to have.

When it comes to singing I usually train them in body language to raise their awareness of how to communicate with their own voice via the body.

For example, if your body doesn’t look ‘loud‘ (as in euphoric, wild, furious, passionate), you will not get your voice to be loud in a natural way. Your body needs to understand why it’s supposed to sing loudly, so get into the appropriate body language to convey your intent – your voice will follow.

Elaborate on how meditation, Qi Gong, and Yoga can expose the creativity and natural voice of your students?

It helps you understand where your power comes from, where the energy is.

A lot of people think the voice is something you create in your throat and they fail to see that the whole body is the instrument

and needs to support everything you want to sing and express. I use a lot of movement to bring my students closer to their voices.

How do you think women in indie music can be better supported?

Firstly by supporting each other even more. Secondly by men… I know so many lovely male musicians, producers, colleagues, who would never look down on a woman and her skills. I hope for them to spread the word and educate fellow men who may have been a little misguided in their attitudes towards women.

What advice would you give to women who wish to or are pursuing a career in music?

Go for it! Don’t let anybody tell you, that you can’t. Even if you fail, then you at least can’t blame yourself for not trying once you’re 70 years old.

Be prepared to work hard and to face harsh criticism that is not always constructive.

Create yourself a network of like-minded people for yourself and support each other.

What projects besides your EPs have you planned for 2018?

A lot…hopefully this year will be long enough for everything! I’ve been away from the music world and everything that used to be the content of my life for several years now due to my parent’s long illnesses, followed by their passing and the aftermath of that. It will be a long journey to digest what happened. Writing all this music has been a big part of coping. I decided to mention that here because this involuntary change in the course of my life and the dealing with it is one of the main themes in my music and also, whether I want it or not, one of the first google entries you’ll find about me anyway.

And now that I’m finally releasing music again (for the first time under my name), I have to learn so many new things. I sort of started again from zero. It’s my first-time self-releasing music without a label in the background, which has its advantages regarding freedom and choices, but also its disadvantages concerning promotional support. I have no clue about promotion, social media and how to find an audience for my niche music yet, so I guess I have a lot to learn.

It’s scary but I get to do everything on my own terms now, that feels good.

In 2018 there will be more collaborations with Boston based “We Are All Astronauts“. We musically ‘click‘ and it’s always great cooking up new songs together. Our latest collaboration you can find here – Ether: https://open.spotify.com/track/2QCtisCUsyG1XtEqlme0lJ?si=WiylQCFhTK6L9y7m1xS8KA

Furthermore, I’ve already finished 10 neo-classical piano pieces that I want to release as well. Lots to do 🙂

What are your tour plans for 2018?

I have none. I think I will be busy with making videos, finishing the productions, creating cover art, learning about social media and whatnot. I will play, however, the occasional living room concert or have a guest appearance here and there. I’ve really come to love the concept of living room concerts recently. After releasing all that music, I want to take a break and go traveling. And

wherever I’ll be in the world I will be open to play, teach, and collaborate.

So let me know where you’re at I might swing by for a song or two 😉 .

Thank you, Valeska, for the opportunity to interview you!

Thank you so much for having me, for your support and for giving me the opportunity to tell my story.

 

Follow Valeska on Social Media:

Instagram: @valeska_rautenberg

Facebook: @valeskarautenbergmusic

 

Check out Valeska’s music:

Spotify: Valeska Rautenberg

Soundcloud: Valeska Rautenberg

YouTube: Valeska Rautenberg

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