Headphones #112: A Carinthian woman in Berlin

With the catchy pop song “Everywhere”, the Carinthian singer and Montez are currently in the process of gaining a bit more attention again. She has already secured a listenership of millions in the streaming sector. An album will follow before the summer, with which she wants to go into more depth. In the OÖN interview, the 25-year-old from Spital an der Drau talks about language, sources of inspiration and what is important to her.

Was the move to Berlin artistically necessary or was there other reasons?

The move is purely musical. I love Austria, I love Carinthia and am now home once every two months. But in the long term I see myself back in Vienna. My decision to go to Berlin had to do with my goal of making music in the long term. I think step by step and that’s how I was drawn to Berlin. I really like the city too, but I moved to a very quiet corner there.

In your music you get the feeling that Berlin did something to you in terms of the sound. Did you use this consciously or did it just happen?

I always wanted to make German-language music, but never consciously in the dialect. When I moved to Berlin, High German obviously became even more established in me, but that wasn’t a conscious decision. For me, Standard German feels more authentic. I can take myself more seriously. At the The way I am, the Austrian mentality that I carry within me, you can feel exactly where I come from.

You know how to use social media, which is also reflected in your 1.2 million monthly Spotify listeners. Your current song “everywhere” with Montez is a step towards becoming an album artist who wants to show what her full range is. Is this impression correct?

Absolutely. For me, the album has been on my agenda for a long time so that I can tell more about myself. But the reality of the music industry today is that I’m mostly in streaming and you can’t release an album every few months. Nobody would listen to that. Therefore, you have to earn attention step by step with songs in order to then have the opportunity to present yourself with an album. Now I feel ready for the album to go into more depth, to tell a complete story.

What inspires you to write?

First and foremost, it is strong emotions that move me. Separation, for example, is a big topic. But I can also sing a song about my quarter-life crisis.

At 25 you’re not old yet?

At the age of 25 you are officially no longer a child; you oscillate between the thoughts of being able to do anything and not knowing exactly how you will manage tomorrow. This is how I recognize my quarter-life crisis. But I also wrote about stress. For me, stress is not far removed from anger and sometimes frustration. As a woman, it’s also about the fear of getting older. In a song I describe the love-hate relationship with birthdays. You look at the things you have achieved and the things you haven’t achieved.

You describe yourself as a very determined, but also very religious person. Where does it come from?

I grew up very Christian, but I live in a world in which many people no longer have any connection to faith. Last year I was confronted with death and grief for the first time in my life. That took me apart three times and these experiences also flowed into the music.

Are you a thoughtful person, do you think a lot?

I think a lot. Musicians are fundamentally sensitive and are constantly confronted with where they are in their careers. I’m concerned about my dignity. If I fail musically, it feels like I have failed as a person. The personal and the artistic are difficult to separate, especially when confronted with numbers. Nobody is judged by numbers, but we musicians are. It is difficult to distance yourself from it. And you first have to learn that very personal music is evaluated. At what point do I limit myself and how far do I have to deal with it, these are the questions that are at stake. If you want to make music in the long term, the business side is just as important. Contract decisions can affect your entire career. To get back to your question: Yes, I think about it a lot.

Do you still reveal a lot about yourself in your music?

Yes. You reveal a lot about yourself. But you consciously take this step out into the world. However, being sensitive and empathetic is not particularly beneficial if the reaction is to be confronted with a lot of things that have nothing to do with respect.

Using social media for yourself and your music also means having to live with them. How are you doing with that?

My social status has never been important to me. But when you release a song, there will always be people who don’t like it. You can’t avoid it in comments anymore. You open a door and lovely people can come in, but also less lovely people.

When will your album be released?

It’s planned before the summer because I’ll be going on tour in the fall and want to present individual songs from it at festivals in the summer.