2023-08-15 07:00:00
After the release of singles and videos, RESI REINER’s debut album will be released in August 2023. In an interview with Jürgen Plank, the singer and actress, who grew up in Graz, explains why she has a soft spot for Italy and why she sings about a coffee machine in one of her songs. She has also worked in a coffee roastery herself. REINER also describes what influence pop music has on her own music making. The singer will soon be on tour in German-speaking countries, and in autumn 2023 she will also be performing her charming songs at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Releasing a debut album is a big step, how did you experience getting there?
Resi Reiner: It was a nice way. You go through different phases, first: cool, we’re making an album. In the middle of my work I had a phase in which I thought: why? Who cares? What is the added value for the people who hear this? I didn’t know what to say or what to say. It was nice then that I had people around me who got me out of this hole. They told me: don’t think about it too much, we’ll just do it. It should be beautiful! I think the production was an emotional ride. But a cool, emotional ride.
How happy are you now that the album is finished?
Resi Reiner: Extremely glad. I think it’s normal to have doubts. That’s part of it. It’s funny because that’s so far away, we did the basics last year and turned the songs in for mixing in March. So much time has passed now. I’m already thinking about what to do next.
You might throw yours next Bialetti-Coffee maker you wrote a song about.
Resi Reiner: I had an app that showed pictures of furniture and coffee machines, among other things. And I always thought to myself: when I move out of my parents’ house, I’ll buy this coffee machine. Then I worked in a coffee roastery and suddenly there was this coffee machine, one Bialetti, with two tubes under which you can place two espresso cups and the coffee flows in immediately. I then bought this machine, it was my symbol of freedom: I live alone now and can buy this coffee machine and do whatever I want.
“MY BIGGEST DREAM IS TO LIVE BY THE SEA”
The coffee machine is from Italy and you seem to have a soft spot for Italy, judging by your songs. One song is called “I want to go to Italy”.
Resi Reiner: A lot of people have that right now. It seems to me that many people have a soft spot for Italy right now. I think I’m on a train that a lot of people are on right now and that’s nothing special. My biggest dream is to live by the sea. And if so, that would be in Italy.
Sometimes you also sing in Italian, at least single words.
Resi Reiner: I learned Italian at school, I can’t speak the language now, just order a coffee or the meal. But right now it’s my new mission to expand my language skills with an app. Italian is just a beautiful language and not that difficult to learn.
Incorporating Italian phrases into lyrics used to be done in pop music. Is it a conscious reference that you set in this way?
Resi Reiner: In principle, the songs should be a reference to old hits, because I just think they’re great and cool. Sometimes the Italian language just sounds cooler.
Which hits do you mean? If you think back a long way, you end up with Hermann Leopoldi in the 1930s and 1940s, or with the hits of the 1950s to 1970s, which sing about the first vacations in Italy, for example. Partly sung with fake accents.
Resi Reiner: For example, I think of Vicky Leandros and her song “I love life”. I still have a playlist from before, with about 15 hits: from “I don’t want any chocolate” to “You should kiss red lips”. I like the style: pop songs are kind of reserved, but catchy. Not too intentional, but cool.
“BEYOND THE “SCHLAGERNIGHT” THERE ARE MANY COOL SCHLOSS”
And really, right?
Resi Reiner: Totally. When you say Schlager today, you think of Ballermann or this Layla song. But there is so much more and so much cooler stuff and it’s important to emphasize that and say: apart from the “Schlagernacht” there are many cool hits.
In France, there is no clear demarcation between hits and chansons, a song form that dates back to the Middle Ages. The chanson would be another link to your music, which I’m also involved with Francoise Hardy have thought.
Resi Reiner: When we started making songs, we asked ourselves: what do we think is cool? Those were chansons and hits. We have taken elements from these directions. I really listen to everything, my playlists are all mixed up, so I’m also involved in chansons. From Francoise Hardy there is, for example, the song “Tous les garçons et les filles”, which I really like.
I’ve noticed that you keep using first names in your lyrics, characters that you address by their names. Funny van Dannen partly also does this in his songs and I think this creates a connection and an identification with the stories told.
Resi Reiner: It’s funny that you say there’s a connection there. I was a little afraid that the names are too abstract because I don’t get into the personality lyrically. My girlfriends appear in the song “Bar Royale”. Because they are an important part of my life, I wanted to dedicate a song to them. Without saying: you are the greatest, the best in the world. I just wanted to tell you what life is like with them.
How much invention or abstract is contained in your songs? How does that balance?
Resi Reiner: That’s a good question. I haven’t even thought about that. I think I write songs about things that bother me and that I have been and am confronted with. It’s difficult to write about something you don’t know. It’s all very lifelike.
So when was the last time someone said the following sentence to you, which you use as the album title: “You know what I mean!?”
Resi Reiner: I say that every day, to all people. That’s why the album is called that. I always use the phrase when trying to explain something!
Musical influences often come from the parental home, from the environment, from relatives and friends. How is it with you?
Resi Reiner: I don’t play the instruments myself, Flo Sievers, Albrecht Schrader and Gunther Müller do that. So there’s a lot of those in there. What I like to hear and what I like and also what I like and what makes it onto the album, that of course comes from my mom and from my youth. As a child – you don’t hear that with my music – I really liked it The doctors and Nena heard. Maybe that influenced me. My mother never allowed either Ö3 to hear, it never gave me the chance to get those mega-pop influences.
Do you ask your mother if she likes a song of yours?
Resi Reiner: I’m actually very strict and don’t show anyone anything until it’s done. Then I play it for my mother and she encourages me and often says: “Yes, great!”
“IN THE FUTURE, I AM INTENDED TO WORK MORE WITH WOMEN”
As a woman, how do you experience the music business, the music scene? Have you heard of or experienced discrimination?
Resi Reiner: Personally, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by people who take good care of others. These are just great people who listen to what I say. Who care about how I feel. And that just has enough space in the collaboration. In principle, I struggle with the fact that I only produced my album with men. Often I see a band on a stage that consists only of men, then I think my part. But the truth is I have to start with myself when I look at my production: all technical and musical things are all male. I have tried to work with women on all other levels, in all collaborations, including music video productions.
I intend to work more with women in the future. Because it’s just about time to pay attention. It’s not just a problem in the music or film industries that being a woman is always at a disadvantage. That’s exactly why it’s so important to choose who you work with and that you get cool people. A slight one is on the album and it was so cool to work together. She is a cool woman and has encouraged me in many things. We had a good exchange. We’ve probably all had the experience of not being taken seriously. Although I’ve generally had good experiences.
So there would be enough female musicians to play with?
Resi Reiner: That’s my goal too, you have to start with yourself. That’s what I’m going to do next: get the musicians on board.
We already talked about Schlager earlier. Are you afraid of kitsch?
Resi Reiner: I am extremely afraid of kitsch. I’m afraid of kitsch. I like kitsch from other people, but maybe I’m not cool enough with myself to be really kitsch. But I think that “Dunkles Herz” is pretty close by my standards, and “Volare” also scratches the surface of kitsch.
In terms of kitsch, you can still add more in the future.
Resi Reiner: The trick is to be kitschy without giving people goosebumps. Pretty cheesy. “I love life” by Vicky Leandros is cheesy but beautiful. beautiful.
Many thanks for the interview.
Jurgen Plank
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Resi Reiner live:
July 20, 2023: Stadtpark, Vienna
10/10/2023: Concert Hall, Berio Hall
10.11.2023: Salzburg, Roter Salon
11.11.2023: Graz, ppc
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Links:
Resi Reiner (Instagram)
Resi Reiner (TikTok)
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#PRODUCTION #EMOTIONAL #RIDE #RESI #REINER #MICA #INTERVIEW #mica