You’ve made quite the leap from Germany to London’s underground music scene. What was the biggest cultural shock when you first arrived and how did that experience shape your music?
The food! No seriously, there wasn’t a big cultural shock. The two cultures have more similarities than differences, in my opinion.
If I had to readjust anything significantly, then it was my straightforwardness, which is mostly not the best way to go in England,
if you’d like to see something changing for the better. The very strict lockdowns here, a few years ago, were the only instances I can think of that had a drastic impact on the songs I wrote for my upcoming debut album, including “Scattered”.
Looking back, was there a specific moment or artist that inspired you to first pick up an instrument or write a song? How does that
early inspiration resonate with your music today?
I was always most intrigued by lyrics, especially when they didn’t make complete sense to me on first listen. This was the magic that drew me to writing poems first, and to writing lyrics to chord progression when I had my first band at school. When I found out about grunge, there was no turning back and I taught myself playing the guitar. My early inspiration resonates with my music in the stories I tell in my songs. The melodies and harmonies are surely very important, too. But I see my music more than half of the time as an opportunity to get my lyrics conveyed, not vice versa.
Tell us more about the inspiration behind your latest track “Scattered” What’s one thing you’d want new listeners to take away from
“Scattered”?
I wrote this song when my life was falling apart around me, privately and socially, during the first lockdown in London. There wasn’t much else to do besides writing songs and it was definitely my only purpose in those days, at least it felt like it. I made quite a number of references to literature for the stories we tell one another, which are very significant in many people’s lives and that make sense of the world around ourselves.
I hope the song resonates with people. That’s my sincerest wish. But first of all I have to write songs for myself. Anything else would be an artistic betrayal of myself and of the audience.
Your upcoming debut album is titled ‘The Life You Save May Be Your Own’. It’s quite a striking phrase – does it hold a personal story or
philosophy for you?
The name derives from the title of a short story by the Southern Gothic author Flannery O’Connor. It’s also the title of the eponymous song of the album. The song itself is personal. I wrote it a few days before I wrote ‘Scattered’. I don’t want to be the interpreter of my own songs, but there are two angles to this phrase in my song.
If The Life You Save May Be Your Own had to be summed up as a soundtrack to a movie scene, what would that scene look like? Set the mood for us.
One bandmate described my songs once as vampire music. I could see it being the soundtrack of a dramatic vampire film for adults, with lots of twists and turns. Not for children.
Imagine you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive. Who would be your dream collaborator and what kind of song do you think
would come out of it?
There are many. If I have to pick a single one, it would be St. Vincent. I have no idea what would come out of it. Certainly something that blows heads off.
You’re playing at ART Stalker in Berlin right before the album release – what can fans expect from that show? Any surprises up your
sleeve?
Berlin will be a special one, not only because of the album release, but also because of my family and friends who will be there. I will play all the songs of the album with my band. We will see what happens. There might be vinyl. There will be more show and song announcements in the upcoming weeks and months on my social media channels and on larusta.net. I can only highly recommend to stay tuned and to get yourself a ticket when we play in London or anywhere else near you.
