YOU WERE ONCE THE LEAD SINGER OF A DEATH METAL BAND, WHICH IS A HUGE CONTRAST TO YOUR MUSIC NOW. TALK ABOUT THE ARTISTRY OF CLOUDY JUNE, HOW THIS EVOLUTION CAME TO BE AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO BRING TO FANS.

When I first started writing songs it was just me and my guitar. The songs I made where rather melancholic and soft and in a way already Pop.

But I have always had a thing for Rock n’ Roll music and when I finally joined my first band I had my first encounters with Death Metal. I started falling in love with the genre and even learned how to do screams myself. Eventually, after three years, I left the band to focus on my solo career. But for those of you, who are interested in hearing what we sounded like, there’s an EP of my old band on Spotify. New Greed ‘The Evocation’.

WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, HAS IT ALTERED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS? DO YOU SEE IT INFLUENCING WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT?

During quarantine, I got to take a step back and take some time for myself. That really helped me make my mind up and get a clearer view of what I want from this life. Maybe in that way it has indirectly had an impact on my writing.

WHETHER IT’S AN ALBUM, BEING AROUND CERTAIN PEOPLE, OR AN ACTIVITY, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT HAS HELPED YOU MOVE FORWARD DURING THE PANDEMIC? ANYTHING YOU CAN SUGGEST FOR OTHERS?

Don’t shame yourself for being “unproductive”. It’s okay to just do nothing for a while if you need rest. What also helped me was to realize how many things I was able to do from home. Write songs, record demos. Create art, start a new Instagram account or a blog even. Go for a long walk or a run. Read that book that might change how you view the world. Life is full of opportunities and we might as well treat this pandemic as one.

THIS YEAR WE’VE COME ACROSS SOME REALLY TALENTED MUSIC ACTS FROM GERMANY. IT’S RARE FOR US TO SEE ARTISTS FROM YOUR COUNTRY CROSS OVER TO THE U.S. AS AN ARTIST WHO RESIDES IN GERMANY GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE GERMAN MUSIC SCENE AND THEIR SUPPORT FOR YOUR MUSIC.

I feel like it’s harder for an artist from Germany to reach an audience in the US. But nowadays through social media, it is totally not impossible.

The city you live in also can make a huge impact. Berlin is, in my opinion, one of the best cities in Germany to pursue anything creative at all. Besides the many venues, the opportunities for street music and the Open-Mic events there are also many people from the music industry living here. And many companies from the industry also have their headquarters here. I also just love this city for the overall vibe, the individuality, the freedom and the creativity. So Berlin is a great place to start.

AS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOU FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2020?

More music! I am constantly working on new songs and we have another release planned for September already. So stay tuned!