Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I’m from Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands. It’s a bit of a remote corner of the Netherlands, where they also speak their own language. My interest in music started with the music my parents always had on: a lot of classical and all kinds of different pop artists from the 70s and 90s. My parents asked me what kind of instrument I wanted to play. As a child, I often listened to Turn up the Bass (house compilation tapes). Many tracks often contained catchy piano sounds and I wanted to learn that, so I started playing the piano.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I took piano lessons from the ages of 10 to 17. There I developed a love for jazz, blues and funk. After a year of lessons on bass and possibly 1 year of Conservatory for electric bass, I started studying medicine.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: My first musical influences, I don’t know exactly. But what I do often feel is that certain music or sounds that I can remember as a small child and only vaguely. When I hear that back, I often get a very deep physical reaction. I tried to incorporate that into my music too. What made a big impact on me later in my adolescence was a lot of American (black) music: Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul, Country/Bluegrass.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Invitation’. Is there a story behind it?
A: My music is written intuitively. Without a clear plan or idea of how it should eventually sound. When it became a bit clearer halfway through the writing process what direction it was going to take, I was kind of surprised by the outcome myself. Invitation was one of the first tracks I ever wrote, and it feels like a kind of gateway to a (then) new world of composing and in which I can show myself vulnerability to the outside world in an abstract way.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: That’s definitely the plan! I have a lot of new work lying around that I would like to start releasing.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: It took me quite a long time to finally start composing music myself. I was always afraid it wouldn’t be ‘good’ enough, whatever that means. By writing very intuitively and not thinking too much about what’s coming but rather feeling what it did to my body, something very personal emerged. I realized that art is not about good or bad, but about personal/vulnerability, which I think is ultimately what people connect to.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: When I was a child, I used to play with Lego all the time and would usually build big (space) ships, cars, boats, etc. When I am working in the studio, I feel like that kid again who was busy with his Lego and fantasizing about when the work would be finished. Making music gives me the chance to work like a kid, and that’s a great feeling.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I am usually in the studio from 07:00 in the morning. I usually start then by
playing the piano for an hour. Often new ideas then come up, and I record the sketches. Most of the compositions are conceived on piano. I often leave those sketches for a while and come back to them at a later time. If I listened back to it and get an energetic reaction, I continue sketching and work it into a new track.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: The music industry is not the easiest industry to work in, as I am also a doctor I have good comparison material. I see my music as an abstract reflection of my life. So all the struggles in my own (illness, heartbreak, loss) life contribute to my story and thus my music.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: The most important thing I have learned is to try not to be afraid and not let fear lead me. Beautiful things don’t usually come from that. By not listening to fear and insecurity, I was able to finish the album.
