Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: Hey! I was born and raised in the three-country corner of Saxony, where East German, Czech and Polish traditions meet to form what is a very distinctive heritage of Lower Silesia. I grew up fascinated by the fairytales and folkloristic traditions, clothing and music that surrounded my childhood in this setting – it sparked imagination and creativity in me. I also really loved singing from an early age and took any opportunity to use my voice – whether belting out 90s power ballads at home or singing German folk songs in my school choir. So, when my parents asked me if I would like to take up music lessons, it was a firm yes. I moved from classical singing to jazz/rock/pop when I was 16, and this is really when my dream to build a career in music started to form. Or let’s put it that way: I simply couldn’t imagine my life without music.
I eventually moved to the UK in 2008 to pursue my musical studies further, where I settled and started my career doing what I love.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: A healthy mixture!
James Blake – what an artist. His music puts me in a beautiful headspace, it’s a deeply personal listening experience and something I love enjoying with my husband. A leftfield recommendation – check out his amazing live rendition of Barbie Girl(!) at 28 mins here.
VOCES8 – coming from both a vocal and classical background, I love listening to choral classical stuff, and their ensemble balance and contemporary arrangements are incredible. The VOCES8 cover of Radiohead’s Pyramid Song – arranged by Geoff Lawson – is mindblowing.
Lianne La Havas – She is one of those artists who’s really got it all. Her ability as a singer is really excellent, yet everything she sings sounds so light and velvety. She never overperforms. On top of this she is a stellar songwriter and the production value of her records is insane. Go – check – it – out!
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Sketches of Carol’?
A: My dad has always been a big music lover very proud of his AWAY hifi system. Most of his record collection he acquired from the black market since the artists he loved were considered music of the capitalist enemy under the controlling GDR rule of the time. So, I got to listen to a ton of amazing Stevie Wonder, Prince and Quincy Jones records, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and Tower of Power as well as early electronic music like Yellow and Art of Noise. My mom loved great singer-songwriters like Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac and Rio Raiser, and through my grandpa who sang in church choir and played a bit of organ I got introduced to choral and classical music like Händel and Bach.
In my teens, I developed a passion for Celine Dion records. I loved all the mad and perfectly executed runs. She was definitely a strong influence. And with my jazz studies came obsessions with Cassandra Wilson, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh and finally, my big love, Nancy Wilson.
The name Carol stuck with me after I watched a hauntingly beautiful film of the same title featuring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in the leading roles. It portrays a love story between two women and the struggles they face in 1950s America. This inspired a remote collaboration with pianist, composer and producer Maria Chiara Argiro during lockdown where we kept exchanging sketches of music that the other person would develop and transform. Both, the relationship of the characters in the film who are so supportive and loving with each other in the face of great suppression and the relationships I share with a group of super talented giving women in my UK artist network have inspired me to adopt this name for my project. Carol became a symbol of womxn support networks and sisterhood, of womxn and men who elevate each other knowing that we as a society can achieve so much more and live more fulfilled lives
when we stand together
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘Messengers’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Yes, I’m very excited that the Messengers EP is out there. In terms of its inspiration – it was sparked from a writing session I had with my lovely friend, composer and vocal improviser Maddalena Ghezzi back in 2019.
Maddalena told me she had been reading about the golden record NASA sent into space on their Voyager spacecrafts in 1977.The record holds a selection of natural sounds (including some made by animals), music from various cultures and eras, human sounds like footsteps and laughter and spoken greetings in 59 languages. I was totally amazed by the idea that there is this record floating around space to introduce both planet Earth and humans to any spacefarers passing by. I started imagining my own little capsules of ‘natural life on earth’. It was such a rich source of material that I ended up writing the entire lyrics to Messengers in one go!
I was also intrigued by the diversity across the spoken greetings – although they all carry the same sentiment of meeting a stranger for the first time, there was such a colourful variety of expression. To me, this reflects human culture in itself.
Q: Can we expect an album from you in the near future?
A: For now, I have three more EP and single releases to come. Each one has a main feature instrument to accompany my a capella vocals.
On Messengers, this was the amazingly talented violinist William Newell of Solem Quartet with whom I had the pleasure to play in a contemporary minimalist trio White Flower a few years back. My future releases will feature cellist Steph Tress, (also Solem Quartet), pianist and producer Maria Chiara Argiro (These New Puritans) and drummer Gaspar Sena (Valia Calda).
In terms of style, you can expect quite a variety across the upcoming releases – from the vocals, production elements and themes covered.
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: The key element that spans all my performances, writing and projects is the value and pursuit of connection. While it is not healthy to constantly seek approval from others I do see it as my most important goal to build connections with my audience, my collaborators and the people I encounter in my day-to-day life. It can be a glimpse of a look, a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. It can be a powerful performance that simply reverberates exactly how you feel or have felt at some point in your life, which opens a well of emotion and a sense that you are accepted exactly as you are. I believe that being able to convey this in a genuine manner is the true power of a performer.
This is very much reflected in Messengers EP given that the record is based on a tool meant to reach out to other beings encountered in space. It is also a celebration of our multicultural world and nature, and I hope that in this way, it promotes tolerance and a positive approach to climate change action.
I find it is a challenge to describe one’s own sound, but other people have said that my music is ethereal and meditative, and that it carries touches of Björk and Johnny Greenwood. In the words of Maria Chiara Argiro: “Unique vocal soundscapes. Cinematic and surreal melodies…So captivating!”
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Truthfully, the healthiest way of being with my artistic work is not expecting anything at all. For me, composing music is not about sales, or streams – it’s about creating connection with the listener.
If I am able to express a sentiment through my music, and I hear back that it has resonated with somebody; helped them process, or better understand a feeling they have, then that is wonderful.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I have a wholly intuitive way of making music. The process is emotionally led, with core ideas taking form through a stream of consciousness – whether it’s writing lyrics or poetry. I will return to the initial work to edit it, but the central idea and associated emotion comes as a flood.
It is similar when I improvise – a very intense surge of creativity which I tend to just capture on my phone. I then come back to these improvisations and texts after some time and decide which sound strong to me. Was it just something in the moment or something universally true to me? I will then develop it from there.
The question of why you decide to develop a certain idea is a really important one. Why do you release 8 tracks out of 20? For me if I keep returning to a piece and it keeps triggering a certain emotion, I feel it could be important and emotional for others, too.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Sadly something many have experienced, but dealing with depression and anxiety in general. It was something I first encountered moving to London. Coming from a small town in Germany with a very close network, I felt super lost being new to the city – missing the grounding that comes with having family and friends nearby. At the time, I described it as falling apart completely and piecing myself together again bit by bit. Therapy really helped me to understand myself better and what makes me truly happy.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: I have always wanted to release some albums – to create beautiful all round pieces that people listen to from start to finish, which is how I enjoy listening. I put out an album with my duo partner James Kitchman – renditions of Appalachian folk songs fused with improvisation and jazz inflections – and the release of that was quite an extensive process. With all the sweat and tears that go into pouring your heart into such a project, it was an amazing moment to celebrate an album with my name on it.
The release of the Messengers EP as Sketches of Carol also marks a really proud moment for me – I’ve been in music for over 20 years, and only now have I worked up the courage to put work out on my own. It’s the right time!
