Well Well With HEIDEMANN

Interview || Chatting Orphan with Heidemann

This week sees the release of the debut EP from Brooklyn's HEIDEMANN, the new solo endeavor from Brooklyn's Monika Heidemann. After spending time fronting the NYC band Xylos and collaborating with other experimental and electronic pop artists, Monika has stepped out on her own for her Orphan EP. She released two singles from the EP, "Well Well" (soundcloud) and "Swords" (soundcloud). 

The EP was co-produced and mixed by Sal Principato (Liquid Liquid) and Jim Orso (former drummer from Holy Ghost!), along with Josh Ascalon and Robin Macmillen. The EP is comprised of three original songs, and a cover of ABBA's track "The Visitors." 

We had the chance to speak to her about the EP

Hello Monika a very warm welcome to think IN electronic. It’s a huge honor to be doing this interview with you .

How are you doing and how has your summer been treating you?

Hi!  I'm doing very well today, thanks.  Summer has been really nice. I finished my first solo EP, just got home from a 10 day tour, and about to head to Europe for 6 weeks....busy but fun.

We are from South Africa and we ask every one of our guests this, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear South Africa?

I think of Lucky Dube and the song "Remember Me".  I used to listen to a lot of African music and one of the first bands I was in was a reggae band. That song still brings me tears and he is such a soulful singer.  Of course I think of Mandela and all the social and political struggles South Africa has experienced.

Can you tell us a little more about who Monika Heidemann is, where you grew up, where you live now and any stand out musical memories from your  childhood?

I grew up both in the mountains of Vermont and by the ocean in Massachusetts. I'm first generation American from German and Lithuanian parents so I never felt completely American since many cultural traditions were kept up in my house via my Lithuanian mother. Because Lithuania was not an independent country when I was a child, the culture and language felt threatened and my Mother's side wanted to keep it alive. I grew up singing folk songs and dancing traditional dances and was quite involved in the local communities.

How did you find yourself following a career in music is it something you always saw yourself doing?

I wanted to be a singer ever since I can remember, although I was fairly shy as a child and was not the extroverted/performer type who always wanted to be in the spotlight.  In fact I often avoided it.  My desire to sing ran deep but felt extremely conflicted due to various insecurities. 

After years spent collaborating with artists in both the electronic pop and experimental worlds, you have emerged as a solo artist how did you know the time was right to go solo?

I had wanted this for a while but knew I'd have to step up and learn certain things on my own to create the sound I heard. I wanted to develop and experience my ideas un-filtered through other people for the first time and not depend on them so much.

We sure you must have learned a lot from your collaborations, what one lesson you learned that has helped you?  

Fearlessly sharing your ideas and simultaneously not taking any opinions personally.  I find these two things are strongly related.

Do you enjoy working as a solo artist over working within a collab?  

 Right now I'm into being solo but I'm sure that will change at some point.

How did you develop and polish your singing abilities? Do you have any musical training?

I sang with no lessons for a few years then started taking them.   They helped me tremendously. 

You fuse minimalist pop with electric bass and pulsing analog drum machines. 

Do you find it hard to find a balance between all the sounds you work with? 

I've been working for over a year on finding the best set up for this.  It keeps changing, but getting coordination and working with these limitations is actually fun.  It's like a puzzle to try and figure out how to play bass when I want to, and mess with effects and synths in the same song all while singing and keeping things relatively simple. 

You are about to release your EP titled “Orphan” tell us more about the title and the meaning behind it? 

The title "Orphan" is an archetype I've always identified with.  I have often felt estranged from strong group identification whether it's family, music or country.  On the flip side, orphan represents freedom to choose what you want for yourself without tribal bonds.

What inspired the album/EP?  

 It's an introduction to the work I'm making on my own now.

When writing tracks and lyrics what serves as your muse?

It's pretty unpredictable.  I'll be spacing out , usually when I'm NOT at home trying to write music, and a lyric or melody will come.  Sometimes I'll be talking to my friends about something inspiring and one of us will say a phrase that will resonate with me and I'll have to write it down.  I also have an extremely vivid dream life and their themes often wind up in my music. 

Orphan was recorded on your own in Brooklyn and New Orleans over the last year, and more recently co-produced and mixed by Jim Orso (Holy Ghost!), Sal Principato (Liquid Liquid), Josh Ascalon, and Robin Macmillan how did the coproduction come to be?

Besides for "Another Life" which Robin and I worked on together last year, I brought in the others for mixing and final production decisions in June. 

As with everything we always have one favorite, which track of the EP has the most meaning to you and why?

You can't make me choose! They are all such a part of me.  The Abba cover was one of my earliest memories of a favorite song as a child.  "Well Well" probably holds the deepest groove for me. "Swords" uplifts and "Another Life" is nostalgic truth.

Since your sound is very electronic based do you have any electronic producers you look up to?

Many.....Kraftwerk, James Murphy, Brian Eno, Moroder, Matmos, Juan MacClean, Flying Lotus, David Byrne, Arca, Brian Eno...

Any Last Messages for your fans…

Hope to see you in South Africa.....! 

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us.  It has been an absolute pleasure. 

Stream/Share it via Soundcloud

Buy the EP via iTunes or Bandcamp

Layla and Yasmin