the journey

Born in 1997 in a small town called Detmold in Germany, I grew up in a British-German household.

In my younger years, my parents worked a lot, so they weren’t as present as they would have wished to be. I was always someone who stayed quietly occupied, playing with toys for hours. So being alone didn’t bother me, as it allowed me to create my own little world.

In my world, my ears were very attracted to any noise, as I’d wait for the sound of the key to touch the lock of the door for my parents to come home.

I would listen out for signs of them arriving, like the squeaky gate opening in the garden or the engine of the car driving past our house through the window.

My imagination would let me draw a picture in my mind for every sound that I would hear. I’d create my own little movies just by closing my eyes and listening. It’s a shame we never had popcorn at home...

We weren’t the best communicators, so words were never easy for me. What my parents did communicate, though, was that the long working hours were necessary to provide my brother and me with the essentials.

From the age of seven, I’d always notice a guitar shop around the corner from our place. Every time we passed the shop, my brother would catch me window-shopping. I would stare at the head of one of the guitars, which had my initial written on it.

We never had much money, so asking for a guitar was kind of a big deal at home. I wished for one anyway and remained patient...

A year later, my brother Liam introduced me to Michael Jackson. I was so inspired by his dance moves and the emotion in his music that I wanted to dance and create feelings just like he did.

During my Michael Jackson discovery phase, I spent hours watching my brother write, record, and produce music.

Having access to his recording equipment sparked my own creativity and made me want to express myself through music too.

I looked up to him a lot and would take every piece of advice he handed down to me close to my heart.

After turning 11 in 2008, I met a teacher who became an important mentor in my life. He encouraged my passion through continuous support, by giving guitar tips and by sharing valuable life lessons along the way.

Without me knowing, my mum and brother chipped in to surprise me with the guitar from the shop.

That was the beginning of everything...

As my guitar playing developed, I discovered a love for drumming. I had access to percussion instruments in the school band, where I occasionally played the congas.

Feeling the drumhead with the tips of my fingers gave me a completely different connection to music than I had before. So, when my dad bought a drum kit for himself shortly after, I was able to take the experiences I had gained in school and explore even more on the drum kit at home.

By the age of 14, I was writing my own songs, producing them with the tools from my brother, and uploading them to YouTube.

During an internship at a music store, I met my friend Benny. We made music together and decided to start a band named Contrast (2013).

After finishing secondary school in 2014, I went to a college focused on design, film, and other media.
There, I could learn how to turn the movies I imagined with my eyes closed as a child into storyboards and bring them to life.

Meanwhile, the band was picking up and it opened the door to my first stage experiences, where I expanded my musical taste by diving into pop-punk and rock.

Performing live transformed my mindset from making music alone in my bedroom to creating for an audience.

By 2015, we were playing local competitions and earning recognition, but as time passed, our musical tastes evolved and we drifted apart.

I began exploring my own sound again, which led to the release of my solo album, Clarity, in 2016.

In 2018, while working on more solo projects, I experimented with EDM, trap, and other modern pop sounds. During this time, I finished college and applied for full-time jobs both in and out of town.

After moving to Hamburg for the new job as a graphic designer, I released my song, Wisdom, in 2019.

A spontaneous video shoot for that song introduced the yellow lighting that accidentally became the signature colour of my artistic identity.

In 2020, I moved into a small shed that became my most creative space yet. I made more music than ever, with growing streams and constant content creation, while working full-time at the agency. I felt completely burnt out by the end of the year.

The following years I collaborated with more musicians, reconnected with old friends, and eventually stepped away from social media, which helped me ease into a more balanced life.

The social media break helped me bond with my family and deepen my relationship back then.

A game-changer was switching to part-time at the agency to have more capacity for my music.

This marked a new chapter as I moved into my first proper apartment. It was the perfect chance to rebuild my musical world after taking a long break to focus on myself. I also rediscovered childhood passions like painting, other DIY projects, and even playing the drums again.

Being disconnected from social media gave my mind the space to finally tackle the things I usually pushed aside: dedicated piano and vocal exercises to sharpen my skills, investing in new plugins, and optimising my music production workflow.

Piano remained a central focus, and I even took on my first student to teach piano, singing, and guitar. I dove deep into the craft of mixing, taking courses to truly understand how to use nerdy things like compressors and other music production tools for future projects.

I finished building the studio, added new gear and instruments, and turned it into a place where I genuinely enjoy making music, whether I'm working with others or by myself.

At the same time, my work at the agency became more focused on working with AI tools, which didn’t align with my values anymore.

When I thought back to my childhood and how connected I was to my craft, I remembered that real-life skills were what first got me on stage...

I knew I needed to find my way back to that.

The time I spent staring out of the office window eventually became too much. I caught myself daydreaming about my projects instead of being present. My output was decreasing at the agency, and I had the feeling that I was holding back my team at times. I didn't feel comfortable with that at all.

So I left the office job to get back to my passion and make a living from helping other musicians with my craft.

After this long journey, I've come to realise that my childhood self was probably closer to my dreams than where I ended up.

At a young age, I was amazed by the simplicity that I could touch, hear, or feel around me.

So I will continue to stand for realness in a world of AI:

With honest music productions that have imperfections in them. Skills developed over years, using my hands, ears, and instincts. Not to forget the playfulness in my work to continue to make my younger self proud.

If that resonates with you, I'd love to connect.

Let's create something emotional. 💛