boy pablo – that lemon life

Meet GEM

Hola everyone.

God, it’s been so long since I last wrote down those two words. Way too long, to be completely honest with you. But I guess that happens when you are in the middle of your last year at university and also doing something very important and exciting on the side – the special something that I want to tell you all about today. First of all, I want to take the time to say that I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas and that, despite all the chaos that’s happening right now, you’re having a nice time with your loved ones. I’ve been back at home in Austria for two weeks now, spending some quality time with my family, but now we’re also back to a full lockdown, so I guess we’re all in the same boat (except for a few special ones… looking at you, Australia and New Zealand). Anyway, it’s been quite nice so far, but I’m also praying that I’ll be able to go back to London once the time has come, I really miss it. It’s actually pretty cool to have not one, but two places that you can call your home. I feel very lucky. Which also brings me back to what I wanted to show you all today.

I’m incredibly proud to present to you my very own magazine – GEM. Yes, I really did it. I went and launched my own magazine, with the help of my incredible friend Lauren, who is also my co-founder and co-editor, and our fantastic bunch of super talented writers, creatives and journalists. To be honest, even while I am typing this out, I cannot believe it is really true. I can’t even begin to explain how insanely excited and thrilled I am to share this with all of you. I have been dreaming about having my own magazine for so many years now and now it’s really become true.

So far, the whole experience has been nothing short of an insane dream. All of a sudden, I have this thing that belongs solely to me and that gives me the opportunities and freedom to interview my favourite bands and to review gigs and albums and so much more. It’s become my ultimate creative outlet and basically one of the most important parts of my life – even in such a short amount of time. And I mean, I’m not going to talk around the bush for long… having freaking Wallows on our first cover and then Nothing But Thieves, my ultimate loves, on our second one is just… I mean, that’s the material my brain usually comes up with during a dream at night or when I create a nice scenario in my head during a mellow ride on the top. Basically, it’s the stuff you usually make up, not the stuff that just becomes reality all of a sudden. But now it has become reality for me and I still can’t believe I’m now living a life where I can say I’ve already interviewed most of my favourite bands, and all of that for my very own magazine. Peak craziness, I’m telling you.

Naturally, I could spend all day and night telling you about the interviews and the overall insanity of this all, but I guess that would take a bit too long for all of us. What I can say though is that I loved every single one of them and that Conor, the lead singer from Nothing But Thieves is probably the most incredible person I’ve had the honour of talking to. Best interview of my life so far, without a doubt. Which makes me even prouder to have the guys on our cover – a band that has meant so much for me for so many years already. Not to mention that their album ‘Moral Panic’ is easily the best album of the year for me. What a gem (pun not intended… or maybe, yes).

As with all things that take up such a big part of your life, the magazine has kept me and Lauren busy all throughout the past months and also through the Christmas holidays, but it’s always been good busy. Of course it can sometimes get a bit much, especially if the world around you has been in flames for way too long, but I would never complain about the magazine. It means way too much for me to do that. And now that our second issue has been out for a month, we’re already busy working on the upcoming one, which will be out at the end of January. I already can’t wait to share it with the world and every single one of you, it will be a great one.

And now the moment has finally come for me to share the magazine with you all. The excitement is real, honestly. First of all, here are the links to our website, our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And here is the link to where you can read our latest issue online and here is a link to our shop where you can buy a print copy of the magazine if you would like to support us or if you are just a paper person, like me.

I truly hope that you like the magazine and enjoy reading it just as much as I do. Naturally, I would absolutely love to hear what you think, so please don’t hesitate to leave your feedback and comments down below or to get in touch with me to discuss it further. I’m excited to hear from you. And until then, I wish you all the best time and already a very exciting happy new year. Let’s hope 2021 will be a lot better than 2020 in a whole bunch of aspects. And yeah, sending you all the tightest hugs and, as always, thanks so much for reading. x

Everything You’ve Missed

Hola everyone.

Holy hell, I can’t believe it’s been almost three weeks since my last post. I’m so so so sorry for being gone for so long, but trust me, once I get everything off my chest and have told you everything that has happened the past few days, you will start to understand why I was gone for so long. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been this busy in my whole life. I guess that comes with getting older, right?

Anyway, I hope all of you have been well the past few weeks and that the dread of life and the upcoming lockdowns (they’re everywhere, even here in London) hasn’t been pushing down on you all too much. I know it’s a rather difficult time for us all right now and I think I’m not the only one currently wishing for everything to get better soon. Actually, it’s quite freaky, because the past few weeks have been the best and kind of also some of my worst in my life and, not to be dramatic or anything, but my mind has been rather confused. But let me start right at the beginning.

As mentioned in my past few posts, I’ve recently taken on the role as the editor-in-chief of my university’s magazine called LDN and, to be honest, it has probably been the most fun but also hardest work I’ve ever done. Working a shift until 5 am at a bar is nothing compared to this. Because after the shift, you’re at least done with work, but with a magazine the work just never stops. Ever. I remember the night we had to hand in the finished first issue, Lauren and I stayed up until 7 am to finish the mag in time for it to be printed by the day we wanted. And although this probably sounds really horrible to many, it was so much fun. Because I was actually spending time doing what I love the most – writing about music and sharing that love with the world. And this whole process has kind of made me realize that there is a potential there that needs to be utilized. So now, Lauren and I are actually thinking about creating our own magazine, which is extremely exciting. We’re still in the planning phase, but I’m so excited I had to share it with you.

Included in all this excitement of the past few weeks are also the three amazing interviews I’ve had with Wallows, Boy Pablo and, believe it or not, Nothing But Thieves. Before I get all serious about them, please excuse me for a short fangirl moment…

HOLY FREAKING SHIT I INTERVIEWED CONOR FROM NOTHING BUT THIEVES. AND BOY PABLO, THE CUTEST GUY EVER. AND WALLOWS, A BAND I’VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTED TO. HOLY MOLY. OH MY GOD.

As you can probably imagine, all three interviews were absolutely freaking fantastic. And it’s not just about me meeting the bands I love, but also about having real conversations with real people and I will truly cherish all these moments that I got to share with these phenomenal human beings for my entire life. Not to mention that my chat with Conor was without a doubt the best interview I’ve had so far – he’s truly the smartest, most self-aware person I’ve ever met – and their newest album “Moral Panic” is without exaggeration my favourite of the whole year (long-ish and very exciting album review to be posted on Friday, so please stay tuned for that). Please all go listen to it, it’s so so so good. And there are so many stories hidden in the lyrics, I’ve been listening to the album for a month now and still find hidden meanings. But apart from that, all these experiences made and still make me feel so lucky to be doing what I’m doing and to be spending my time like this. Talking to PRs, getting albums sent to me before the official release, talking to my favourite humans. It’s all truly insane. And although none of it is really my job yet, I know that I’ve found what I want to spend my life doing. I haven’t found anything in my life that fulfills me as much as that – and if gigs were actually a thing right now, I probably would be so happy, that I’d annoy the hell out of everyone. Not even joking.

Obviously, there is also the dread of said lockdown that is coming up, but with all this work and our plans of starting a magazine up and uni work on top, I feel like I won’t even notice that much of a change. That might sound stressful, but in times like these I feel lucky to be busy, otherwise I would probably spend my days watching one tv show after the other and that’s not really something to happily look back to, right? On top of that, I’m lucky enough to be living with my friends, so we are still able to have a good time, even if we can’t go to restaurants anymore or the cinema. Also, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t expecting another lockdown. I remember when I talked to Conor, he mentioned having the feeling there might be one on the come up and I couldn’t really believe it, but here we are. Told you, a very smart man.

And yeah, besides that nothing much has been happening. I think all of us have successfully settled into the flat and after our trip to Ikea a few days ago, it now truly looks and feels like ours as well. And although the past month definitely can’t be compared to what life was like last year – one filled with trips to the cinema, my job at Electric and countless gigs – I can’t really complain. I’ve loved my time back in London so far and it’s been nothing but pure bliss to live with Lauren and my friends. So I think I’m truly lucky.

Naturally, I hope you also feel a sense of happiness, despite how crazy life is right now. I know the current global situation can drag anyone down really easily, so I just hope you’re all alright. Please remember I’m always here if you need someone to talk to – I’m a good listener. And until then, I hope you enjoyed this post and me babbling on about work and my interviews. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. Oh, and I wish you all a happy belated Halloween. And I wish you all a lovely week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part Four

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Friday, to my blog and, believe it or not, the end of August. Can you believe it’s really nearly September? Because I can’t. I mean, today was my last day at work and in three weeks I’ll already be on my way to London. How crazy is that? I can’t believe it’s all happening so fast. But on the other hand, I’m also very very very excited. I’ve dreamed about living in London for over eight years and now it’s really finally happening. To say that I’m almost bursting of happiness would be an understatement. Which also goes for how I’m feeling right now and regarding what I want to tell you guys all about today. Because today, we’re proudly continuing the Sziget festival series and I couldn’t be any happier about it. I hope so far you’ve also enjoyed reading about my time at the festival and that you’re just as much looking forward to hearing all about day 6 as I am to sharing it all with you. It was a phenomenal day. Please enjoy.

Day 6

It all started off with me waking up and immediately planning my outfit. It had to be a good one, a fairy-tale-like one, because it would be the day we’d finally be seeing the angel Florence Welch, aka Florence + The Machine, who is the ultimate fairy, let’s be honest. So, the outfit had to be good. And practical, because it would also be a day of actually sprinting from one gig to another. It was the most packed day of the whole week, I think in total we went to seven different shows. Yes, you read that right. SEVEN. In one single day. You can probably imagine now in what kind of stress we were on that day. I mean, it was the best stress you can think of, but it was still stress. Stress from excitement. I don’t know.

Despite the heat though, I was extremely looking forward to all of the shows, especially to Florence and to Tom Odell and Catfish and The Bottlemen and probably most of all Boy Pablo. I actually found him, or let’s rather say the band, because of the lineup, while I was checking out all the acts. I fell in love immediately. The music they make is exactly what I usually like to listen to. It just fits perfectly. And little did I know that that gig would be one of the funniest ones I’ve ever been to.

But before I get into this, let’s first start right at the beginning. Not to be dramatic or anything, but I think that Monday was actually the hottest day of the whole week. And after already having gone through five days of music and the sun trying to burn us all alive, you could definitely feel how we all were dreaming about a few clouds popping up here and there. Do you know these pictures of the Sahara where all the wild animals, Zebras, Lions and so on, are all lying under the trees, hiding in the few spots of shade they could find? That’s exactly how the island looked when we got there. Everyone was lying under a tree, either asleep or listening to the band playing on the stage in front of them. And here comes another aspect of why I love Sziget so much – the actual island is freaking beautiful. It’s literally the perfect place for a festival. A huge park that has everything you need and that’s located in the middle of Budapest, but that can still be closed off from the rest of the city. Honestly, it’s absolutely perfect. And definitely much better than just that plain field you usually get with most festivals.

And as it was so hot and we were one of those people who were going into their sixth day, we did just the same as them and sat down underneath a tree and just listened to the band playing in front of us. And shortly after that, it was already time for us to head to the main stage to see Tom Odell. That show was especially cool for me, because I had already seen him back in 2016 when I was still living in Berlin, and because he also went to BIMM. A guy, who had also gone to my university, was playing on the main stage at my favourite festival. You can’t dream up stuff like this, I swear. Obviously, he was absolutely amazing. I don’t know how he does it, but whenever I hear his voice live, I immediately get goosebumps everywhere. The power he has.

Unfortunately, we had to leave midway through his set, because Boy Pablo were just about to start playing and they were my number one priority on that day. And boy, they did not let me down. I can’t really think of a gig where I laughed that much in the space of one hour. I’m not even kidding, I really cried tears from laughing, that’s how weird and funny these guys were. I can’t really pinpoint one specific thing that made the whole gig so funny, but I can tell you who the definite highlight was – Erik, their pianist and background singer, who, funnily enough, did much more than that on that day. He played the triangle, the tambourine, the bongos, heck, he even played some maracas-like-shaker. This guy did everything. And on top of that he literally had the most fun on stage and danced and jumped around like crazy. At one point, he literally put on some freaky sunglasses and put his towel on his head and into a turban. That’s how he played one song. And I might add that some white shorts and shoes were the only other pieces of clothing he was wearing. I almost fell over from laughing. I also have to mention that all of these guys are around my age and just getting started as a band and you could actually see how much they were enjoying themselves. They even had a dance-off on stage, during their set. How crazy is that? Honestly, I absolutely adored them. And taking in all that happiness in that tent made me love them even more and made me want to see them again as soon as possible. After over two weeks that have passed, their concert still remains one of the highlights of the whole week. I’ll definitely never forget that set. Never ever.

But of course, the fun didn’t just end there. After that, we went over to another stage to see Bosse, a german band I’ve been wanting to see for quite some time now, and then Catfish and The Bottlemen, who were absolutely fantastic as well. I remember standing there, watching their set and finally realizing that they were exactly what had still been missing from the lineup – good, old indie rock. That’s what I had been secretly craving the whole week and they gave me exactly what I needed.

In total, these are all the amazing acts we got to see on that day:

I Love You Honey Bunny
Big Thief
Tom Odell
Boy Pablo
Bosse
Catfish and The Bottlemen
Florence + The Machine

Obviously, Florence was the ultimate highlight, right after Boy Pablo. God, she was absolutely breathtaking. Thankfully, mum and I managed to get ourselves a good spot to watch the show from, right at the second barrier, and it was just so lovely. I felt like I was in my own safe space as soon as she got on stage. The whole crowd became one big family, with Florence as our queen. I loved the energy she brought and how she interacted with us. I felt so included, like I was part of the show, part of the magic. And it might not be that relevant, but I absolutely adored the dress she was wearing. Just like I said at the beginning of the post – she’s a fairy. She doesn’t just sound and look like a fairy, she really is one. And her voice is the most magical thing of them all. The concert wasn’t just a gig like any other. It was an experience. An inclusive experience, full of love and freedom and magic. I loved every second of it. And I need to thank Florence and her phenomenal band for turning this Monday into such a fairytale-like evening.

And that pretty much was the whole day number 6. Besides the concerts, mum and I also got to screenprint our own shirts, which was super cool as well. I’ve actually been proudly wearing the shirt every few days and the whole thing also got me into the idea of cutting all the shirts I’m not so keen on wearing, but would definitely wear if they just looked a bit different, even if they were just a bit cropped. So, thanks for giving me that idea, Sziget.

Just like all the previous days, I absolutely loved spending time on this island, surrounded by happiness and love and music and people just like me. No wonder I‘m addicted to concerts and festivals. Why leave heaven? And while we were walking back home, away from the very same island, the very same heaven, I knew that the last day would be the one last high I had been waiting for this whole time. The day I’d finally be seeing Twenty One Pilots, my boys, Ty and Josh. The excitement was through the roof. And, without exaggeration, it also is right now, because I can’t wait to tell you all about that day. It was unbelieveable. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post anything on Monday, as I’ll be away from home, but you can already prepare yourselves for next Friday. And until then, I hope you enjoyed reading all about day 6 of Sziget. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below and I wish you all a lovely weekend and week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

2018: Wrapped

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Music Saturday (yeah, it’s Saturday today, just go with it). And yes, I know, shouldn’t there be a ‘New’ in there? And yes, you’re right, there usually should, but this time I left it out on purpose, because today is a very special Music Day. Because, just as the year is coming to an end, it’s also time to wrap up the year music-wise. And what a year 2018 was. A year full of amazing music. Special music. Exciting music. It’s all in there, in the folder of 2018, waiting to be discovered by you.

And just as every year, the lovely people of Spotify made it a lot easier for us all to wrap this year up. Since getting myself a premium account, the yearly statistics of my own musical behavior have been a highlight for me and something I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. And just like the two years before, they are more than accurate. But have a look for yourself.

I might just have to add that Tom has now been my favorite artist for two years straight and, honestly, I’m not surprised, not even a bit. Tom is simply an incredible artist and I absolutely adore his music. It’s that type of music that just fits every occasion. Whether it’s when I’m cooking, writing, going for a walk, shopping in the mall or just chilling, I can always have it on and it will always fit perfectly. That’s just what Tom does. He makes perfect music. And I feel more than honored and grateful that I’ll finally get to see him live next year in London. I can’t wait, honestly.

And besides that, the whole statistics are pretty much spot on. We all know why Ed is on there (obviously), The Academic were a huge phase for me at the beginning of this year due to their amazing show in Vienna (I still am deeply in love with their music, of course) and both Hippo Campus and TØP released two breathtaking albums, which, by the way, are the top two albums of the year for me. Nothing can beat those two, nothing. At least for me.

So, overall, the statistics don’t really surprise me in any way, they just make me endlessly happy. I love that I got to spend 21.538 minutes listening to amazing music this year and that I got to share most of that fantastic music with you guys. Music is just such a huge part of my life and now that I’m on my way of turning exactly that part into my career, I’m just even more thankful and happy. This is all very crazy and very special to me. And at the end of the day it’s all thanks to those incredible bands and artists out there who produce and create this art so we can all go and listen to and enjoy it.

But, as this is a Music Day, we still of course have to get to the music part. And just as every year, I thought I’d create a little playlist of my favorite tracks of 2018. Some might not be from this year, they might be really old, and some might be so new that I’ve just stumbled over them a few days ago, but just love so much that they need to be in this list. Every single song has a special meaning to me, some may even be connected to a certain memory or moment of this year. Some may be new to you, some may won’t, as I might have already shared them with you. But, in total, they all mean a lot to me and I dearly hope you enjoy them just as much as I do.

Jumpsuit – Twenty One Pilots

If there is one song that completely blew my mind this year, then it’s this one right here.

Pictures of Girls – Wallows

According to Spotify, this is the song I’ve listened to the most this year and, frankly, I’m not surprised at all.

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Live Outside – Enter Shikari

Completely fell for this one right here after hearing it live. Way too good to not listen to it. Way too good.

Bambi – Hippo Campus

Like Jumpsuit, this one once again completely surprised me, in the best way possible. Such a bop, honestly. The whole album is.

Surprise Yourself – Jack Garratt

I rediscovered this one a few months ago and can’t get enough of it ever since. This is literal art.

Tough – Lewis Capaldi

Lewis is definitely my musical find of the year. I’m so so so glad that I discovered him, he’s honestly such a gem. And yes, he is this good live. Breathtaking, I know.

Love It If We Made It – The 1975

Although I’m not a big fan of the album overall, this song has completely won my heart. It feels a bit like we’re back in 2013 and I love that.

Neon Gravestones – Twenty One Pilots

Lyrically this is the most important song of the year for me. Once you get behind the meaning of the lyrics, this song turns into this one special piece of art that will definitely go down in history. It’s that important. And this band is that important. Also, listen to Tyler’s voice. Please listen. Holy moly.

Hope There’s Someone – Avicii

I thought about leaving this space here blank and only adding a little caption at the end just like with the ones before. But I just can’t. 2018 is coming to an end now and although, music-wise, there have been so many incredible moments, I just want to take a second right here and once again remind us all of the fact that there were also some really heartbreaking moments. And for me, the most crushing one was definitely loosing the bright star called Tim Bergling aka Avicii. I felt my heart break the moment I heard about it this April and it’s just now that I notice how tears are rolling down my cheeks writing this and listening to this song and reminding myself of the fact that we really lost him. Tim was such an important part of my musical life and I still can’t fully believe he’s gone. But I know that he will never be forgotten because of his music. He’ll live on forever, in our hearts and on the dance floors of this world. But still, Tim, I miss you. Every single day.

There are no words.

Ain’t Coming Home – Badflite

Apart from Marty’s releases, this is probably my favorite track from the empire called STMPD Records. Listen to it and you’ll know why.

Flowerss – HALFNOISE

This is definitely one of those special tracks that I will forever have a special place in my playlist, it’s just way too extraordinary to ever forget about it.

Bear Claws – The Academic

What can I say? They’re The Academic and this is just a bop right here. Can’t get enough of it.

Y2k – The Montreals

If you haven’t given The Montreals a listen until now, please please do immediately. They’re one of those bands you really have to look out for in 2019.

Alright – Lacuna Bloome

I actually have to thank BIMM for introducing me to this band, as, believe it or not, this here is actually a band from my university. How amazing is that? And how freaking awesome is the song? Pure indie goodness.

Waiting For Tomorrow – Martin Garrix & Pierce Fulton ft. Mike Shinoda

I know I’ve already talked about this, but I’ve literally been waiting for this song forever. But the wait was so worth it. So damn good.

Butter – Leyya

Please, everyone, go and listen to this while driving and turn the volume all the way up. It’s literally the coolest feeling.

Feeling Lonely – boy pablo

This is actually my most recent find, thanks to the breathtaking lineup of next year’s Sziget festival. Thanks Sziget, can’t wait to spend a week with you next year.

Woes – Tom Rosenthal

Last but surely not least – incredibly sad and incredibly beautiful – just like everything that Tom does. And yes, of course he had to be part of this list. He should be part of everyone’s list.

So yeah guys, there you go. Those are my favorite songs of 2018 and the tracks that made this year the years it was and is. As I said, all of them have a special meaning to me and I love them all with every cell of my body. And I really really hope you enjoy them too. Also, I’m already so excited for what’s to come in 2019.

As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And if you’ve got your Spotify statistics too, please do share them with me, I’d love to read them. Especially as I think that the music people listen to can tell you a lot about them too. Let’s be honest, music always was and still is something very intimate and personal and plain special. And that’s what I love so much about it.

Besides that, I hope you’re all doing good and wish you a nice rest of the weekend. I’m actually on my way home right now, so home home and I’m literally so damn excited. I can’t believe I haven’t been home for nearly three months. It feels like both the longest and the shortest period of time ever. And I can’t wait to finally see my pets again. Oh my god. And then it’s Christmas. God, I’m so excited. Anyways, like I said, I hope you’re all doing good and that you enjoyed this post right here. And, as always, thanks so much for reading.

Ps: On another note, something very very VERY exciting happened yesterday. Yes, you guessed right – the new Avengers trailer is out. Welcome to Avengers: Endgame. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this trailer and now that it’s finally here, I can’t wrap my head around it. There’s literally nothing happening in it, but at the same time, everything is happening. And we all know that the scene at the beginning might be the death of me. I swear to everything and everyone, if they kill Tony, I’m gonna sue someone for my mental and emotional suffering. I’m not even kidding. Just please let this guy have a kid and retire with Pepper in peace. Can we please do that? Thank you.