2023-05-25 09:30:00
The singer BAIBA comes from Latvia and has been living in Innsbruck for 9 years, where she started working on her music career as soon as she arrived. With success, as their two albums “These Storms” and “Lighter” show, which not only raised a lot of dust in Germany but also internationally. The next step follows with the forthcoming EP “Compulsive” (release: May 26th). What makes them part of the program are strong, honest, danceable pop songs that provide a deep insight into the artist’s fears and doubts. And not in a deadly serious, but quite funny way. In an interview with Michael Ternai, BAIBA talked regarding her love for pop, the healing effect of humor and recognizing her own limits.
If you listen to your new EP “Compulsive”, you have the feeling that you have arrived with your new songs where you have wanted to be for a long time.
Baiba: Yes, I have this feeling too. My earlier songs were still characterized by a certain shyness. I felt like I can’t let out everything I want. Over time, however, this shyness has disappeared more and more. With every song I became a little braver and therefore more honest. At the same time, I cared less and less regarding what other people say. Positive feedback used to be extremely important to me. If I didn’t get any, I was immediately unsure. This is different now. I’ve gotten to the point where a song should first and foremost appeal to me. And since I’ve basically been a huge pop fan for a long time, “Compulsive” has also become a bit more pop than the old stuff.
Poppy yes, but in a very diverse way. None of the four songs sounds like the other. Your voice holds everything together.
Baiba: Yes, that’s right. That’s important to me too. I didn’t and don’t want to set any limits in this regard. The songs can go in all directions, whether it’s electro-pop or indie-pop, as is the case on “Compulsive”.
“I just found that I feel better when I write positive songs, even if they deal with heavier topics.”
In addition, your new songs convey very positive vibes.
Baiba: I just realized that I feel better when I write positive songs, even if they deal with heavier topics. I find the whole process easier in general. Writing songs, making videos, which means a lot of effort and expense. It was important to me that this dark component that runs through the songs is expressed with a certain lightness. If you have fun in the studio and also during the video shoot, then this mood-enhancing and dynamic note, this drive, comes all by itself. According to the motto: Now everything will be cool, although nothing is actually cool at the moment.
Are those positive vibes perhaps the biggest difference from what you did before?
Baiba: I released the last album “Lighter” in 2020, i.e. during the Corona period. The album had a much more pop touch than my debut, but the atmosphere was rather heavy and dark. The time and the big separation I went through at the time certainly played a big role. At some point following that, however, I got the feeling that I didn’t want to take myself so seriously. I just wanted to enjoy the concerts, the work on the songs and the recording in the studio and I wanted to make fun of myself a little bit. I’m a always a little compulsive person, I have my OCD and I’m always a little neurotic as well. I just wanted to play with it.
When I then to Christoph [Holzknecht; Anm.], my producers, went into the studio, we developed the idea together to deal with these rather difficult topics in the songs in a different way. Not in a serious way, but in a funny and ironic way.
And that’s how it happened. The songs were created in a very uncomplicated and easy way. We walked into the studio with a case of beer and we just got going. This relaxed atmosphere has led to the fact that I was also able to write a song regarding my excessive perfectionism. A very personal topic in and of itself. And the consistently positive feedback I received showed that this approach was the right one. Many people have written to me on Instagram who have experienced similar things and think it’s great that I deal with these topics so openly and ironically.
That means humor and wit are essential for you.
Baiba: In any case. Sometimes I feel a bit ridiculous too. And I wanted to show that I can be proud of this side of myself too. Basically everyone has a ridiculous side. That’s perfectly okay. You can joke regarding some things. And I tried to translate this feeling into my music. People should also be able to dance and move to my songs, even if they ultimately deal with topics that are maybe a bit more serious.
“I’m currently learning that it’s also okay not to do everything yourself, but also to hand over some things.”
You mentioned that besides writing the songs you also do the videos. In general, you get the impression that you are responsible for almost everything.
Baiba: You hit a sore spot there. It’s really become a bit much. I actually had a burnout last winter. I really had a lot of concerts and was kind of driven to keep writing new songs, which I did. But at some point I realized that I had reached my limits and had less and less energy. I’m in the process of learning my limits. I am very thankful that over the years I have found people who I enjoy working with and who support me. I’m currently learning that it’s okay not to do everything yourself, but to sell some things.
The burnout I had is actually almost symbolic of the EP. I wrote a song at the last moment that didn’t end up on the EP, but it deals with the subject of burnout. But also with a lot of humor and in a very pop style. The song might come out soon.
All these things are always a learning process. What helps me a lot is that more and more artists are talking openly regarding their problems and also exchanging ideas with each other. That takes a lot of pressure off. For example, I used to think that I should be grateful if I got an offer for a concert. I was of the opinion that I absolutely had to agree. Now I know it’s okay to turn down an offer like that. I also believe that women put more pressure on themselves when it comes to things like this, to the extent that they think they have to do everything themselves and have to play every concert.
You came to Austria from Latvia nine years ago and, as far as your music career is concerned, practically started from scratch. How surprised are you that you were able to gain a foothold in the music scene so quickly? Could you imagine that?
Baiba: No of course not. I didn’t have high hopes for that. I’ve always wanted to make music, but if I’m honest I have to say that I wasn’t that good back then either. I did have a voice back then, but if you listen specifically to the first album, you can tell that I was already lacking in self-confidence. As a result, I took singing lessons and also dealt with producing. So the ambition was already there, but I didn’t really think regarding it. I just wanted to do something with other people. That community feeling was something I missed in Latvia. Innsbruck made it easy for me in that regard. The city is manageable and allowed me to build a network quite quickly and get people on board who wanted to help me. There were just so many people who believed in me. That gives me a nice feeling. And I hope that one day I can give something back to them.
Is what you create here musically actually noticed in your home country? Do they know you there?
Baiba: Let’s put it this way: the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I have a press person there and all my releases are available too. My songs are also played on the radio. It’s just that people don’t perceive me as a Latvian artist when they hear a song of mine on the radio. That was the case with my song “You don’t know me”, which went very well in Latvia. However, he was not associated with a Latvian artist. That’s probably because I haven’t played there for a long time. I won’t have my first performance at a festival in Latvia until this summer. And this will really be my first as Baiba be. Now I’m apparently ready for it.
Thank you very much for the conversation.
Michael Ternai
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Baiba live
05/26 The Bakery, Innsbruck, EP Release Show
01.06. Superbude, Vienna / Pratertones x SOFAR SOUNDS
21.06. Music Pavilion, Linz
22.06. Hildegard, Kirchdorf
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Links:
Baiba
Baiba (Facebook)
Baiba (Instagram)
Baiba (Superplus)
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