Sometimes I forget that while I’m chatting it up with musicians on line some of their other friends and fans might not be able to stay in touch as closely. So, hey, let’s catch up with Cecilee Linke – it’s been a while since our last interview …
Let’s get to know you, the artist and your music a little better. What attracted you to electronic music?
I consider myself a singer/songwriter with a synthesizer. I write, perform, and record my music, except that I like doing electronic music instead of exclusively acoustic music, which is what singer/songwriter music is usually associated with. I’ve always been a huge fan of synth pop and 80s music. I was the weird kid in high school who had pictures of Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran in her locker instead of the Backstreet Boys or N Sync! However, it never occurred to me that I would want to actually compose that kind of music. It took my husband suggesting that I do an 80s-sounding album that I decided to give it a try. And I haven’t looked back! I continue to use older-sounding synths in my music but I love pairing it with more modern sounds like dubstep beats. I also LOVE to sing in foreign languages, so I usually do a few French-language songs in my shows. I like to show people that foreign language music can be sung in a pop way and not just for art songs and classical pieces!
How long have you been making music? Have you been performing or sharing it with the public all that time?
I’ve been seriously making music for only about four years. Before then, I composed stuff, but I never shared it publicly. I was very shy about singing and sharing my music with people until a few years ago!
Who or what influences your writing and performance?
Oh man, so much! I’m influenced by electronic music and all its various subgenres. Coldwave. New Wave. Electropop. Trip-hop. Electroclash. House. Dubstep. Ambient. Chillwave. My husband plays electronic music while he writes in the evenings, so I get to hear all sorts of interesting sounds. I’m also influenced by my absolute favorite artist, the queen of quirky music, Kate Bush. She’s absolutely wonderful in the way she uses her voice and especially in how she layers it. Same with Goldfrapp. Their music is very quirky too and Goldfrapp has a really intriguing and cool voice.
It seems all creative people go through rough patches or writer’s block of some sort. What motivates you to keep going?
I just keep writing. Or I take a break from it for a while. I do that with my novels too. I don’t look at my novels until about two months after finishing the first draft. When it comes to a song, I might take a few weeks off from it and then return to see if I still feel the same. Sometimes you just have to take a break from it.
Were you trying to accomplish something different or specific with your latest project – creatively or otherwise?
I try to accomplish something new with every music project. For my latest album Where The Light Falls, I wanted to incorporate more interesting sounds and layer more of my voice. For my next album, which I’m working on now, I plan to write all in French. I’ve wanted to make a French-language album for years, and it’s about time I try!
What was the last song you listened to?
Eternal Triangle – Nothing But A Friend. They were a one-album wonder from 1984 and their song Nothing But A Friend is an absolute favorite 80s song of mine! I listened to that song while doing the dishes!
https://soundcloud.com/cecileemusic/regarder-les-nuages
Do you prefer a certain medium for listening – vinyl, CDs, mp3, reel-to-reel, Pono,(lol sort of)?
I don’t have a preference. I tend to listen more often on mp3 because I listen to music on my phone when I’m doing stuff around the house.
If you had to choose one place to host your music, would you prefer Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or … ?
Bandcamp, hands down. I wish everyone used Bandcamp. It’s free to upload music and I can add bonus tracks, hidden tracks, and all sorts of extras that I can’t do if I upload to iTunes. Plus the money goes right to the artist. I’m all about that!
Do you ever feel as if your tunes are lost in a sea of music? What are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract new listeners?
I think the biggest challenge for me in attracting new listeners is trying to get them to understand that electronic music is just as creative as any other genre of music. I met someone earlier this year at a local songwriter circle who basically told me that electronic music isn’t real music, that electronic music can’t be judged the same way as your usual singer/songwriter music. I never went back! If only she knew that doing electronic music takes a lot of work. Yes, it’s easier than ever to write electronic music, but it takes true talent to do it well. Plus, I write, record, and play everything. Not to mention there’s a lot of work that goes into tweaking sounds to make them different. I make it look easy, what I do with the Launchpad, but it takes practice since I’m singing live at the same time as I’m mixing.
Are you playing on live stages, clubs, bars, the local town picnic, festivals?
I play the occasional local open mic, but that’s it. There aren’t any venues around here that are open to the kind of music I play. I’d love to play on singer/songwriter nights, since that’s what I consider myself, but those events are acoustic-only.
Do you ever stream your performances over the net? Where can music lovers see you perform?
Oh yes! I LOVE performing over the net. It allows me to reach even more people, plus I can perform whenever I want and I don’t have to even leave my house! You can usually see me performing on Concert Window, but I’m also playing around with trying other websites too. I used to perform on StreetJelly, but my setup doesn’t work on their site anymore, so I use CW.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and/or discover more of your music?
The best place is my website, http://www.cecileelinke.com . There, you can find information about my music as well as my books! [https://www.amazon.com/Cecilee-Linke/e/B00BNO1UA6]
Can you share an anecdote or tale of woe or inspiration like a story about an out-of-touch club manager, your favorite fan interaction, broken busses, or you know… just some experience in your musical journey you’ll never forget?
I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences with fans. But I will never forget an interaction I had with a YouTube commenter. A random person had come across one of my concerts and in his comment, he complimented me on my vocals and my music. It made my day to read his comment!
Lighting Round
What’s your favorite ice cream?
Homemade mint ice cream! Has to be homemade because I like using mint from my garden. And fresh mint… There’s nothing like it!
Dream vehicle?
A Smart Car. I can’t help it. I love those tiny European cars!
Sailing yacht, catamaran, bass boat, or kayak?
I may live near water, but I never go on it. So none of the above!
Place on Earth you must visit some day
Southern France.
James Bond or Jason Borne?
James Bond
Bugs Bunny or Anime?
Anime
Favorite beer or beverage of pleasure?
Homemade mead. Mmmmmmm yummy!
Left with a choice of one instrument, which would you keep?
Piano!
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
I’m gonna quote Neil Gaiman here: “This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.” Sure, he’s talking about writing novels, but I think this applies to anything creative. You have to just sit down and create.
