A Chat with Deltawelle (06.11.23)
A rising act in not only their native Germany but across the globe, Deltawelle blends elements of shoegaze, synth-pop and new wave into an obscure signature style. We speak with frontman and guitarist Franz Schneeweiß about Deltawelle’s new EP Sentiments, bi-lingual songs, theme songs and future plans.
OSR: Cliché but what drew you to music? How did Deltawelle come about?
Schneeweiß: When I was 13, I was able to rehearse in a rock band once. That was a great experience. Since that time I have not wanted to forget it again. Further, some really good concerts/ festivals had inspired me to keep on making music (the last concert was Robocup Kraus in Leipzig). For me, it is an exchange of good energy, which is given and taken. Recently, I had a good conversation with a friend about this. With music, you can conserve the things going on in your mind. You can express inner conflicts that are sometimes not possible to talk about. Also, imaginations and dreams could settle down, and years later, you could look back and see.
Deltawelle is describing a status of existing, that is between dreaming and living. Many ideas come unexpectedly from the subconscious, often just before sleep, which also explains the name DELTAWELLE. I therefore named the band after a brainwave that the brain generates during the deep sleep phase.
OSR: You have recently released your EP Sentiments. What can you tell us about the EP? Is there a theme or backstory?
Schneeweiß: The single ‘Sentiments’ tells of dream walking in emotional chaos, being overwhelmed by
mood swings, being trapped in passivity. The second song ‘Retroviseur’ is about daydreaming and escaping reality. The song ‘Oublié’ describes a cautionary speech by space traveller Alexander Gerst. The EP ends with the ballad ‘Jusqu’à ce que le soleil se couche’ – two souls floating in the cosmos are portrayed in the song.
OSR: What is your creative process?
Schneeweiß: Different ways are coming together in that process. Mood is a really basic thing. I try to
recreate the mood with music. Having a stage at a jam session with friends or in a bar gives me some creative drive or ideas for songs. Sometimes I could start with a white paper. Sometimes I collect melodies that suddenly appear in my head before sleeping.
OSR: As a German group, the majority of your work has German lyrics, but Sentiments is French. Why did you opt to sing in French on this EP?
Schneeweiß: I became interested in learning French when I was in 9th grade. I was totally in love with a French girl. So I tried very hard to be better at the language. Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t allowed to go to France on the student exchange. I was very sad about that. But I always kept my interest and I always wanted to write a few songs in French.
Singing in a language other than your mother tongue opens up new linguistic possibilities that you were previously unaware of. And also the character of the singer’s voice changes a little bit. To express emotions, the French language is the best for me. Lightness, gravity and depth can be combined very well in this language.
OSR: Many artists I come across who have non-English songs choose to make at least one bi-lingual or completely English single. Do you think singing in English can be beneficial to a band? Would you consider taking this language route?
Schneeweiß: Good question, as if you could see into the future. We will release our next EPin English 😊
OSR: A final question about languages – how many languages can you speak?
Schneeweiß: I can speak English and French (semi-safe).
OSR: Some random questions: if you had a theme song, what song would it be?
Schneeweiß: One of our own that we would have written? I would choose ‘Retroviseur’.
OSR: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
Schneeweiß: Believing in the good and holding on to good things.
OSR: What can we expect from Deltawelle in the future?
Schneeweiß: A lot, we have just started a journey and we are working to finish our next EP. We already
have five song ideas for the next album. 😊
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Schneeweiß: Stay strong + Hugs and love.
Many thanks to Franz Schneeweiß for speaking with us. For more from Deltawelle, check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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