A Chat with Labasheeda (11.01.24)
Tying together strands of punk with a noise rock weave and chaotic shimmers of passion clinging to their melodies, Dutch group Labasheeda breaks boundaries with their music. We speak with Saskia (vocals and violin) about their new album Blueprints, what music means to her, good advice and much more.
OSR: A very common question but what drew you to music? How did Labasheeda come about?
Saskia: I feel a need to create something myself whether it is art or music. When I was a kid I went to classical concerts with my father, that is why I got motivated to play the violin. I wanted to be on the stage as well. When I was older I went also a lot to rock concerts. And I listen a lot to music while drawing or painting.
When I started the band I was looking for musicians by placing an ad, that is how I found David (bass) and Paolo (drums). I met Arne, who I have worked with since 2006 by playing with his band on the same stage. When David moved to London Arne came into the band.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Saskia: The best thing for me is that you create a song from scratch, it almost comes to you. Music gives me hope, it makes me feel less alone. I hope we can transfer this feeling also to other people. Music is communication and can bring people together.
OSR: You recently released your album Blueprints. What can you tell us about the album? Is there a theme or backstory?
Saskia: Every song has a different theme. Some are about relationships like ‘Vanity’. ‘Fossils’ is a protest against the way we treat nature and about climate change. Sometimes the lyrics are a collage and kind of abstract, like in a painting.
OSR: If you could change anything about Blueprints, what would it be and why?
Saskia: Blueprints is the first album where I absolutely do not want to change anything. It is exactly how I want it to be.
OSR: You also released a music video for the song ‘Curiosity’. It’s a rather interesting one using cartoon images like someone constantly drawing something new. How did you decide on the concept?
Saskia: It was created by our daughter Laura, who is 15 years old. She is a very gifted drawer. She made around 780 drawings to create this video. We like that it is not pretentious and funny.
OSR: Random questions: What song (not necessarily your song) currently speaks to you the most?
Saskia: ‘Doubleflower’ by the Berlin-based band The Somnambulist (we play with them at K19 in Berlin on 2 February). They are such a great band live as well.
OSR: If you could have the attention of the world for one minute, what would you say?
Saskia: Let’s really tackle the climate crisis now and do things radically differently. Consume less, eat less meat and get rid of plastic and other unnecessary things. Start with yourself!
OSR: What advice do you have for new musicians?
Saskia: Don’t be fooled by ideas about how things should be done and stay true to yourself.
OSR: What can we expect from Labasheeda in the future?
Saskia: We will play many shows this year, there are already three tours scheduled (all tour dates are added to our agenda, www.labasheeda.nl/agenda, in case you are interested).
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Saskia: Please keep buying physical albums from bands, Spotify and other streaming services pay bands next to nothing. And visit shows. That is how you support bands and how we keep getting good music.
Many thanks to Saskia for speaking with us! Be sure to catch Labasheeda live on these dates:
30/1/24 Pits Pinte – Giessen
31/1/24 Frischzelle – Darmstadt
1/2/24 Kuze – Potsdam
2/2/24 K19 – Berlin
3/2/24 Jungbrunnen-Selb
4/2/24 Zentralwerk – Dresden
Find out more about Labasheeda via their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
