In this episode Natalia talks to La Nefera. She is a multifaceted musician, artist and rapper. We discuss the challenges of moving to Switzerland from Dominican Republic as a child, using her music to speak for those without a voice and the healing that comes from being able to party. About La Nefera La Nefera is a Swiss musician with Dominican roots. As frontwoman and a member of various band formations (LA NEFERA, KALLEMI & ERROR 404), she has performed on national and international stages. She was awarded the 2020 music promotion award from Canton Baselland. In addition to her music, La Nefera is strongly committed to social issues, especially networking and the empowerment of women and she is a qualified and experienced social worker. TRACK 1: No Se I Lyricist: Jennifer Perez I Composer: Victor Hege, Manuel Tröhler, Alberto Garcia TRACK 2: Cuerpo y Alma I Lyricist: Jennifer Perez I Composer: Victor Hege, Manuel Tröhler, Alberto Garcia La Nefera's Influences Audience Questions If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks to Muriel Rhyner, who is the bass guitarist and lead singer of the band Delilahs. She is an intrinsic part of the Helvetiarockt team, organising songwriting workshops, band workshops and producing weekends. Muriel has many years’ experience in the music industry from being signed at 16 years old to touring around the world with her band the Delilahs.  She shares with us what she’s learned over the years, including how to say no and standing up for yourself and rebuilding the reputation of her band after the early hype. She shares with us two songs from Delilahs, ‘Queen’ and ‘Wheels’. About Muriel Rhyner Once you have fallen in love with Punk, you won't be able to leave easily...  Let’s go back to 2004, the year zero of Delilah's, when Isabella Darling (formerly Eder) and Muriel Rhyner first met. They shared a passion for punk rock. In 2008 Daniel Fischer and Philipp Rhyner completed the bands formation, they brought more love for loud guitars and speedy drums, inspired by the 1977 punk era England. The quartet has released four studio albums and an EP and has played around 650 live shows. From small to large venues all over Switzerland and Europe, they are nested somewhere between mainstream and subculture. In 2013 Delilah's formed the live side-project DELILAHS’77, where they celebrate their favorite punk rock songs, including classics from The Clash, The Skids, X-Ray Spex, The Undertones, Ramones and many many more. Whenever the itch for excessive volume and Czech beer arises DELILAHS’77 pack their gear and hit the road from here to Prague to Berlin and back, playing some of the oldest and most iconic underground clubs. In 2021 they released an EP with 4 Cover-Songs including "Wheels", where they also cover one of their own tracks "wheels". TRACK 1: QUEEN - Written by Muriel Rhyner & Delilahs. Taken from Album PAST TRUE LUST // 2014. TRACK 2: WHEELS - Written by Muriel Rhyner. Taken from the EP DELILAHS vs DELILAHS’77 // 2021. ISRC: CH6542109614 Muriel Rhyner's Influences Audience Questions If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia speaks to Melisa Su who is a Club DJ, Producer and co-founder of the record label, ‘Mirror Records’.  She is also a coach and the Helvetiarockt Music Lab DJ Workshop. We discuss the feelings of anxiety and nervousness when DJing, moving to Bern from her native Ankara, Turkey and the effect that had on her career.  She also talks about her Game Theatre projects and shares with us her latest track, ‘Altels’. About Melisa Su Melisa Su was born in 1992, Ankara. She discovered electronic music In her college years. Her interest in electronic music – and especially in Techno - grew very fast and she improved her DJing skills. Since 2011, she played at different venues and festivals in İstanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. She was also resident DJ and music coordinator at various venues in Ankara and played before some World-famous DJs like Oliver Koletzki, Charlotte De Witte, Sezer Uysal. Since 2017 she is based in Bern and continues to DJ at Swiss Clubs and Festivals. In her sets, she usually plays Techno and Acid Techno. In addition to music, she worked as an actress at the Ankara State Theatre and began her Master's degree in Expanded Theatre at the Bern University of the Arts in 2017. Audience Questions If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode of Musicians in Conversation, Natalia talks to Odd Beholder who is a singer songwriter, political activist. She is also the co-founder of the Swiss Branch of the international climate protection organisation “Music Declares Emergency”. We discuss how the act of playing is a great creative resource. Odd Beholder goes on to provide practical tips for musicians when it comes to the issue of climate change. We also talk about the digitisation and atomisation of the music industry and what that means for musicians in general. About Odd Beholder In Odd Beholder's music, Daniela Weinmann precisely and laconically records the oddities, shadows and misunderstandings of our time. Her version of embracing dark pop music, is a way of dealing with unpleasant truths, yet it’s also a way to seek comfort. While Odd Beholder's debut album "All Reality Is Virtual" revolved around digitalisation, Weinmann's second album "Sunny Bay" addresses the topic of nature, or rather the romantic notions and existential fears that nature triggers in us all. Before that, Odd Beholder released two impressive EPs, "Lighting" (2016) and "Atlas" (2017). In 2018, "Remixes" was released; a tastefully curated EP to which The/Das, Fejka and Hundreds contributed their work. Odd Beholder's music is cinematic. The videos created for the music are always treated as conceptual art. The video clip for the single "Landscape Escape", shot by Berlin filmmakers Grambow & Kirchknopf in Azerbaijan in cooperation with the Azerbaijan Social & Modern Dance Association, won the jury prize of the "Best Swiss Video Clip" Awards 2017. The song is also used at a central point in the film "Mario", which deals with the problematic handling of homosexuality in the world of football. Odd Beholder has been invited to important festivals such as Great Escape (UK), Eurosonic (NL) and Reeperbahn Festival (DE). She has toured in various formations in China, Italy, Germany and Switzerland and was explicitly asked by the Hamburg-based electro-pop duo Hundreds as well as by Bodi Bill to accompany their respective tours. Over the course of various lockdowns and temporary border closures in 2020, Weinmann worked with Berlin musician Douglas Greed on the second Odd Beholder album "Sunny Bay", which was released in Autumn 2021. TRACK 1: Disaster Movies / Lyricist: Daniela Weinmann / Composer: Daniela Weinmann, Mario Willms, Martin Schenker / ISRC DEAH12100037 TRACK 2: Rental Car / Lyricist: Daniela Weinmann / Composer: Daniela Weinmann, Mario Willms / ISRC DEAH12100039 Odd Beholder's Influences Audience questions If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Madafi Pierre who is an artist, singer songwriter and all round creative.  She is also a coach at the Helvetiarockt Band workshops!  We discuss her coming to Switzerland from Miami via New York and the importance of connecting with local talent and community. Madafi encourages us through her experience to put ourselves out there and gives us practical advice on how to deal with rejection.  We also listen to two of her tracks from her group Maddam. About Madafi Pierre Madafi Pierre is a songwriter, composer, producer and singer. Her career began at the age of 19 in Miami, her hometown. She lived in New York for 13 years where she played with her band in famous clubs such as the Blue Note and Nuyorican Poets' Café. One of her first songs "Mr Right", written at the age of 18, was featured in the French film "Je Reste" by filmmaker Diane Kurys. She has worked with the legendary House DJ JUS-Ed, DJ Static of Immortal Technique and the drummer of Sens Unik and Stress, among others Laurent Biollay. In 2015, Madafi started the electro-funk music duo MADDAM with music producer and actor Roberto "Roccobelly" Garieri. Their 1st album "Mind Twerking" was released in 2016. In 2017, there was the amicable departure of Roccobelly, and Dave Lefunk joined Madafi to continue the journey. In fall of 2021, MADDAM released their latest EP « Disrupt The Show ». Madafi's influences Glossary of terms mentioned: Djembe -  A djembe or jembe is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa.  - Wikipedia ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Audience questions! If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Anna Murphy, the lead singer of the band Cellar Darling. She is a multi-instrumentalist, a sound engineer, a producer and is also a coach at the Helvetiarockt Bandworkshop. We discuss what it was like to leave school at 16 years old to pursue a music career and her departure from the band Eluveitie. We also talk about transitioning to Cellar Darling and how she got into sound engineering and producing. Anna shares the song, "Dance" from her band Cellar Darling and the track she produced called, ‘stell ab’ from the artist, Second Daughter. About Anna Murphy Born in Lucerne in 1989 and raised in an opera family, Anna Murphy came into contact with music at an early age. At the age of 16, she joined the internationally successful band Eluveitie as a hurdy-gurdy player, singer and flautist. At the same time she played in various other bands and realised her own projects (godnr.universe, Lethe, Anna Murphy). During her 10 years with Eluveitie, Anna Murphy released 13 studio albums and played over 1000 concerts worldwide. In 2014 she was awarded a Swiss Music Award for "Best Live Act" with Eluveitie. After Eluveitie, Anna founded the folk-prog-rock band Cellar Darling in 2016. With Cellar Darling followed two studio albums acclaimed by audience and press and two world tours. In 2019, she was awarded the Progressive Music Award for "Best Video" for "The Spell" in London. Anna learned the profession of sound engineering at Soundfarm Studios Lucerne and has been working as an independent sound engineer and producer since 2017. Among other things, she was responsible for the engineering of two Philipp Fankhauser albums, receiving a Gold Award after the successful release of "Home". In addition to her studio work, Anna Murphy passes on her skills as an instrumental and vocal coach and composes songs and music for video productions. Anna is committed to supporting women and non-binary people, who want to gain a foothold in the world of producing and sound engineering. Anna's Influences Glossary of terms mentioned: Hurdy-Gurdy: A string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Audio Interface: Converts microphone and instrument signals into a format your computer and software recognize. The interface also routes audio from your computer out to your headphones and studio monitors. Logic: Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform.  It is considered the professional counterpart to GarageBand. MIDI Keyboard: A MIDI keyboard or controller keyboard is typically a piano-style electronic musical keyboard. It often includes other buttons, wheels and sliders, used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI 5-pin cable to other musical devices or computers. MIDI keyboards lacking an onboard sound module cannot produce sounds themselves, however some models of MIDI keyboards contain both a MIDI controller and sound module, allowing them to operate independently. SAE: Creative Media Institute offering students access to industry equipment and facilities. Neve Console: The Neve 8078 was the last of the "80 series" hand-wired analogue mixing consoles designed and manufactured by Neve Electronics. Neve Electronics was founded in 1961 by the English electronics engineer Rupert Neve, for high-end recording studios during the 1970s. Some were custom built for major studios like CBS Sony. Audience questions If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Ka(ra)mi, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ. We talk about how Ka(ra)mi learned to compose and arrange music from a young age, her unique experience spending a year in Cuba studying music and dealing with feelings of not being good enough when starting her DJ career. She is also a coach for the Helvetiarockt Music Lab beatmaking workshops. About Ka(ra)mi Author, composer, producer, DJ, musician in the theater or on stage for other artists (Dawn Richards, Dena, Teme Tan, Mélissa Laveaux among others), Ka(ra)mi is a 31 year old Swiss artist from Geneva of Haitian and Hungarian origin. Her musical influences range from hip hop, R&B, house, afrobeats and Caribbean music. Ka(ra)mi continues her musical exploration with complete freedom. After gaining first experience within the group Kami Awori, followed by a 3 year DJ career and various collaborations, Ka(ra)mi has finally decided to let her inner voices express itself by giving free rein to her Caribbean, electronic and soul influences. Check out the music Ka(ra)mi shares in this episode Husi - Ka(ra)mi (unreleased) Mentioned in this episode Kaytranada - DJ Producer who influenced the song Astronaut Moog - a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Ka(ra)mi's influences Audience questions If you have a question for our coaches, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Billie Bird. She is a guitarist, singer songwriter, composer, performer and coach at the Helvetiarockt Songwriting Camp.  We discuss the benefits of trying out lots of instruments, why music is such a vital form of expression for her and why impatience is the worst for artists. About Billie Bird After studying singing, guitar and music theory at the ETM in Geneva, Elodie Romain studied pedagogy at the HEP in Lausanne. Since 2012, she is active as an author, composer and performer in her project Billie Bird. She is also involved in various projects and theater companies, performing with Denis Maillefer, La Cie Emilie Charriot & la 2bCompany. She has performed over a hundred times, at different venues and festivals in Switzerland and beyond (Montreux Jazz Academy, Antigel Festival, Les Créatives, MarocFolies, Centre culturel suisse de Paris, Bad Bonn). She played as support before Benjamin Clementine, Piers Faccini, Camélia Jordana, Anaïs and Scott Matthew. In 2018, she released 2 EPs "La Nuit" and "Les Déferlantes" on her own label called Les Exploratrices, founded that same year. Les Inrockuptibles wrote: "It's the kind of song that we didn't see coming, and that we might soon not live without." She won the "National language award" at the Swiss Live talents competition in 2018. She lives in Lausanne and is currently working on her first album. She is coach & promotion officer for the Music Directory for Helvetiarockt. Check out the songs Billie Bird shares in this episode: Coming up! Look out for live concerts from Billie Bird in April 2021 and a new album set to be released in the Autumn of 2021. Mentioned in this episode Roch Voisine - Canadian Singer Songwriter Michael Hedges - Acoustic Guitar Tapping Book - ‘Copy Like An Artist’ by Austin Kleon Billie Bird's influences: Audience questions If you have a question for our coaches, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Martina Berther, the incredibly talented and versatile bassist and multi-instrumentalist.  We discuss what it takes to be a good bass player, Martina shares tips on becoming a session musician and we also ask how we can encourage more women, intersex, non binary and trans musicians to study jazz. About Martina Berther Born and raised in Chur and now living in Zurich, Martina Berther is one of the most versatile electric bassists in the Swiss music scene. Her sound spectrum ranges from pop music to experimental to free improvisation. With her bands Ester Poly and AUL, solo aka Frida Stroom as well as with Sophie Hunger, she travels internationally. She writes music for films, is interested in interdisciplinary collaborations and works as a multi-instrumentalist and session musician. In 2018 she received the „Werkjahr“ grant from the city of Zurich and then in 2020 she was awarded the Swiss Music Prize. Martina Berther graduated with the Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy and Performance Jazz at the HSLU in Lucerne in 2012. Current projects Release of Martina’s debut solo album as Frida Stroom and Ester Poly’s second album was released in 2021. Martina is also working on a new AUL album. Check out the songs Martina shares in this episode: Martina's influences: Audience questions If you have a question for our coaches, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Evelinn Trouble, winner of the Swiss Music Prize 2018, guitarist, singer songwriter, all round creative and Helvetiarockt Bandworkshop Coach. We discuss the importance of communication and honesty in band relationships, managing yourself vs having a manager, and saying what you want as a musician. About Evelinn Trouble Born in Zurich as the daughter of a Swedish jazz singer, her own home country quickly became too small. At the age of 17, Trouble recorded her first album on her own and quickly worked her way to the top of the Swiss music scene. But Trouble wants more. She directs her own music videos and those of other bands. (Her preferred style: splatter!) She plays the bloodthirsty Salomé in the opera of the same name, writes music for film and theater and tours the world with a play by Thom Luz in the role of a knight who is struck by lightning. Trouble is a shapeshifter, a creative multi-talent with an innate urge to experiment across borders, empires and genres. Her art knows no pigeonholes. As a result of all this work, she won the 2018 Swiss Music Prize as the youngest winner in the prize's history. Check out the songs Evelinn shares in this episode: Evelinn's Influences Audience questions If you have a question for our coaches, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!