A Life Full of Melodies

A New Life is the only song on the album that is not written from the perspective of our main character but serves as a prologue. It introduces essential motives, both musically and thematically, which will be explored throughout the album.

I used Motown-inspired drums, horns and syncopated basslines to give the song a vintage feel that draws a musical line between the prologue and the rest of the album.

Sunshine Child came about on a hot summer day in July. I had started out with a chord progression and some melodies in the morning, but I couldn't find a chorus I liked.

Later that day, we went to the amusement park with my family and a friend of my sister. As the two kids (my sister and her friend) were excitedly running towards the go-cart track, this idea just popped into my head. I quickly recorded it with my phone before I could forget the melody.

I really enjoyed that day and felt so young, almost like a child again, so the song's topic was obvious. Back at home, I continued writing the piece and finished it within the next few days.

I actually had the idea for Golden Hours as the heat started to fade away at the end of a long summer day ;)

Although not directly referencing these memories, I was inspired by the carefree summer days of my childhood, playing in nature with my friends and family.

Many songs are inspired by people. This song was inspired by a place.

Cornwall is one of my absolute favourite spots on this earth. The waves of the ocean crashing against the cliffs, the wind tousling the hair, the force of nature inevitably dispersing everything that has been put into artificial order. What else could you wish for? The only thing that could capture the magnificence of this place is an orchestra.

So I didn't hold back and threw it all into the mix - piano, strings, timpani and everything else a film music fanatic like me could wish for.
I mean, it’s not just mainstream but the whole ocean, right? (I'll see myself out)

On Our Own was the song that knocked over the first domino of this album. I remember coming up with the idea for it while sitting outside in the sun, just playing around on the computer keyboard. The first thing I wrote was the guitar lick, followed by the marimba melody.

Content-wise, the song is about independence. You don't need anyone. The more you cling to someone, the less you will get. I had to learn this the hard way, as everyone does eventually. Be free. It can't be right to change yourself for someone else.

Sometimes, you return home even though you haven't left.

And if you are about to give up many people for one person, maybe you should stop and reconsider if it's really worth the sacrifice.

Coming Home is dedicated to my friends.
Thanks for being the people I can always rely on ♡

I think there is not a lot I need to say about this song. It's honest, straightforward, dreamy, wholesome - and one of my favourites from the album :)

Probably the most personal song on the album. On these days where you feel like everything is working against you, nothing helps more than to remember that you'll feel better very soon. Even if you don't think it's worth the trouble, go and talk about it with someone you trust. Feeling down is nothing to be ashamed of. I'd say that everyone who claims they don't ever feel sad is a liar (or maybe a child :D).

And, really important: Lacking energy and positivity sometimes is normal. But if it is a lasting feeling, you should consider getting professional help.

The Way I Am is about learning to love oneself. Because self-discovery is not an event that comes with a bang. It is a never-ending process.

There‘s a quote from the series "For All Mankind" I find really interesting:

"We all play different roles with different people. [...] The trick is not to lose track of who you really are."

But some of these roles fulfil you more than others. Someone who truly loves you encourages you to take on these roles when they are around you and not the role they like the most about you. And if you get too hung up on being the version of yourself that friends, your boss or strangers expect you to be, they remind you about your favourite role.

Luckily, I am not a father yet. But I am a proud big brother.

The birth of my sister is one of my happiest and earliest memories. I can still remember holding her in my arms for the first time, that tiny, surprisingly heavy being that just experienced the first minutes of its life.

And though I was still so young myself and knew so little about the world, I felt that this moment was something profound. A new life began, and this day would be the start of the most extraordinary journey that little baby in my arms would ever be on.

Sometimes, the story a song tells is different from the experiences that inspired it. But what will stay the same is the emotion that fueled the songwriting process. This was the case for Running Away.
After a long-lasting lockdown that had turned my life upside down, school started again and flipped everything around a second time. But it was all different than before. During the lockdown, I had had time in abundance. And I had gotten used to only seeing the people I liked and not those that drained my energy.

In the evening, I suddenly felt overwhelmed by all of it - the old, the new, the changes. And with this feeling, the first line of the chorus came to my head: "It feels like time is running away". Holding on to this idea and following its traces to the root of this feeling did not lead me to a song I hold dear - I felt a lot better afterwards, too.

I am really antisocial when writing songs. Anyone who pulls me out of this flow state runs the risk of being treated undeservedly rudely. This was also the case when I wrote Tub of Happiness.

We watched Hamilton (the musical) at a friend's and hung out on a playground afterwards. Maybe, Hamilton brought out my contemplative side. Or perhaps the idea for this song just buzzed around somewhere in the back of my head. Anyways, I distanced myself from the others without explanation. And while lying on the slide like an extra lethargic sloth, I started writing some lines of Tub of Happiness. I got my act together later on. But once I am in this songwriting mindset, it's hard for me to do something else until I finished the song.

Calm in the Storm is complementary to Back To You - a hybrid of orchestral and pop elements, leading to a larger-than-life sound. But not only the orchestral elements contribute to the build-up and the unloading of tension. I also used rain and thunder sounds to create a soundscape in which the music can unfold. If you listen closely, you will notice that I used this technique all over the album to set the scene in a non-musical way.

Besides techniques and tricks: This song is a reminder that, even in dark times where all seems lost, unity and love will endure.

A Life Full of Melodies is the grande finale, the last bow from each character - each melody - before the curtain falls. Honestly, I was scared of this song. I hate goodbyes. And I hate even more to leave before everything is said. So this song says it all - and even a bit more, if you listen closely.

The elusiveness of time, our own mortality, finding purpose in a fast-moving world - these are the motives that shape this story. Does this album offer answers to the fundamental questions of our existence? Yes. But truth is a subjective concept, and nothing is absolute. In other words: listen to the music, think about the words and find your own answers.
So - what will you learn in a life full of melodies?