The Freiburg-based singer-songwriter mariegottlieb, who has roots in Bern, weaves light and shadow into exhilarating soundscapes that are groovy, melancholic, darkly beautiful and, above all, vocally powerful. The four previously released singles are now available as a complete collection on the artist’s first solo album, ‘Spiegu a dr Wand – my reflections No. 1’. They mark the beginning of a singer whose music comes so clearly from the soul that it hurts in a pleasant way. mariegottlieb deliberately ventures into difficult territory, looks honestly in the mirror and allows herself to be inspired and carried forward by the shadows of life. Healing from loss begins and light at the end of the tunnel is in sight.
The singer plays with the different timbres of her voice and has the courage to let her tones sound at times angular and edgy, and at others delicate and fragile, yet always carried by powerful emotions. The artist succeeds in infusing profound lyrics with catchy melodies, groovy arrangements and a sense of lightness – just as life itself is interwoven with light and dark.
All the songs were given their final polish in the studio of Bern-based producer Lorenz Schaller, who has already won awards for his mixing and sound design at the International Film & Video Festival in LA. In the old ‘band style’, the songs were recorded live by studio musicians to inject as much interaction as possible between the individual musicians. The artist’s choral arrangements carefully layer voice upon voice, igniting a veritable fireworks display of sound. To indulge even further in nostalgia and time-honoured techniques, the EP was mastered onto magnetic tape by Serge Christen at Mazzive Sound Studio in Bellmund.
marigottlieb got a taste of the stage at an early age. Her first, highly esteemed piano teacher taught the inquisitive girl to accompany on the piano, and soon doors opened to her first band experiences and performances. But marigottlieb was just as enthusiastic about choir singing as she was about ‘grooving’ on the piano. The musician was often torn between singing and playing the keys, and eventually it simply became a combination of both. The artist’s first original songs were written in the music room of her parents’ home in the Emmental on her beloved instrument and served for a long time as an end in themselves, a kind of outlet and mental health practice.
Until her first solo production, mariegottlieb had therefore spent several years performing as a pianist, solo singer and conductor in various ensembles, and, as a passionate music and nursery school teacher, had nurtured and inspired people of all ages through music. The musician acquired the skills needed for her own production whilst studying at the Bern University of the Arts. The mother of two children graduated with top marks with a MAS in ‘Popular Music’ and decided that it is never too late to try something new and to turn long-hidden dreams into reality. The singer’s stage name also bears witness to this. mariegottlieb is derived from the first names of her great-grandparents and is a reminder of two innovative, courageous and indomitable people. The singer-songwriter looks up to “Marie” and “Gottlieb” with admiration and wishes to carry on their legacy with great care, namely never to give up and to trust her inner voice.
Five brand-new songs by the artist are now in the pipeline, awaiting release. The new songs form the framework of mariegottlieb’s second EP, “Loslah – just trust No2”
The singer-songwriter’s music can be found on all major streaming platforms.
