FEATURE: Spotlight: Maggie Lindemann

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Maggie Lindemann

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DESPITE the fact Maggie Lindemann…

has been recording since she was a teenager, I think her latest work, the PARANOIA E.P., is her biggest statement. It has won some very positive reviews – I will bring one in at the end -, but it is important to learn more about the twenty-two-year-old Texan-born artist. In this 2019 interview from Hypebae, we learn about Lindemann’s start and musical influences:

“You’re originally from Texas, would you say that your background in the South has impacted you on a personal level, how and in what ways?

Yeah, I feel like being from the South you’re just raised with more of this Southern hospitality. I try to be really respectful and always say “please” and “thank you.” I always feel like I have a lot of respect for my elders.

Can you break down how you found yourself in the entertainment industry?

When I first started making music I was 16 and now I’m 20. Throughout my career, I’ve grown a lot and come to terms with who I am. I’ve grown and so has my music. In the beginning, I was making music that was a lot different than the music I’m making now. That’s just because I’m growing up and I’m finding my own sound. [At the start] I didn’t really know what kind of music I wanted to make and I was just kind of doing whatever in the moment. But now I’m a little bit more sure of myself and my music and it shows because I’m more honest.

Can you share the differences you’ve found between living and working in Los Angeles to doing the same in Texas?

When I lived in Texas I was just in high school living with my family, so there’s a big difference. Now living in Los Angeles, I’m actually working. It’s different because I was living with my family so I didn’t have to work to pay for rent or go and get groceries or go get basic things to live. So, it’s definitely a big shift, now I have to pay my bills and make sure everything is paid on time and go to the grocery store [to] go shopping for myself. I’m working all the time so it’s definitely a big difference. I had to grow up quicker I guess.

In the past you’ve shared that Lana Del Rey and BANKS influence you, do you have any other influences? How do they influence you?

When I was younger I listened to a lot of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears. Actually, this is so random but when the Katy Perry movie came out, that really inspired me to want to sing even more — because I saw how much she went through with her family and going into labels that declined her. They literally told her “no” and she kept going and became one of the biggest names in pop. That really inspired me to want to become a singer and work hard, and it just made me think “people go through all that to get to where they are, so I have a chance”.

I have listened to PARANOIA quite a bit and, whilst I am familiar with singles like Knife Under My Pillow, songs such as Different have caught my ear and stayed in my mind. I want to draw from an interview from Celebmix from late last year, where Lindemann was asked about a couple of songs from the E.P. - in addition to how it feels to be personal in her lyrics:

“Knife Under My Pillow gives listeners an insight into your experience with paranoia, despite how upbeat the track is it’s quite a personal look into something which impacts you significantly. It was the first track to be released from the EP and your first of 2020; how did you find the response to it from fans?

The response was really good! You never know what to expect when you release a song, especially when the new stuff you’re doing is so different. But I’m really excited and finally feel confident in my music, so it’s nice to see people being so positive about it!

Latest single Scissorhands is a powerful, beat driven number and one we’ve interpreted as being about the inability to get close to others without hurting them. Can you tell readers more about the story behind the track?

The story is based off of Edward Scissorhands. I love that movie and always felt like he was super relatable to me, so decided to write about him haha. He’s so misunderstood and forced to conform to this basic world and then when he can’t, they shun him. I have felt so out of place for a really long time and felt like I can never get close to people.

Do you ever find it hard making yourself so open/exposed to the listeners through the lyrics you’ve written? Or is it easier for you to write about personal experiences or feelings you’ve felt?

I do sometimes. I have a bad tendency to overshare because my anxiety freaks out and will tell me to just keep talking, so in sessions that’s actually super helpful lol. But I do find it way easier and helpful to write about personal stuff”.

I think Maggie Lindemann’s music has progressed since her earliest days, and she is shaping up to be one of the most interesting, engaging and powerful artists in the world. I would recommend people check out her music, as it is not necessarily tailored for a niche audience and demographic. In an interview with EUPHORIA., Lindemann was asked about her lockdown experiences and whether music provides a form of escape:

“What’s your personal favorite track on the EP?

I feel like I connect with most is probably “Different.” I just always felt like those lyrics have been me for so long. I mean all the other lyrics on Paranoia are more in the moment. A lot of those feelings are maybe gone or not as a prominent. But “Different” is definitely the one that I feel like I’ve just related to the most for the longest time.

You’ve moved houses, so has the paranoia you’d been experiencing gone away a little or has getting stuck at home over lockdown made things difficult?

Moving has definitely helped a lot with the paranoia. I started writing this EP in June-July 2019, so much before the pandemic while I was still at the old house and I don’t really feel paranoia in my apartment now. So that aspect of paranoia has ebbed, however, I’m constantly anxious about other things. I always wonder “is my boyfriend going to leave me?,” “is everyone going to hate me suddenly?” and writing about it helps me deal with it better; putting it out into words and putting music to it.

Would you say music is an escape for you?

Yeah, definitely. I think it helps a lot. It’s like a therapy session. In therapy when you have to talk about something that’s hard for you, you are dreading it because you don’t want to bring up that emotion. But at the end of the session, I feel relieved because instead of ignoring it and pushing it to the back my mind, I’ve addressed it and spoken about it. It’s uncomfortable but it helps.

What’s one message you hope listeners take away from your music?

I just want for people to feel like they like know me more personally. When I listen to someone I want to feel like I know them, so I hope people have that kind of connection with me and feel like they can relate to me through my music”.

There are a couple of features I want to end with, just to provide more depth and detail regarding Maggie Lindemann and her incredible music. I think she has developed from a purely Pop artist to a more rounded one in recent years – bringing in more Rock elements. One might compare her in that sense to Miley Cyrus but, to me, I think it has been a natural evolution. We learn more about this in an interview with Billboard:

“Paranoia has arrived nearly six years into Lindemann’s career, and it’s for the best that she waited. “I didn't know who I was yet -- I was still growing up,” she says of her early days in the business. As she experimented, Lindemann formed and scrapped ideas for an EP over the years. It wasn’t until early 2020 that she felt the timing was right, and she completed the project during the pandemic. “I'm glad that I didn't put out an EP before this one, because looking back on it, I would be disappointed in myself if I had a pop EP out and then switched genres completely,” she says.

At 22 years old, Lindemann is also remarkably mature about her journey. She’s glad to be making more interesting music now, but she doesn’t disparage her pop past. (“I like pop music, too, but the energy in rock and alternative music is so different.”) She still wears pink, though it’s more likely to appear on her person in the form of streaked hair than a feathered dress.

Lindemann's EP cleverly covers a range of styles, though all of the songs are more or less in the rock lane. “Some are a little more metal-leaning, some are more punk, but they're all sonically in the same world,” she explains. Lindemann found inspiration in Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, Avril Lavigne and Paramore -- as well as Evanescence and Flyleaf, which is why you might suddenly find yourself transported to the inside of a Hot Topic upon hearing a song like "Loner" (“Yeah, I'm a loner/ And I like it that way/ I like a dark room/ With nobody but pain!”). The tracks are nostalgic, but not cheesy or inauthentic; Lindemann’s voice and production are the real deal.

Paranoia was released via Caroline Records and Lindemann’s own label, swixxzaudio, which she formed after leaving 300 Entertainment. "I wanted to have more control over what I was doing," she says, asserting that the Caroline crew is mostly hands-off when it comes to A&R and creative decisions. “It feels more like teamwork, rather than having someone telling me what's going to happen”.

I will wrap up soon, but I mentioned how I would bring a review in for PARANOIA. I think the E.P. is an impressive release and one that will bring new fans Lindemann’s way. In their write-up, this is what Melodic Magazine noted:

“The EP begins with three of the four previously released singles. We still get goosebumps when we hear “Knife Under My Pillow,” which opens up PARANOIA, as we relive the anxiety and fear that Maggie describes on the track. The panic only increases after the track ends, though, coming in as loud and as clear as ever on the proceeding track, “GASLIGHT!” Out of all the tracks on the EP, “GASLIGHT!” is the one that goes the hardest; you cannot shake the screams that Siiickbrain contributes to the track. Luckily, “Scissorhands” is able to cut some of the tension we still feel after “GASLIGHT!,” focusing on a narrative that is still tragic, but not as devious.

Halfway through the EP, we have “Crash and Burn” and “Loner.” Maggie’s pleading timbre works so well on these tracks, where she describes different forms of isolation. On “Crash and Burn,” for instance, we hear about a relationship that is being left for dead. How are you expected to work things out when the other person always walks away? On the other hand, maybe being alone is not such a bad thing – a concept we hear on “Loner.” Between hasty guitar riffs and heavy walls of sound, Maggie proudly boasts about how independent she feels when she is alone, making us see “loners” in a better light.

The last portion of PARANOIA begins with “Love Songs.” The acoustic track is a stand-out moment on the EP, as it takes us to a safer, quieter space. We hear just how pure and sincere Maggie’s voice really is, and fall in love with the sentiments she presents. Even though the track is almost over too soon, its elegance stays with us as we move to the next track, “Different.” While the rhythms and beats pack a punch, the melodies that Maggie sings are light and smooth; we are reminded just how well she can balance the strong and the subtle.

Appropriately so, the EP concludes on the notion of strength with “It’s Not Your Fault.” The track represents all of the themes we have heard on the EP thus far, such as love, independence, and tragedy. Out of everything, though, we cannot help but identify with the song’s relentless vibes; we stand with Maggie, and support the concept of doing what is right for yourself.

In the end, PARANOIA does live up to all of the hype. The EP is an extension of the singles that were released last year, creating a fiery, pop punk world that you just have to be a part of. While I wish there was more space for songs like “Love Songs” on the EP, I appreciate all that the EP has to offer. Overall, Maggie came in very strong with PARANOIA, and I am excited to find out what she will create for her debut album”.

If you have not discovered the music of Maggie Lindemann, then I could definitely recommend it. I think that she will continue to grow stronger and more ambitious as an artist; stepping into new territory and delivering even finer songs. At just twenty-two, she has accomplished so much already but, having not long released a popular E.P., she will want to…