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angelzoom2004onadarkwintersnightoberhausen_end029.jpgInterview with:

Claudia Uhle







Angelzoom is the new band around Claudia Uhle. At the moment she is on tour with Apocalyptica and her debut record ‘Angelzoom’ is received very well. Enough reason to talk with this lady about her plans in the future. After the show Claudia is very tired but she took plenty of time and even wanted to speak English, which I really appreciated (because my German is not really good enough).

She tells me that the gig in 013 on 31st of March was the second one as support of Apocalyptica. “Today was the second one of the tour, we do 15 shows and have to play everyday. It’s only the European part of the tour. It’s the first great tour after a while, so I am very happy. The sound was great today and the audience was very nice. They applauded when I entered the stage and I thought they didn’t know me. I am a support act so the people don’t expect me, this motivates a lot.”

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Her band
When you see the band on stage it’s not only Claudia. She has some musicians like a cello player, a violin player and a keyboard player. “It’s better than standing there on the stage alone, because that is not interesting enough to look at. Some of them played parts of my album, so I knew them before. Daniel, the keyboard player, I know through a friend of mine.”

Is there a possibility that the musicians from this tour stay with you? “I hope so, because I like to work with them. I think they will do this tour and will play some parts on my next album. We will work together in the future, but let’s see, it’s only the second show!”

The first album
On her first record she did three cover songs from: Linkin Park, Depeche Mode and ‘Into My Arms’ from Deine Lakeien. “I like them because of the melody. I tried some different covers, but decided to use these, because fit very well into the album. It’s interesting to do covers and to look it from a different side. Linkin Park is rock, but I changed it into a soft song and now it fits my voice well. I like to change music so it fits my voice.”

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On the album it’s clear that Claudia really found her own sound. She explains more about this: “My intention was to make an album which sounds like a movie. When we started in the studio, together with my producer Bernd Wendlandt who wrote the music,  it all came very natural. I wrote the lyrics and it was a good co operation. He has a good feeling for harmonies. I like the kind of music like Enya, which are not so loud and good to dream on, which brings you to another world in a way.”

In the past she was a member of X-Perience, a pop band which sold platinum records in the Scandinavian countries. When I notice that it was totally different the red-haired girl starts to laugh: “I wanted to do something on my own. Something that I like, about what I think. The lyrics from X-Perience were written by Alex and with Angelzoom it’s the first time I wrote my own lyrics. I wanted to develop myself and I had something to say.”

Was it very exiting to write your own songs? “Yes it was a good feeling and when I hear the songs I remember that when I wrote them it was cool to have these ideas. For me it’s all I had inside me and all the feelings I had. It’s much more personal than in X-Perience, because there I was only a singer.”

That feeling also reflects when you are on stage doesn’t it? “It’s better when it comes out of yourself, from deep inside. Those are natural feelings.”

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Bach
On the new record Claudia works together with Milo of Mila Mar. When you listen carefully to the song you recognize something from Bach. When I ask her about it, her eyes start to twinkle very energetically and while her hands emphasize her words she explains: “It’s a part of a choral from Bach: a church song. I played it sometimes in the church. It’s only the verse from the piece, the rest we wrote together. I like the melody and it’s really a beautiful song. I am impressed that you recognized it.”

She starts to sing a few notes from the verse and looks up to the other people in the backstage room. The cellist started to smile. Than she goes on: “It is a choir part, but I can’t remember the name.”

The first single 'Fairyland' is the catchiest song from the record. When she played it at last whole the audience became enthusiastic. “Live it’s more powerful: it helps when you have those musicians on stage. It always better to hear the song live, because you have the feedback from the audience. In the studio you have to concentrate and it has to perfect: you only have an eye for the technique. On stage I feel myself free from everything and that’s such a greet feeling!”

With her feelings Claudia tries to create a kind of dream world, but not totally: “The lyrics are not only fantasy. The atmosphere is more from a dreaming world. It’s music you can dream on, or relax when you come home after a hard day at work. Or when you are in the car and drive along rainy highways during the night. It’s music with a lot of feelings and I like this kind of music.“

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Claudia comes from a musician’s family: I wonder if it helped her to do this. “Yes I think so. Since I was a child I always used to sing and play the piano. There was always music around me and I also had a musical education. So that was a good base for all this. It helps with the writing of my music.”

Why this record now and not earlier? “I was young and now I am a bit further. It was the right time for me. I found the ease of mind to think about what I wanted to do.”

Feelings and thoughts
Her personal feelings were mainly the inspiration for the record, but other things as well: “Everything around my life and my feelings were a big inspiration. When I heard a song from another band that motivated me for an idea of my own song. Sometimes I see pictures which give me a certain feeling and I try to write that down. It’s difficult sometimes to translate that feeling in your head. Sometimes I write the lyrics in German first and then translate it, but it sounds better in English. I had a lot of ideas and it works well and it was only my first record.”

Are you also busy now with some new songs? “My producer and I are working on some new songs. Maybe we’ll come with a new album next year, because I want to keep things going. Now I have the inspiration and ideas for it.”

The band signed with a big label Nuclear Blast. A bit a strange combination, because the label is famous because of its metal bands: “It’s a metal label and everybody says: ‘there are no guitars in it.’ The record company likes it and we are very happy with them, because they have many contacts in the scene. Many people like metal and also like my music. My music is a bit like a metal ballad: it has the same feeling. It’s not that different.”

When you see Claudia on stage she’s very natural. It is not a catchy show or without any emotion. “On stage I am not shy and than I can show the emotions in the song. When I was a child I was very shy on school, but on stage or in the music lessons I was never really shy. I don’t know why. To be on stage is easier than to give an interview. In the past I was always hoping that they asked my brother. Now I learned it a bit and it goes a bit better.”

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When I ask Claudia to describe the strength of the album she immediately comes with an answer: “The songs are not commercialised. There are strong melodies. There were good ideas and it’s not like we just put some songs together: the circle is round: all the songs have, in a way, the same kind of atmosphere. “

She is also very happy with the guest musicians who played on her album. For example Apocalyptica played on it, but also cellist B. Deutung and male singer Joachim Witt. “I did many duets with them, but in their own studio. I met Apocalyptica for the first time on this tour. It’s something I really want to do in the future again, because I like the diversity.”

Then the bus to her hotel is waiting and after a fast goodbye the band leaves the venue.


We’d really like to thank Claudia for her time and the patience and also the other musicians.

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