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Name: Hebe Vrijhof aka HEBE

Nationality: Dutch
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current Release: HEBE's new single "Drink On My Own" is out now.
Recommendations: Reading helped me put things in perspective and feel less alone this past year. I can really recommend these two amazing books about life, meditation and anxiety. These books are not light reading, but are really comforting when going through darker times: The power of now by Eckhart Tolle; Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

If you enjoyed this interview with HEBE and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.

HEBE · Drink on My Own


When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

As a little girl I would sit behind the piano for hours trying out melodies and lyrics.

My first songs were quite dramatic with simple accompaniment. I never used any of these songs, but I can still remember all lyrics and melodies. I always took some CDs of my parents to my room (my favourites were Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Kate Bush) and I would play them for hours while dressing up or lying on bed, dreaming away. These small moments made me realise I wanted to create my own music and be a singer.

At the age of 17 I got accepted at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and learned new skills as a musician and songwriter and met many talented people around the world that inspired me to try out new things.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

For me music is something I connect with travelling, a movement forward; flashing images from a train window, cycling through crowded streets of the city or walking an empty beach. It gives me a feeling of empowerment and calmness.

All those moments bring different vibes but give a boost of inspiration for new songs. There are many times on the bike, that I think of a melody or lyric and record a little sentence on my phone, that I work on later.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

I would say I’m a searcher and I love to experiment; I don’t tend to stick to the same for too long. That means I’ve had some lovely breakthroughs, but also moments where I’ve failed or had to face my fears and take a different path. Every step I had to look for my voice again.

Some people want to have a clear box for musicians and their musical style, but I’m not really interested in that. My first EP The Beginning was recorded live with a band.



My second EP Tell Me was produced in the studio with mainly electronic drums and guitars.



My third EP Cards On The Table consisted of only synths, piano and no guitars at all.



And my new Album Release Resolution is following a more folky, organic route. Every EP brought new experiences, responses and breakthroughs that I wouldn’t want to miss.

I have developed in many ways, I feel, and I love following new directions. But the essence of my music is the way my voice tells a story and that has always stayed throughout these different EP’s.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

As a young girl I felt life was pretty frightening and for a large part I am still that same girl. Through songwriting and singing I can express myself and feel less alone. In a time where the world is in crisis - a heavy mixture of chaos, unjustness, sadness - it is very comforting to listen to and exchange, share and create stories. I love to search for those in music.

Above everything else I feel human, dealing with this crazy thing called life. Some days I laugh out loud when I think of this insanely beautiful universe, other days I get so frustrated that we’re misusing it to so many extends.

I guess these two sides get reflected in my music and the music I listen to. I love to feel hope and empowerment in music, without losing the depth and versatility of life and its dark side.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

For me music is one of the most pure forms of telling a story that is close to one's heart.

Creating an image that is clear from the start is so important I feel. If that story is unclear or not there at all, I easily lose my interest in a song or peace of art.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

For me, both can live next to each other. I can really enjoy a musician that completely controls the techniques of a certain style; however, I also love a bedroom artist trying out new things and sounds. Maybe the technique or mix is not perfect, but it might be more unique.

If I feel an essence and need to create in a musician, I enjoy listening to it.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

The piano has always been my foundation. A song gets created for me around the piano and in every song I feel I need the sound of a piano somewhere.

I have always loved the combination of the organic sound of a piano in contrast with an electronic kick or synthbas. These elements complement each other so well.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

To be honest, almost no day is the same in my life. I’m not so sharp in the morning, my mind is always a bit foggy when it’s early, so I try not the plan studio sessions too early.

Most days I wake up at 08:00, drink a coffee, take a shower and drive to the studio. I work from 10:00 to 19:00 or longer, if necessary, depends on who I work with as well. Other days I rehearse with my band or I sometimes give workshops in vocal techniques. On the nights I perform, I try to sleep in a bit more and relax the day to save some energy for my performance.

I always try to keep two days a week free to spent time with my boyfriend and friends. I love making long walks on the beach, drink a cup of coffee in the sun, go to a restaurant, or party with my friends!

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece?

My new song “Lifted the weight” describes the process of raising myself up after a dark period and the feeling of a first glimmer of light coming through the window to reach out for; a moment that can be endearing and empowering at the same time.

I had been lying awake many nights, did not write a song for quite some time. One early morning, after lying awake for some time, I decided to get out of bed and drink a cup of tea. While playing on my piano, the sun slowly came up through the window behind me, I felt so light for a moment. The lyrics and melody just rolled out and the song was finished in an hour.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

I always wrote alone, never wanted to force inspiration in a scheduled session. I know I have times where I write a lot of music and times where my mind is too occupied to get something down on paper, so I just try to go with the flow.

Since Corona, I have really appreciated collaborating with other musicians. We were all stuck at home by ourselves and even though many songwriters are used to solitude, this was a bit much.

I have enjoyed working together with other musicians on other projects and my project, it gives an extra perspective on my way of writing and explaining my emotions and feelings, which is always good for a songwriter.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Life is confusing and overwhelming, and dark sometimes. I know listening to music helped me put things in perspective. So, for me music and other forms of art are a cornerstone of society.

I really hope my music can bring some levity, beauty and a view on the delicate details that make life worthwhile.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

I still can’t listen to some songs, because it takes me back to such feelings of pain about love or loss. Sometimes I hear a song and it completely takes me off guard how I’m taken back to a place in the past. Music connects to a feeling or a space in time and can’t be unlocked it almost seems.

The process of picking a song to listen to, opening yourself up to get in touch with the feeling the song invokes and to just listen for a while can be very therapeutic. I really take my time for these moments every now and then.

Writing music has been so healing this past year. I have been dealing with anxiety and depression, and the themes in my music inevitably touch these topics, but I don’t write to get myself or other people depressed. To me music is a release and celebration, and this past year has reconfirmed how much I need it to feel good and heal.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

I love new approaches on music and I certainly follow the ongoing research about sounds, our conception of it and musical designs / plugins / apps / software.

However, for me music is about making connection on a human level, and I prefer to leave the magic of that untouched.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I think music can get you in a state of flow, which is very liberating and all consuming; there is nothing else to think about, time is irrelevant, you’re completely in the ‘here and now’.

With more ‘daily’ life tasks, it’s very easy to get distracted and think of other tasks while doing it.

Being in the present is not so easy, we’re always moving forward and thinking of our to do list, creating something can lift us up from that.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it is able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I recently had a conversation about this. The same voice can move someone so deeply and yet leave another untouched. I have had moments where I could not hear a word the singer was saying, but still get so emotional by the sound of the voice.

It’s the closest we might get to a bit of magic. At least I can’t explain it otherwise.