In our final interview of the year, we had the opportunity to chat to German pop artist Diana Goldberg. A newcomer who has already been nominated for the German Songwriting Awards 2020 in the pop category with her debut single “occupy your mind”.
25 year-old singer-songwriter Diana Goldberg has been singing almost all her life; musically, she started with classical piano at the age of 5 and began performing on stage with her band in her teenage years. Known for her unique and captivating vocal abilities, the newcomer has caught our attention with her excellent debut single “occupy your mind”— an electronic-centred dark pop song that’s up there with the very best artists within the pop genre. Despite coming from a country with third biggest music market in the world, we’re yet to really witness a globally successful German singer-songwriter. However, with a strong start in her career, Diana Goldberg has the potential to attain some sort of international success if she continues releasing captivating singles, remains positive and even considers relocating to the US or Canada like German-born artist bülow.
Read our conversation with the talented Diana Goldberg below:
Hi Diana, how are you doing?
Heey DiscoverNü, I’m doing great and I’m so happy that I just released my first single on Friday! Thanks for having me!
Nice! Where are you from?
I’m from Munich, Germany.
Do you come from a musical background?
I was first exposed to music when I was in my mum’s belly. She used to place the headphones of her Walkman on her belly, so that I would hear the music, which was a mix of classical and funk music before I was even born. But a fond and clear memory of when I was exposed to music was at the age of 7, where I just played the classical piano for 2 years! My mum said — if I won the piano competition, I’d get earrings and she’d allow me to have my ears pierced. And I really really wanted earrings, so I worked hard and actually ended up winning first prize in my category.
That sounds amazing! Your mother has basically helped you develop into the artist you are today in a subtle way. What artists did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to Debussy, Chopin, Bach, Michael Jackson, Steve Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Destiny’s Child and Rihanna. Quite a mix actually!
That’s an eclectic list right there! Impressive. Who are you currently listening to right now?
I’m currently listening to Foushée, Billie Eilish, H.E.R, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, NUVILICES, Disclosure and Khalid to name a few.
Great taste! When did you start writing your own music?
I started writing my own music in my teens, at the age of 14. I had a band with my brother (piano) and a friend (drums) and every time we met to jam together, we created new songs. We just never put them down, which was funny— cause whenever we played gigs, we sang a mix of covers in our own funky/R&B version and then added our original songs into the mix. However, the original songs were different each live performance that we had because we were literally just jamming on stage and making music.
That sounds really fun! Is this what you’ve always wanted to do?
Yesss. I love music and the feeling of being on stage and connecting with my audience. I played with my band for over 7 years and we had lots of fun and beautiful moments on stage. It was always about having “the feeling” on stage where everyone from my band was in the same vibe — we just had so much fun performing! You let go of any worry and just live and perform in the moment — connecting with your crowd, making them dance, laugh and cry. Music moves me and there’s no day that passes without me singing, humming or making music, even if it’s just thoughts, melodies or lyrics in my head. Music unlocks my realest and most honest self and is my means of self-reflecting and expressing myself both as a person and artist. It literally shaped me into the person I am today. My dream is to win a Grammy for one of my songs and I’m working towards that at the moment. Also, singing my songs live in a crowd of thousands of people who sing my original songs back to me and just spread a wave of positivity through it. I like to make people think and want to achieve that with my music — touch people’s hearts.
You sound super passionate about music, which is really refreshing! I do hope you win a Grammy one day. Let’s talk about your debut single “occupy your mind”— talk us through the creative process.
Originally, “occupy your mind” was inspired by a narcissist girl I met at my friend’s birthday party. The girl always wanted to be at the centre of attention and didn’t care whether people liked or hated her — as long as she caused enough drama to get people to notice her. But instead of feeling annoyed,I tried to understand her. When I reflected what feelings could lie behind a person like that, I realised that we all have the same feelings and needs— the need for attention, appreciation and love. The same needs I have every day in relation to a partner, friend or parent – at some point, everyone needs attention, love and the feeling of being wanted. “occupy your mind” gets to the heart of these feelings and makes the listener realise that.
Powerful stuff right there. What’s the message behind the song?
The message behind “occupy your mind“ is to look beneath the surface of our own as well as other people’s feelings without judgement— whether it is us or someone with a behaviour that leaves us clueless. Behind what seems like a narcissist is a human with core needs: the need to be noticed, accepted and liked by others. These needs are reflected in all of us and actually, a certain amount of being self-centred is even healthy. So, don’t you think we all possess narcissistic tendencies? Think about that!
Amazing, I’ll have to do some self-reflection myself. Also, congratulations on being nominated for the German Songwriting Awards 2020 in the pop category. This is a great achievement. How does it feel gaining recognition this early in your career?
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! It feels absolutely amazing and I’m so grateful to be recognised in such a way. I put so much work into my career so far and it is great to be recognised for it by a committee of music industry experts from Universal, Sony, Budde Music etc.
Wow! Can you tell us more about these awards? What’s the process behind it?
4000 people submit their songs yearly for this award and only 5 people get chosen for different categories. I submitted my song for the Pop category and was nominated among 5 other incredibly talented artists. I’m so honoured about this and for being recognised with my song among so many submissions.
2020 has been pretty miserable, what are you hoping to achieve next year?
Well, for me 2020 was a great year in my music career. I started to focus on my solo project after playing with a band for 7 years and recorded a lot of my original songs with my friend and producer Joseph Feinstein which are being released in 2021. I’m hoping to be able to play live again and perform all these songs in front of a huge audience. So, be ready – 2021 is going to be a riiide!
I’m glad 2020 has been great for you! When can we expect your next single?
I’ll drop my next single in February, might be an EP even – who knows, stay tuned and follow me on my socials to stay updated.
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