Your music is a combination of anthemic rock with pop elements. Would you consider yourself a rocky pop star or a poppy rock star?
Let’s remove pop and say rockstar.
Talking about rockstars, you seem to be a big fan of the legendary Mick Jagger. Why is he one of your greatest idols?
I didn’t really discover rock stars like Mick Jagger, David Bowie, or Freddie Mercury until I was a teenager and there was something that kind of liberated me through that. I learned how to sing from jazz music and soul, but Mick Jagger made me realize that I wanted to become a performer and not just a singer. There’s really something about him because he’s 77 and still out there performing and out-partying everyone. We’re both a Leo, so we have that in common as well.
Was there a specific moment or event that made you realize that you might have what it takes?
It’s funny because when I was a kid, I didn’t think of becoming a singer. I didn’t rule it out but I was more interested in acting and theater. I wanted to be an actor and director and wanted to be in a circus. Singing wasn’t necessarily my main focus because I was actually quite shy.
My dad always stood next to the door and listened to me singing when I was showering. He told me that I should focus on being a singer and was the first to support me with it. When more people heard me sing, they said that my voice had a nice tone, but I didn’t know what that really meant back than. I kept singing and finally admitted to myself that I was good at it, so I never stopped and continued to do it.
