Interview: 5 Minutes with Felix Jaehn
Image credit: Viktor Schanz
With an aptitude for creating stellar dancefloor tracks time and time again, Felix Jaehn has shared that he will be releasing his new album Breathe via Universal Music on the 1st of October. While we await this highly anticipated album to be unveiled, the music producer has given us a ray of sunshine in the form of a song titled ‘I Got A Feeling’. The song was released in collaboration with Felix Jaehn’s good friends; globally acclaimed producer Robin Schulz and charming vocalist Georgie Ku. An advocate for mental health and the LGBTQ+ community, Felix Jaehn has also done some healing of his own in the past few months. Although always executing beats that leave one feeling elevated and ready to party, Felix always shares messages with substance; positivity, love, and hope. We have no doubts that Breathe will be just as invigorating.
We are thrilled to present this exclusive Q&A with globally renowned music producer Felix Jaehn.
Hi Felix, thanks for joining us. Set the tone – what’s one thing that you’re looking forward to in the upcoming month?
I’m looking forward to the release of my album — It’s been the biggest project for me over the past couple of years. I invested so much time and love into it, and I can’t wait for it to finally be out. And to be honest, if I can name a second thing, I’m also looking forward to the time after the album and the promo, because then it’s time to recharge, to relax, and to find new inspiration for what’s coming next. At the moment my life is pretty much based around the album.
Your latest single ‘I Got A Feeling’ explores different perspectives of mental health. Tell us about the steps that you took as you turned this serious topic into a lighthearted pop anthem.
‘I Got A Feeling’ is inspired by my transformation. It’s basically what this song is talking about. I didn’t break, I made it out. Those heavy days don’t bring me down anymore. I used to suffer from a lot of heavy days with my mental health. I was isolated already before Corona, and ironically we wrote it just before the first lockdown; a song that is about post-isolation. With my transformation through many many steps like therapy, meditation, sports, a healthy diet, etc, etc, I’ve been feeling good again now for quite some time. And I feel safe, I feel happy, I let the light in, I go out and I enjoy life as much as I can. And that’s what this song is about. It’s an anthem about leaving the bad times, the sad thoughts, the past, and moving on.
This is your second time collaborating with Georgia Ku on a single, what made you decide to work together again?
So this is a simple one — she’s simply amazing. I love her to bits; she’s insanely talented. ‘So Close’ was the first session we ever had together in the studio, so of course we said “Let’s make another one”. ‘I Got A Feeling’ was the second session, and we did have a third session. And there’s a third song on the album, so we just had a run. I don’t know what it is with Georgia, but she’s simply amazing. And with three days in the studio and three songs on the album, that’s simply insane.
This year has seen you collaborate with the prolific music producer Robin Schulz on more than one track, how did you two link up?
Robin and I have known each other for like 7 years. We’ve basically been known as the two Germans touring in the DJ world for 7 years. So we’ve already been friends for quite some time. We’ve known each other from festivals and hanging at after-parties and just talking about music, life, and the industry. About one-and-a-half years ago I Facetimed him because I was working on a song; it was actually ‘I Got A Feeling’. While working on it, I referenced his track ‘Sugar’ for the production, and I was like “You know what? Let me just call him so we can do it together”. And luckily he was down for it, so we decided to make two collabs and work on some music together, which has been amazing. I’m really grateful that we finally have collaborations out since we’ve known each other for so long.
If you could paint a picture to describe your upcoming album Breathe, what would it look like?
It would look pretty much like the actual album artwork because that’s why we made it. That’s what I thought about together with ???? (4:20) the art director and Paris who shot it. I wanted it to look light and at the same time slightly melancholic. So we have an orange, purple sunset kind of vibe. I’m standing in a mirror, which was quite essential for me. I wanted to have the reflection to remember that there’s always more to build perspective to everything. And I’m standing in the cover artwork barefoot, which is a big thing for me as I love being barefoot. I hardly ever wear shoes — it just helps me to ground myself and to connect with mother earth. I’m also wearing those earthy tones because that’s where I find a lot of my inspiration. A lot of my calm and peace is in nature, grounding with mother earth, connecting with the light, etc. I’ve turned into quite a spiritual person. And at the same time, the pose is super strong, it’s like standing on stage receiving the energy from the crowd and enjoying the moment. And all of that is what the album stands for.
What was the inspiration for your forthcoming album?
The inspiration for the album was my personal transformation. After my debut album, I was wondering and asking myself quite essential questions like “Why do I even create?”. I was looking for a new purpose after becoming a globally known DJ with hits in pretty much every country of the world. I was like “Okay what’s next?”. I decided that songwriting is next, so I co-wrote over 100 songs in London, Stockholm, LA, Berlin, and at my home studio as well. I went deep into the lyrical part of the music as well. Before, I was mainly just focused on the production, remixing, and being a DJ. So this album is inspired by my life and whatever moves me. And I wanted to make sure that besides the music, the lyrical content is also connected to myself. This has been giving me purpose by sharing my personal story. Through sharing all of the bad times, suffering, self-love phase, finding myself, and finally being happy in the present moment again; I hope to inspire. And I hope to spread hope, love, and positivity. And that’s why I create.
During your career, you’ve become known for championing mental health, prosperity and wellbeing, and the empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community. Can we expect to see these topics incorporated into your upcoming album?
I feel like I’ve pretty much already answered that just now. 100% is extremely, directly inspired by my personal transformation: from suffering with anxiety, to feeling happy in the moment now. So yes, all of that is in the album.
One last thought to leave with your fans?
Thank you. Honestly from the bottom of my heart. Thanks so much for every single person who listens to my music, who’s been reading this interview, and who’s supporting me. I’m super grateful that I get to live my dream, and I’m gonna continue to do my best. I hope that we can dance together again very soon. Much love, peace.
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