"Ich mach das bis ich Oma bin": A Conversation with Ella Stern
Ella Stern doesn’t believe in kitsch origin stories. There was no lightning-bolt moment, where she decided she wanted to make music, only a childhood full of English pop songs, too much Hannah Montana, and the stubborn realization that she’d be making music until she’s a grandma. Now, the German indie artist is carving her own path with raw, sugar-coated anthems about a lot of love, a little bit of rage, and most importantly, the chaos of being twenty-something. Between touring and battling stage nerves, Ella sat down with The Unseen Mag to discuss creative independence, why sometimes closure means not forgiving, and navigating the German indie scene as a woman.
Ilayda: Hi Ella, it’s so nice that you’re taking the time to meet with us today. Welcome to The Unseen Mag. How are you feeling after your mind-blowing live performance just now?
Ella: Hi, I’m really happy to be here and that we have the opportunity to chat today. I’m doing well, but after a show, I’m always a bit… how should I put it? I never quite know what to do with myself because things often go sideways, and I have to think about everything. Like, “Okay, what do I need to remember and do better next time?” But overall, it was fun, and it’s always a lot of fun every time.
Ilayda: Yeah, but no worries, nobody could tell you were nervous; it was a killer performance, really.
Ella: Working on it.
Ilayda: We’re honestly so excited to have you as our guest in the magazine today. How about we start with the first question: Who is Ella Stern as an artist, but maybe also as a person?
Ella: Good question. I often don’t really know myself. If I’m being totally honest, I’ve been thinking about the question of “where do I fit in?” for a long time now. I think I’m right in the middle of my 20s, and you end up thinking so much about, “Why am I the way I am today? Does it have anything to do with my childhood?” etc. I write a lot about the thoughts that I carry along with me every day, whether it’s love or “What am I even supposed to do with my life?” or just everything happening around me in general.
And as a person, I’d say I’m pretty normal; someone with a lot of problems and things to deal with, just like everyone else.
Ilayda: Do you remember the moment when you first thought, “I want to make music”? I saw in your Instagram bio that it says, “I’ll keep doing this until I’m a grandma.” I thought that was really cool. It doesn’t just sound like an attitude but also kind of like a plan. What does it mean for you to stick with your decision to make music, even when everything around you changes? What’s the plan?
Ella: Honestly, I don’t have a cheesy story where I can remember thinking, “This happened, so now I’ll make music.” I can’t even really recall that moment.
I used to listen to a lot of English songs because I was fascinated by the language, and that turned into a fascination for music. Then I think I just watched way too much Hannah Montana and thought what she did was really cool. For me, it was always clear that I’d do something with music, especially during school. But for the longest time, I didn’t know where to start or which direction to take; there are so many different paths to choose from. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I realized, “No, I need to write my own stuff and do my own thing.”
And the “until I’m a grandma” thing is because I can’t do anything else. And I mean that quite literally. Nothing fills me up as much as writing songs. It doesn’t even really matter what happens with them, do they blow up or not? I don’t know, but I’ll still be doing this for the rest of my life, no matter what happens around me, using the mindset of: don’t give up, just be brave, just do it. I think that’s super important, no matter what you do.
Ilayda: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice for navigating the music world, what would you say?
Ella: Oh, that’s such a nice question. I’d tell her to be bold and trust yourself. That’s probably the most important thing. And don’t be so hard on yourself. Everything happens for a reason, and you’ll find your way, no matter how many stones are in your path. I think my younger self would even be a little proud today that I thought, “No, I’m into this music thing, and now we’re just doing it.”
Ilayda: I love that!
Ilayda: You’re currently accompanying Maël & Jonas on several dates of their tour, and before that, you were the pre-act for Soffie. How was that for you, or how is it now? I think these are your very first live performances, right?
Ella: Totally exciting, totally nerve-wracking. I’d rarely played live before, and I’m the kind of person who, before going on stage, feels like I’m about to burst from nerves. I always ask myself, “Oh God, why am I doing this to myself?” until I’m on stage. But even then, it takes a song or two before I can really enjoy it. And when I come off, I immediately think, “omg I want to do this again.” It’s a challenge. I’m in my head a lot. Sometimes I wish I could have a bit more fun instead of overanalyzing everthing. I’m working on that. And I think it gets a little bit better every time.
Ilayda: But I think the important thing is once you’re actually on stage, you probably forget about the nerves and everything, right?
Ella: Honestly, not quite. I need a song or two to groove into it, to test the waters, like, what’s the vibe, what’s the situation? The beginning often sets the tone for how the rest of the show goes. But yeah, by song two, I’d say everything’s good and I’m finally in the moment.
Ilayda: Your music has something very unique, I mean, you have quieter songs but also faster-paced ones. How would you describe your sound?
Ella: Very higgledy-piggledy, but in a positive way, of course! There are a lot of serious topics, but I’d like to say they’re wrapped in something like cotton candy. I try to do that with the lyrics, the music, or even the instrumental parts, too. Just things that also create a good vibe. I do firmly believe you can laugh a little about the moderately terrible things in life. That’s really, really important, and I try to show that a little in my music.
Ilayda: Yeah, I think you pull that off really well.
Ella: Thank you.
Ilayda: And which artists have influenced you the most?
Ella: Wow, what a question. I’d say, at the beginning, the first album that I knew by heart was Christina Stürmer’s. I don’t know, do you know Christina Stürmer?
Ilayda: Of course!
Ella: And after that, I got into Miley Cyrus. Classic. However, when I started writing in German, Nina Chuba became an inspiration for me. I think she’s an amazing songwriter. But I don’t have one specific idol or role model where I think, “Yes, I want to do it exactly like them.” What I'd love to do is just find my own style. And, right now, I’m still searching for it. It's this phase of, "you know, that’s fun. But this is also fun. Let’s just try everything and take what works."
Ilayda: That sounds great. Now, I’d love to talk about Von Herzen. What was the moment when you knew it had to be written? Especially with it being about heartbreak and pain, not necessarily in a sad way, but more so in a way of loathing and even a bit of revenge.
Ella: I think I could’ve, and still could, write a thousand songs about that specific topic. It was challenging for me to condense it into just a few words for a long time. However, Von Herzen was spontaneous and not really planned. I’d had this particular line in my notes for a while, which goes: “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you hell.” Because people always told me, “Okay, but maybe you should feel sorry for them; they might have their reasons for being the way they are.”
And I always thought, “No, not really. They made things really, really difficult for me for two long years.” And eventually, the song helped me find closure. It's okay to say, “I'm allowed to hate this person for a while for what they did to me.” And maybe in 20 years, I can say, “Oh yeah, it’s all good now.” But at the time, I was like, “Nope, not cool,” and we’re just going to say that now.
Ilayda: I totally agree. You don’t have to forgive right away, you’re allowed to hate sometimes.
Ella: Yeah, I mean it definitely helped me move on because I was allowed to hate a little.
Ilayda: Absolutely.
Ilayda: Now, in the German indie scene, we (sadly) don’t have a lot of female representation. How do you experience the scene as a woman?
Ella: You’re absolutely right, unfortunately. It’s a real shame. I also work with men 80–90% of the time. Recently, I had this experience at a FLINTA+ songwriting camp, where for the first time, I made music with only women in the room. And it was really beautiful. There’s a completely different energy. I think that’s so important, and there should be much more of it. We should all support and be strong for each other and just… yeah, have each other’s backs, I’d say.
Ilayda: Is there anyone from the German indie scene, women particularly, you’d love to collaborate with?
Ella: Yeah, totally. There are a lot of people I find really interesting. Especially LISKA comes to my mind because I just met her, and I’d love to work with her, I think she’s super cool.
Ilayda: What do you want to try next? Is there a dream collab?
Ella: I think Magda is amazing. She fascinates me. I think she has this beautiful, new way of making music. And she has a great way of writing and singing songs. That’s really cool. I’d be totally up for it.
Ilayda: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Ella: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Believe in yourself. Even if it feels like you have to fight against so much at the beginning, you’ll find your way. And do what you love. I think that’s important because, in the world we live in today, you’ll be doing it for a very, very long time. And if it doesn’t fill you with joy, I don’t think it’s the right thing. We have one life, and I think it’s important to make sure we enjoy it as much as we can.
Ilayda: Thank you for your kind words. Now we’re slowly coming to the end of our interview. At The Unseen Mag, we have a special playlist where we collect some of the favorite songs of the musicians we interview. Are there any songs, all-time favorites or new ones, you’d like to add to our playlist?
Ella: Yeah, gladly. I think Drama by Spencer Sutherland is great. Lawrence and the Band, I’m Confident That I’m Insecure. Nina Chuba, Unsicher - classic. How many songs do you need? Uhmm And You Make My Dreams Come True, that’s an old banger. It’s by Hall & Oates. And literally anything by Queen hahaha.
Ilayda: Hahaha, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. It was really great getting to know you and your music better.
Ella: Thank you!
LISTEN TO ELLA'S FAVORITES HERE:
WANT TO SEE MORE OF ELLA STERN? HERE ARE ALL THE PHOTOS OF HER PERFORMANCE AND THE INTERVIEW:
INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY
Ilayda
For as long as I can remember, the question of belonging has lingered in the back of my mind. As a diaspora child, I carry the weight of leaving and the longing to find home in every place I go. So, I like to write about things that move me - music that lingers, films that haunt, words that stay long after the page is turned. I love to chase the moments that make me feel something.
Fernanda
I found my creativity in photography. I love to reinvent myself through photography, especially while focusing on concerts and fashion.
