siovo: Rising Youngster

When I first met singer siovo three years ago, he was just Simon. A young boy who came to visit Berlin to break out of his hometown in the south of Germany near Stuttgart. His first hello to me was not quite shy but still rather soft though it had the sound of something bigger lying underneath the cap covering a part of his face and his huge oversized sweater double his size. siovo does fit into his sweaters now. For one year, he has been calling the German capital his home and it feels like he has finally found a place that is open enough to hold his blossoming and ever growing persona. 

Music has always been an integral part of his life, being a musical kid in his childhood and spending most of his time in front of the computer during his adolescence — as most teenagers do — but siovo used his time to create music the whole night. When he was writing songs, siovo wasn’t in his bedroom anymore, he escaped to a place where he could fully let out his feelings and be vulnerable. Heartbreak is a reoccurring topic in his music, as it is an emotion felt by everyone yet so hard to grasp because it exists out of so many more emotions; pain, love, anger, sorrow. By facing the topic with honesty, siovo has built a community where everyone can feel truly understood though the stories do differ a little now that he is in Berlin.

SLEEK talks to siovo about being a queer artist in the German music scene, his beginnings and making music in a digital age.

SLEEK: How did you find your way to music?

siovo: I have always felt like music was a way out of my small town but I think I have never fully realized the impact it had of being an outlet for my feelings when I was living there. It all started when I was five years old and my mom brought home two CDs from ABBA and Elton John and I started singing the songs, knowing each word of the lyrics. Then my mom wanted to encourage me in my hobbies and sent me to a catholic choir which eventually led to music becoming part of my everyday life.

S: When you are making music you are siovo yet you are still Simon. Would you say there is a difference between those two?

s: From the beginning on I knew that siovo and Simon are different people. siovo is more of a perfected version of Simon that I put on like a shield. I think I have built this persona because when I was younger, I never felt like I belonged. I would have wished to have a public persona like siovo to look up to, he is almost like a superhero to me. Still, it is all 100 percent me, everything is more like an add-on to my identity.

S: Does your music also therefore function as a tool to let out your emotions?

s: Definitely. I would say I am quite a positive-thinking person which may come as a surprise since my music is really sad especially lyrically. But I think I am such a happy person because I confront and let out my emotions through my music. Heartbreak is so present in my songs right now because it is a reoccurring topic here in a new city and me being young right now. I could lock myself in the studio for eight hours to write about that, it’s like a big scream I let out. And the most beautiful part of it is that people relate to my own experiences, it is like we are all connected and it makes you feel like you are not alone with your emotions, rather we are all healing together.

S: In the German music scene, LGBTQ+ representation is very rare though it is slowly increasing. As one of the very few openly gay German artists, do you feel like there is pressure put on you to represent a whole community?

s: It all feels very surreal because I myself can not believe that there is so little representation in the German music scene. The position I am in feels very privileged to have and I am trying to take it on with much respect. At the same time, it functions as a motivation to be one of the very few openly gay artists though what was hard for me to learn is that I can’t live up to everyone’s expectations. For some, I will wave the pride flag too much for others too little. With everything I do, I am just trying to make little Simon happy and I think that is the path that works for me as an artist.

S: What changes need to happen in the industry for it to be a space for everyone?

s: Generally, there are too many men in the industry. A lot of female representation is lacking, especially when you look at the producers. I know that in the LGBTQ+ community, there have been a lot of loud voices that have been fighting before me and still are now which I am very thankful for. But I want to be the change, where I am treated and looked at on the same level. Me being gay shouldn’t be something that lets me stand out, I want to exist in a reality made out of equality. 

S: In which way can that translate to the outside world?

s: I think I am provoking by not being provocative. My songs are often sneaking into quite heteronormative-themed playlists where the listeners don’t know anything about me at first. That is the beauty of music, to use it as an instrument to reach people far out of your own bubble. Getting in contact with people through art helps to break up stigmas which is actually really crazy to think about but also at the same time exciting. In the end, the most important part is to keep your art honest and I openly embody queerness the way I live it. 

S: What else comes with producing art in our modern age?

s: We live in a time where numbers are everything. Numbers seem to determine your value as an artist even though mostly the algorithm randomly gives you a peak that doesn’t say anything about your relevancy. I would lie if I said that I don’t care about being in the top 50 but still, it is very important to keep a distance to such goals. Putting pressure on yourself and on how you perform as an artist just interferes with the quality of art you produce. Art should be an extension of your inner world, that is the only way to give meaning to your music.

S: Your newest single “bevor du gehst” produced by Alexis Troy sounds like a start in a new direction. What new meaning does the single hold for the direction you are heading to?

s: “Bevor du gehst” feels like a step into a pop world that is braver, louder and bigger. My sound can be heard clearer than ever before in that song. But the song also means a lot to me on a personal level because I have been a big fan of Alexis Troy for a long time now. Finally being able to work with him felt like I found a producer with whom I also got to know a new version of myself through the writing process.

Listen to siovo’s newest single “bevor du gehst” hier and take a look at the music video hier.

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