Formula Indie Sessions Interview with Vinsent Mettel
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My dad once tried to teach me a simple folk tune on the piano. I couldn’t get it right, got frustrated, and for years I couldn’t even look at the instrument without feeling annoyed.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Back in school, I thought being the frontman of a band was the perfect way to impress girls. Sadly—or maybe luckily—it never went beyond a few messy rehearsals.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I didn’t overcomplicate the name — it’s just my real name. I’d tried forming bands a few times over the years, but those attempts always fell apart. Eventually, I decided to just learn everything myself and became, well, a bit of a one-man band — a jack of all trades.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music?
I actually work in two directions — vocal music and film scores — so I’d have to describe them separately. My songs lean toward rock ballads with a touch of alternative and gothic flavor. My soundtracks, on the other hand, are mostly piano-based minimalism layered with ambient synths and drones.
What’s something you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I used to write everything on my 125-year-old German piano — I loved that thing. But the sound quality was poor, and being limited to one instrument eventually became frustrating. Discovering GarageBand was a real digital revolution for me — it opened up my sound and gave my tracks a new dimension.
What tools or instruments are essential to your creative process?
Every song still starts on my iPhone. As for the piano — I just sit down and play until something feels right. That’s usually how the melody, mood, and atmosphere appear. These two — the phone and the piano — are all I really need.
Which indie artist or song are you into right now?
Honestly, I haven’t updated my playlist in a while. The last artist who really caught my attention was Poppy, back when she was still working with Titanic Sinclair. I loved that quirky, sugary Poppy. What she’s doing now made her more popular, but it kind of took her off my personal favorites list.
How have your personal experiences shaped your music and artistic vision?
I’m mostly known as a film director, so music became a natural extension of the stories and emotions I explore on screen. I used to spend ages looking for the right soundtrack or commissioning one — now I compose everything myself. It makes my films feel even more personal.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I rarely write songs about happy love — they’ve always felt flat and commercial to me. Unhappy love, though, is a great fuel for creativity. I’ll admit, I sometimes let relationships fall apart or held back on purpose just to have something to pour into my music. Would I do that again now? Probably not. Age changes your perspective.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you?
It’s nicer to cry in unison. When you’re sad and you play the right track, it suddenly feels like you’re not alone. I’ve never really feared loneliness, but music showed me something deeper — emotional synchrony. I’ve always loved sad songs, but once I decided to fill my playlist only with upbeat pop — Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry — and it honestly shifted my outlook more than I expected.
What’s your dream venue or festival to perform at?
Woodstock — if it ever happens again.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I think I’d sound interesting next to HIM’s frontman, though that might be overkill. So let’s go with Taylor Swift — why not?
Where can people follow and support your music?
I’m pretty active on Instagram and spend quite a bit of time there. But if you actually want to hear the music — head to Apple Music.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Playing a show at The Cavern feels like a logical and totally achievable next step.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I don’t think many people today separate music from the artist’s personality — I know I don’t. These days, we know what a star had for breakfast before hearing their new single. As for me, I rarely post my meals, so watching my films is probably the better way to get to know me.
https://www.instagram.com/vinsentmettel
