Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Black Leopard
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My mom used to be a professional belly dancer. Sometimes she took me to her performances, and I’d fall asleep in the changing room. I clearly remember the music she danced to — artists like Umm Kulthum.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I was always surrounded by music. My mom as a dancer, my dad as a passionate listener with hundreds of vinyl records (jazz, soul, rock, Brazilian music, and more). My (half) brother’s dad would play mandolin to help me fall asleep, and he later gave me my first electric guitar — a small red Fender Strat. He’s a composer and guitarist who led several world-music projects and toured the world.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
While playing in several bands, I always felt the urge to fully follow my own vision without compromise. So I write, produce, and record everything myself except live drums. Black Leopard started about 3.5 years ago, shortly after I moved to Hamburg. When my mom once told me that my music was always so sad, it made me realize what I wanted: music that is deep, but also uplifting and danceable. That feels authentic to life in Northern Europe — grey, rainy, cold half the year — but with a constant need for something that lifts you up. Hence the danceable psych grooves.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard it?
Northern melancholy meets psych guitars and synths, layered with danceable grooves and soft, harmonized vocals.
What is one thing you’ve learned that changed the way you make music?
Authenticity over competition. While studying jazz guitar, I became so focused on becoming a great guitarist that I lost touch with the vision I had as a teenager. Jazz studies were a wonderful detour, and I learned so much, but in the end I realized I just want to become the best version of myself and my sound. There’s no point in forcing yourself into something you’re not — but exploring different things is great.
What tools or instruments are essential in your creative process?
About 90% of my songs start on my first nylon-string acoustic guitar or whatever electric guitar is lying around. My acoustic still has the same strings from when I was in 3rd or 4th grade — and I’ll never change them unless I have to. It just has a vibe. Writing on a laptop never really works for me. On the album, only one song started that way: I challenged myself to produce a 12/8 percussion loop, which eventually became “Do You Know My Name?”. I use Logic mostly because I used GarageBand before, and as a student I got it for 50% off, haha.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’m listening to a lot of The Cure, some Nirvana, always Tame Impala, Mac DeMarco, and UMO. But honestly, I don’t have as much time to listen deeply as I used to. I try to explore music I don’t know yet every day — new and old.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and vision?
It’s hard to sum up: traveling and experiencing different cultures, relationships with friends, family, my wife and son, listening to a wide range of music, going to tons of concerts as a teenager and student, and living abroad in the USA at 16.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope they can fall into the music, escape reality for a moment, and return feeling more relaxed or inspired.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you?
Passion always makes life worth living. It keeps you moving and reinventing yourself. It keeps the flame alive — and I hope everyone finds something they feel passionate about.
What is a dream venue or festival you’d love to play?
I don’t really go to festivals — I mostly watch live concerts on YouTube. So it’s hard to pick a specific one. I’m happy to play anywhere with the right audience: chill, open, and into psych-pop. I love club shows with a 300–500 capacity — energetic yet intimate. Playing venues like that one day would be a dream. And since many of my musical influences are American, touring the USA would be incredible. I’d check out all the national parks!
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Too many to name, but it would be amazing to see Kevin Parker create music in real time. Blake Mills also seems like one of the most unique producers around, and working with him on my songs would be fascinating — though I’d be scared to play guitar in front of him!
Where can listeners follow and support your music?
Website: https://blackleopardmusic.com/
Bandcamp: https://blackleopard.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackleopardmusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/1BauA1DYf511JFaTv7vbfY?si=n763CdkFQCO1egVygyvuJw
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter?
I have over 100 ideas and demos on my phone. With my debut album being released (and having just played my first-ever Black Leopard show with my new band), I finally feel “allowed” to move on. I’m excited to make a lot more music in the coming years and to explore all the genres I love.
What do you hope listeners discover about you along the way?
That my music is unique — and can’t be replaced by AI.
