Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Unicorn Umbrellas

With Every Picture Tells a Story, Swiss keyboardist, composer and producer Beat Zimmermann steps fully back into the international spotlight. Under his project name Unicorn Umbrellas, he delivers a debut album that brings together world-class musicianship, emotional depth and meticulous production – the logical next step after the acclaimed first single “The Prison Within”. Over the course of the album, Zimmermann explores how memories, turning points and inner conflicts become “pictures” in our minds – snapshots that quietly shape the stories we tell about

ourselves. Some tracks zoom in on deeply personal moments, others open up into widescreen, cinematic soundscapes. Together, they form a coherent journey rather than just a collection of songs.

At the center of the project is vocalist and co-writer Michael Sadler, the iconic voice of Canadianprog rock institution SAGA. His instantly recognizable tone and storytelling approach give the songs both authority and vulnerability. Zimmermann and Sadler worked closely for over two years,shaping lyrics, vocal arrangements and details in the storytelling until everything locked into place. On drums, Todd Sucherman brings the kind of playing usually reserved for stadium stages: precise, dynamic and full of detail, but always in service of the song. Long-time companion Zlatko “Slädu” Perica – seven-time Grammy nominee and former member of Tangerine Dream – handles the guitars, from atmospheric textures to fiery solos. On bass, René Maurer (part of Swiss rock

history through his work with Gölä) provides the solid, musical foundation that glues everything together. Musically, the album blends neo-prog and art rock with subtle fusion elements. Listeners will recognize traces of classic progressive rock, but Zimmermann’s modern keyboard work, his sense for groove and harmony and his background in fusion keep the music firmly in the here and now. Hooks and choruses are allowed; odd meters and sophisticated harmony are there for those wholisten deeper, not as an athletic exercise.

“The Prison Within”, released as the first single in August 2025, set the tone: a song about breaking free from mental cages and expectations. With the second single “I Regret”, Unicorn Umbrellas shifted the spotlight to a more introspective side of the album – a reflection on missed chances and the stories we tell ourselves in hindsight. Both tracks quickly established themselves on specialist prog station Morow, where they have been in constant rotation and remain part of the core playlist.

On the album, this theme of inner liberation and reflection reappears in different shades –

sometimes quietly introspective, sometimes powerful and anthemic. The result is a record that invites you to sit down with headphones and follow the arc from first note to last.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

My older brothers and my dad listening to music in their cars on Stereo-8 (8-track cartridges) and then me taking lessons on the recorder flute when I was 6 years old.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

I guess the first sparks for creating were visible when I changed to the piano at the age of 10. Part of my practice was always to try playing melodies that I heard somewhere and that led to the first shy attempts to improvise simple things.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

I had a lot of older ideas piled up that were never really taken care of with the appropriate attention to detail. Some of them dated back to the late eighties and early to mid  nineties. When I renewed my studio in 2016 I felt that the moment is right to try and remember the best ideas and write songs around them, writing new parts to compliment the original ideas etc. and arrange everything. On top of the keyboard tracks I created drum tracks and played all the bass lines on the synth. This was not something I was permanently working on, just whenever I felt like it. At some point, I was quite happy with the results so far but needed a real guitar to see where this is going. So I called my long time friend Zlatko and told him about it. He asked me to send a track over, he would do the guitars for me. So when I got it back, I said “spot on! Exactly what I want!” and asked him to do the whole album and send an invoice. Next step was to do scratch vocals, which I did myself, lead and 4-voice harmony arrangements. I am not a singer, whatever is technical in terms of timing and intonation I can fix in the studio but my voice is not something I wanted people to have to listen to, not even for a pre-prduction. I found an AI platform, where you can change the sound of audio files and finally the lead vocals sounded like sung by Phil Collins and the harmonies by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera and the likes. This was the moment when we knew that this could become very special if we carefully select the musicians that contribute. So I remembered Quincy Jones saying that one should always get the best possible musicians on one’s project. I felt that Michael Sadler of SAGA would be a perfect fit for the music and asked him. He listened to the tracks and liked them and was happy to join. The whole project then became a close cooperation over two years between him and myself. Todd Sucherman (Styx) was the drummer I rated to be the best fit for the music and he immediately agreed to join as well. Fact is that Michael and Todd knew each other as Styx and SAGA toured together a couple of times. Finally, René joined on the bass, another long time friend of mine. He used to be called “the John Myung of Switzerland” :-D. He is known to play for the song rather than for his own ego and he also did a fantastic job like everybody else.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I think I would call it Neo-Prog Rock. It is song oriented rather than showcasing craftsmanship. It has its moments of course but I would say its mainly about moods and melodies. Logically, people will hear a touch of SAGA in it, due to Michael’s unique voice.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Actually the main take-away wasn’t changing my way but confirming. As we have all these modern tools available that allow us to cut, copy, paste, correct etc. we have to be careful to keep that tinkering business to a bare minimum. While writing and arranging I did of course play a part quickly and then copy it and paste it wherever I needed it. But once happy with the arrangement I always recorded performances from start to end. I would only copy something if the part was doubled with a different sound, like if you were stacking sounds with MIDI in a live setup. I wondered whether this makes sense or is an inefficient attitude with the tools at hand but then learnt that Todd and Michael work exactly that way. Todd listened to the tracks maybe 200 times and then knew exactly what he wanted to play once sitting down at the kit. Then he recorded a take from start to end. Even if there was a middle section without drums he wouldn’t stop and punch in again, but stay in the music to keep the feeling going. Michael worked in a similar way. He did “demo” takes to discuss with me and have my approval. Once we agreed on everything, he recorded all the tracks again in one go to get a coherent feeling across the song but also across the whole album. I think this can be heard.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

It starts with my practising, where I like to use the “Amazing Slow Downer” for transcribing parts and to play along with records once I master the parts. Cool thing is that if the original tempo is too high still, I can still play along with the original. I use Studiologic keyboards because of their high quality keybeds. Central Instrument  currently is an SL88 MK2 with graded hammer action combined with Modartt’s Pianoteq Software for the Grand Pianos. I also have a Studiologic Sledge, hardly use its internal sounds for recording though. I have a large number of software versions of legendary synthesizers from Cherry Audio and Arturia. My DAW is a Logic Pro.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

Snarky Puppy

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

My experiences influenced my music by giving me a broader perspective than music alone could have done. I have worked in demanding, highly structured environments, I have taught for many years, and I have lived enough to know that depth matters more than surface.

That is why I am drawn to music that combines power, atmosphere, strong composition, and emotional honesty. I like sophistication, but only when it serves expression. Life taught me to value substance over decoration, and that definitely shaped my artistic vision.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I hope listeners feel that there is something real in it. Depth, atmosphere, emotional truth, and ideally something that stays with them after the music ends. If it creates a genuine connection rather than just passing distraction, that is what matters to me.

 What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

One of the most important lessons music has taught me is that the road to mastery has a lot in common with sport. You need discipline, intelligent practice, patience, consistency, and mental strength. None of that can be faked, and there are no real shortcuts.

At the same time, music taught me something just as important: unlike sport, its real purpose is not competition. Technique and skill matter, of course, but they are not the final point. Music is about expression, depth, communication, and connection. That may sound obvious, but not everybody approaches it that way, whether as a musician or as a listener.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Hollywood Bowl and Royal Albert Hall.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

Actually I would love to continue the cooperation with Michael Sadler. I have a feeling that we could write some great music together. Other than that there are countless musicians I would feel priviledged to work with.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

The singles “The Prison Within” and “I regret” are available on all relevant streaming platforms, the album “Every Picture Tells A Story” will be there too as of April 24.

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

If stars align, I would like to produce a second “Unicorn Umbrellas” album with exactly the same line-up.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I hope listeners discover that there is more behind the music than technique or style. Ideally, they will sense depth, honesty, and intention over time.

I am not very interested in surface for its own sake. So if people come to recognise a certain integrity, emotional truth, and seriousness of purpose in what I do, that would be a good thing.