Formula Indie Sessions Interview with Mara Van Dyck

What is your earliest memory connected to music? 

Probably singing dramatically in my bedroom as if I was already performing in a sold-out arena… while nobody asked for a concert. I actually always sang when I was little and I just didn’t realize it at first. One day I found an old picture of myself holding a Pritt glue stick like it was a microphone, and that’s when I realized maybe singing had always been part of me. At around age 11, I started taking it more seriously after listening to a Spirit CD by Leona Lewis and singing along to her songs for hours. 

How did your passion for creating music begin? 

It started very naturally when I was little, and over time it became more serious. I began taking vocal lessons, singing together with my vocal teacher, and performing at Christmas markets, school talent shows, and small local concerts. Later, I had the chance to perform on bigger stages, including the Eurovision Gala Night 2016. Every performance helped me grow more confident and made me realize that music was not just a hobby for me anymore. 

What’s the story behind your current music project? 

My current song Just For You is actually a very emotional love song. It’s about loving someone so deeply that you would do anything for that person and feeling grateful that they found you in the first place. I wanted the song to feel honest, emotional, and intimate, almost like a personal letter turned into music. I think many people can relate to that feeling of finally finding someone who makes you feel safe, understood, and appreciated. And sometimes love songs can sound very generic, so I tried to make it feel more personal and cinematic in my own way. 

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before? Dreamy pop with cinematic ballads, emotional vocals, dark R&B influences, and strong storytelling. I love lyrics that feel direct and personal, almost like speaking directly to someone. At the same time, I’m still exploring different genres and sounds because I don’t want to create “generic” music. I want to build a universe where people can emotionally escape into a place where they feel understood and comfortable. I also love experimenting with sounds and instruments that maybe shouldn’t fit together… until somehow they suddenly do. 

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? That perfection is honestly overrated. The songs people connect to the most are usually the honest ones. I also realized that music has become a huge part of who I am today. It shaped me into the person I became, and I genuinely can’t imagine my life without it anymore. Creating music makes me very happy, and when people connect with it too, that feeling becomes even more special. 

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

I sometimes use piano to explore melodies and emotions, but a lot of ideas actually begin very spontaneously in my head or while listening to music. I often record melody ideas directly on my phone before I forget them.

Later, together with my producer, we work further on the songs using Logic Pro. Sometimes I create my songs in Songwriting Camps in different parts of the world with at least a producer and one or two songwriters. 

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now? 

I honestly listen to so many different artists depending on my mood. I really love Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Mellina Tey, and Madison Beer. I’m also inspired by a lot of Eurovision artists lately, especially Dara after her Eurovision win for Bulgaria. 

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? A lot of my music comes directly from personal experiences, emotions, insecurities, growth, and moments where I had to rebuild confidence in myself. I want to be very open and authentic with people through my music. If people connect with me and my art, that’s amazing and if not, that’s okay too, because everyone has different tastes and different stories. Music is simply the way I express myself. I think in this industry, one of the hardest but most important things is learning to love yourself first. 

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

I hope my music creates moments people genuinely enjoy and emotionally connect with. I want listeners to feel understood, comforted, and less alone. I also want people to feel like they don’t have to be perfect to deserve love, acceptance, or happiness. Being authentic is enough. 

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

Music taught me resilience. One day you feel unstoppable, the next day you question everything but growth comes from continuing anyway. It also taught me that difficult moments are not meant to stay painful forever. Sometimes sadness can slowly transform into beautiful memories, healing, or even joy. 

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

Definitely the Eurovision stage one day and that would be a huge dream for me because it combines music, storytelling, emotion, and a little bit of chaos in the best possible way. But honestly, I also dream about performing in amazing venues here in Luxembourg like the Rockhal or Den Atelier. I think every artist starts somewhere, and I actually like the idea of growing step by step instead of suddenly jumping into massive stages overnight. Maybe first Luxembourg, then neighboring countries, and then who knows? Of course, festivals like Coachella would be incredible one day too. But for me, the most important thing is honestly that the audience feels happy that I’m there and connected with the music. Whether it’s 20 people or 20,000 people, I still want it to feel real. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? That list is honestly getting dangerously long. Definitely Ariana Grande because her vocal creativity is insane, and Tori Kelly because she’s such an incredible musician and storyteller. I would also absolutely love to collaborate with Christian Kostov and Dara because I really connect with them artistically and emotionally. And then there’s Madison Beer and Melina Tey. So working with Melina Tey especially would honestly be an absolute banger because I love her artistic universe and style so much. 

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/5FWTHqJqXVapNKv3csOoTu?si=2DejLCGASEifKVIOCzcpwQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mara.vandyck/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maravandyck 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@maravandyckmusic 

More links: https://groover.me/mara-van-dyck 

And yes… my website is coming soon too, I promise. Slowly but surely between music and balancing Excel sheets at my full-time job, I’m trying my best. 

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey? I definitely want to continue growing as an artist, releasing more music, collaborating with creative people, and performing more on different stages. I’m also continuing to work on songs connected to Eurovision because that world inspires me a lot creatively. Soon, I’ll attend a few songwriting camps where I’ll be writing new music together with other songwriters and producers, which I’m really excited about. I hope to keep improving, exploring new sounds, and reaching more listeners over time. Right now, I’m balancing music together with my full-time job, which honestly creates a funny contrast sometimes. There is one moment where I’m working with spreadsheets and Excel sheets, the next moment I’m writing emotional lyrics at midnight. But maybe one day music will become the full-time story. For now, I’m just excited to see where this journey goes and hopefully continue inspiring people along the way. 

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

I hope people discover the real person behind the music as someone who genuinely loves creating emotional experiences for others and making people feel something. I want listeners to feel comfortable, understood, inspired, or simply happy while listening. At the end of the day, I’m honestly just someone who loves music very deeply and wants to share that passion with others.