Interview: Maggie Lindemann on her new single, 'Would I'.
Interview: Maggie Lindemann on her new single, 'Would I'.
On her latest and most honest single yet, ‘Would I’, Maggie Lindemann contemplates the inner demons that people can face, explaining in a statement about the song that it’s about “feeling hopeless and wanting a way out,” but implores that she wants people to realise the importance of mental health.
Having already attained over 700 million streams on her songs to date, Lindemann’s songwriting aims to relate to her growing fanbase - and with a social following of over 3 million, people are clearly listening.
Coup De Main spoke with Lindemann ahead of Thanksgiving to discuss the release of the new song, as well as her upcoming EP, and a recent trip to Japan with Khalid…
...it also really has a lot to do with who you surround yourself with...
COUP DE MAIN: I really love your new song, ‘Would I’, it’s so beautiful and personal. In the song you touch on mental health in a really relatable way - you sing, “I can’t tell if I’m sad or bored.” Do you think as a young person in 2018, it’s easier or harder to be aware of one’s own mental health?
MAGGIE LINDEMANN: Oh gosh, I would say that it’s easier to be aware of it because I just feel like there’s a lot of people talking about it now, there’s a lot of stuff on social media about it - it’s more acceptable compared to when I was young. There wasn’t really social media when I first realised that mental health was a real thing, so I had to figure it out by myself. So I think that now that there’s social media and people do try to talk on it, it can be very helpful.
CDM: In the song you sing, “LA’s making me colder.” What do you think it is about Los Angeles that encourages such a ‘fake’ social lifestyle?
MAGGIE: There are so many people here that are trying to make it, and there are so many people that have made it. People are just really fake. I think it also really has a lot to do with who you surround yourself with, and I think I surround myself with good people. I think that if you don’t get in the right crowds you can be really put into these situations where people have a lot of money and people flex because they want to seem cool, and people use you for your connections. It’s just that everyone is out here for a reason. Everyone is trying to make it, you just have to be really careful, which is really toxic. Because you’re not supposed to live life thinking, ‘Damn, is this person using me? Are they really my friend, for me? What’s the deal?’ That’s really toxic. So I think that, but it all depends who you surround yourself with.
CDM: And you moved to LA when you were quite young, right? It must’ve been such a strange experience for you.
MAGGIE: Yeah, I was like 16, it was weird.
CDM: Do you ever get the chance to go back to Dallas at all?
MAGGIE: Yeah, I’m actually going back home tomorrow to do some stuff, and also for Thanksgiving - so I do get to go back home.
CDM: Why was writing ‘Would I’ so important to you? Did it feel cathartic once you’d written the song?
MAGGIE: It was really important to me because I feel like… I wrote the song last year, around this time, so I’ve been sitting on it for quite a while. I get really bad seasonal depression, so it was really important for me because I was in such a dark state last year, and I really wanted to get it out there. I usually write my feelings and stuff but not really that deep, but I wanted something to get my feelings out there so I didn’t feel so closed off, where I couldn’t breathe or something. It’s just really important for kids to hear that people go through that - it’s not just them.
CDM: It’s kind of like a hug in song-form, letting people know they’re not the only ones who feel the same.
MAGGIE: Yeah, definitely.
CDM: Is ‘Would I’ lifted from an upcoming release? What are you working on at the moment?
MAGGIE: Possibly! I’m working on an EP, there’s going to be a few songs that I’ve been working on that I’m really excited about - because I’ve been working on singles for a while, so to come out with an EP is really exciting, and I’ve been working on it for so long. It’s in the works.
CDM: Do you know approximately when it might be released?
MAGGIE: Probably early next year.
CDM: About your previous single ‘Human’, you shared, “I think everyone can take away a different feeling from it.” Do you like that songwriting can give everyone the opportunity to take your words and apply it to their own lives?
MAGGIE: Yeah, I think it’s really cool. When I’m writing, that’s one of the main things that I focus on - I’m really big on lyrics. I want people to read the lyrics or hear the words and think that that’s really relatable, I want them to apply it to their lives, so when I’m writing that’s a really big focal point for me.
CDM: What do you want people to take away from listening to your music?
MAGGIE: Probably from every song a different emotion, but I think I want people to feel a real-ness and not alone. I want them to listen to it and know that there’s someone else that feels the same things they do. I just want them to feel a sense of comfort.
CDM: What do you think is the difference between a good song and a great song?
MAGGIE: I think how the fans react makes the song a great song. There could be a good song but if people don’t relate to it, or take a real feeling away from it then it’s not great. I think when someone really feels empowered or sad, or it makes them cry, or it makes them really happy and they want to go do something positive, that’s what makes it great.
CDM: Do you normally write only about your own experiences, or do you draw from other things like stories you’re told, or film/TV?
MAGGIE: No, definitely myself, all my stuff is about me, stuff I’m going through, stuff I’m feeling, so it’s always me.
CDM: Back in 2016, you came out as bisexual on Periscope, and I know your fans have been really supportive of you. When you’re songwriting, have you found yourself writing with both male and female pronouns?
MAGGIE: I think so far I’ve only done male, but for ‘Obsessed’ it wasn’t a certain pronoun, we just used anything so that you could do what you please with it. That’s what I’m trying to do more of, is not a ‘he’ or ‘she’, but just leaving it open for your own mind. In the writing process, it’s always just whatever is in that moment.
CDM: In 2016 you gave yourself the piece of advice: “Don't let social media take over your life. Don't let it consume you.” Do you think it’s important to heed those words today?
MAGGIE: I think those are still really, really good words. Especially now, I think it’s even getting worse. I think social media is always growing. I still live by that, and I think I’ve done a good job, I’m pretty proud of myself on that.
CDM: I saw you went to Japan last month with Khalid. What was that experience like?
MAGGIE: It was amazing! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, it was so much fun. Khalid is amazing. It was just a real cool experience. I got to be on an Air Base for the first time, and I’ve never done that, so it was a crazy experience.
CDM: And when are you going to come and play for us in New Zealand?
MAGGIE: Hopefully soon! I’ve never been but I would love to come.
Maggie Lindemann’s new single ‘Would I’ is out now - click here to purchase, or stream it below…
