Looking ahead to what would be a promising couple of months for Nina, better known for her project, Filiah. We had a fun and interesting chat where we talked not only about what is to come for her project, but also delved into the meaning of music per se, mental health, the importance of finding what makes you feel safe, and why not, dogs.
Without further ado, I’d like to share the conversation we had. As it is better than any description I can come up with.
– His name is Hansi, and he will be officially in the record because of this.
Filiah (F): I love that. That’s the perfect way to start anything. Hello, oh! my heart! Every time someone brings a dog to the studio or to a session, I’m like, “okay, this is going to be a good day”. So that’s an instant icebreaker for everything.
Hansi.
– Good icebreaker, indeed. And now he’s just chilling there, looking at me wondering, “what are you doing!?”
But I have prepared another icebreaker that it’s a little game I took from one of my favorite music journalists. She’s Susana Medina (Mezclas Abruptas), shout out. And it goes like this. First, I read somewhere that you like listening to records. So, I guess you have your own collection.
So, starting from that, I guess we have our own sorting mechanism, because alphabetically might not work so well, particularly if one has like a bunch of genres or vibes of albums, and so on. So, in fewer words, my sorting mechanism is according to mood/vibes I get from the records. Based on that, where would you like to place your incoming album? Like between which records you can see your album staying?
F: Oh, okay, good icebreaker. Everything I’m gonna say will sound very pretentious, actually.
– No, no, no. Just go on.
F: I’m going to try. I think, wow. Can’t decide which one, but I think there has to be a David Bowie record somewhere. And then, hmm, I don’t own the album, but I feel like maybe Punisher (2020) by Phoebe Bridgers. I don’t have it on vinyl, but I love it so much, or the older record by Lizzy McAlpine (Give Me A Minute, 2020), I love that as well.
– Cool. I was also thinking like “maybe she will pick Phoebe Bridgers.”
F: I have such good memories listening to that album, both of her albums, but still, I don’t know, Punisher somehow, just instantly caught me. I love that record so much.
– She’s also a very good lyricist. I will talk about your lyrics later on, but I think yours really match her vibe. It gets me really excited, the connection between Phoebe Bridgers and Bowie, then for you to be in between … I’m really looking forward to the album.
F: Yeah, me too. I’m also very excited for the EP right now. Because it’s the first little milestone. I’m just very excited for these songs to be out because it’s been a while.
– I know, I know. I have somewhere in there in the script questions about that, but let’s go. The other day, I came across this band that might ring a bell to you. The name is Sick Growing.
F: Oh my god.
– And they can easily fit somewhere along alongside Paramore, I think, more or less, I felt that influence.
F: Yeah, Paramore, honestly I like them. I also love Hayley Williams and that she just dropped like 17 songs randomly. I love what she does, um so yeah, I think it was a big influence when I was younger so it makes sense yeah.
“…just trust your gut, your decisions are very right. And if someone doesn’t get them, you don’t have to over explain to anyone.”
– Yeah, I love her too, but the question in here is: If you could have a chance to send a message to this young Nina, coming right out from a great performance at die Große Chance, then what would you tell her?
F: Oh, wow. I mean, I guess I would tell her to take up more space. And also, “just trust your gut, your decisions are very right. And if someone doesn’t get them, you don’t have to over explain to anyone”. I think that’s what I would tell her. And that she’s doing great.
I think I didn’t feel that at the time, because it was just like a lot going on, also I started when I was very young. But I think I used to be someone who held themselves very small, and so I kind of try to break out of that, especially right now with everything I do, the whole new music stuff and starting over with my artist project, which is just my own. It’s very very special after years of trying to fit into everyone’s little imagination that they had of me or who I should be.
– Cool advice. Yeah, not only for me or for young Nina, but actually for all of our readers. I like it.
But let’s go back to your current project.The first steps of Filiah, I have a couple of questions about it, because calling back to the album surrounding your sound and this kind of thing. I found that Hide and Seek, your first songs, showed more of this introspection that might have formed the identity of the new project. But still far from what I listened to in Sad Girl With A Punchline, for example. But then came the singles where I could tell they reflect more of what we would listen to afterwards, like 27 or A Letter, which is my personal favorite from that period, by the way.
Then from there, up to the first album For Someone (2022). And I know that that period was like a tipping point in your career. Would you mind telling us what happened during and after the release of For Someone?
F: So, For Someone was sort of my way of freeing myself from a lot of past experiences surrounding the music industry as well. And I kind of wanted something that was just mine, because I’ve never really had that. I love making Hide and Seek, but it was also a collaboration with a friend of mine. And it kind of felt very freeing to have this bunch of songs that were just mine.
I started going back to the way that I wrote songs when I was like 14, and just played on my guitar in my bedroom and wrote music that I didn’t really think anyone was going to listen to. And then I was like “how about I just produce my own record and do everything else that is involved?”, like doing the whole process just by myself because I want to prove to everyone that I can. It was in a way empowering, but then it burned me out very quickly.
I think I needed people who believed in me, and people who were willing to do this with me, and I kind of let the whole project die for a bit because I also think it’s important that sometimes during periods of making whole projects, like albums or EPs even, it’s just important to live a bit and just have this space where you can breathe.
So, I was in heavy burnout, I actually thought nothing’s ever gonna happen with my artist project again, and then I slowly started doing other stuff like co-writing and doing session musician stuff. I did some commercial work and a lot of cover jobs as well just to sort of get me going financially. I started to play bass in another band called Freude.
And then, at one point, I was at this songwriting camp and I felt like something was brewing for a while and I just had this feeling of “I had so much to say, I just don’t know how, and I have no way to get it out” because nothing was coming out when I tried, and I felt like I needed some space where I didn’t have to try hard, just be myself and feel seen, feel safe with other people and that was very important.
It’s a long story though, I played at waves festival in Vienna 2021. And the sound guy was so nice. It took me a while but I asked him to work with me, we had our first few sessions and everything clicked. He’s the bassist of my band now, and we’re coproducing every song right now. His name is Thomas Boeck, it felt like I found someone who shares the last brain cell that I have with me.
I already felt a bit safer by the time I went to the songwriting camp in Croatia (welovemelodies) and then it just kind of happened, Atlas happened in a day.
It sort of poured out of me, and I had such great people in that team. They made me feel so seen. That’s kind of how it started and then a lot of new music just came.
– I love that. It reminds me from other interviews that I’ve done, the importance of really finding your people to be comfortable, let’s say, but it just comes naturally, it connects and it’s just like magic, you know, I’ve heard so many times this kind of thing, the importance of finding the right person/people, to feel heard, to feel seen.
F: A basic human need, I guess. Yeah. But everyone wants to feel seen and heard, be safe with the way that people treat you. And it’s just, I feel like it’s so important that you also sort of know your boundaries and that.
– Yeah, I can relate.
And also the importance of mental health and that sometimes stepping aside of this is the best that we can do when one feels overthrown by oneself, by own thoughts or self-imposed expectations.
I will take the liberty to speak not only like for myself, but I can say that we are very glad that you could find yourself again, your voice literally and figuratively. It’s just a really cool thing. So I wanted to highlight that part.
F: That means so much. I’m like also very happy with where it’s going. And I never thought that, two years ago, things would have turned out this way. But I guess that’s just life. And even though it’s still a small project, I feel so much love for everything that’s happening right now, and all the people who are helping me do it. It’s just such a privilege to be able to have people who believe in this as much as I do. Or almost as much as I do.
– Surely they believe in this. I guess they wouldn’t take part in this if they do not believe in it. We all do.
So yeah, I wanted to talk about Sad Girl With a Punchline because I think it shows a bit some sort of this internal reconciliation during all this story that you just told us.
The embracement of oneself, and the ironic/cynical manner that you presented it, somehow proudly.
I was watching the video today. And there is a ghost playing a guitar. Is it a reference to Phoebe Bridgers’ Stranger in the Alps? Or was just my idea?
F: Actually, it’s a reference to my first album because on the cover, there’s a ghost that’s hugging me.
– Right, right makes a lot of sense.
F: I got the Phoebe Bridgers‘ reference a lot and the funny thing about it is that I thought of this concept and the album like way before I even knew Stranger in the Alps, and I was like, fuck, okay, everyone’s gonna think I ripped this off. But also, I like my ghost, it looks a bit more DIY and badly done. So I think that’s okay.
– Oh yeah, I think it’s part of the feeling of it.
F: A funny background info. I never talked about this, but I put so much thought into everything and so.
The whole first album is about a relationship with someone who just vanished at some point, and it is sort of like a concept album about everything that happened. The last song on the album is called In a Haunted House, and I kind of talked about someone who falls in love again and feels seen and home again.
And then for this whole cycle, I was like “I’ll dig out the ghost costume one more time, and I’m gonna play it myself”. And it was just kind of reclaiming that, in a weird little subliminal way, I guess.
– It makes sense that in For Someone cover, it’s you embracing this ghost, maybe a little bit melancholic, like saying Goodbye. That’s the first song, right?
– I was listening to it and I thought of a story of not failed but a love that it’s gone maybe. That’s why I also love the song A letter, and then For Someone it’s just really really good.
F: Thank you. That’s why I was like, “okay, let’s reclaime the ghost costume. Let’s go!”
– Repurposing it.
F: So meta, wow.
– Part of your Lore now. At first I thought it was like this Phoebe Bridger’s album because also there is this, I think it’s just a drawing but it’s also this DIY ghost. I found it cute, but I like the original version better than my overthinking idea about this.
So, I have another silly game. At first, it was with outer space beings, but let’s put Hansi instead. So, Hansi is right here, right now. And he wonders, “What are they talking about?” After briefly trying to explain him, we noticed he cannot distinguish music. He doesn’t know what music is, how would you describe music for him?
Hansi wondering.
Without being able to actively listen, just describe him what is it.
F: Wow, Okay, let me think about this for a second.
It’s a hard question, but I love that question … I have a cheesy answer.
– Awesome!. I live for the cheesy things.
F: Like also for a dog, you know, I think you’ve heard about the saying, dogs believe that when people leave a room, that they’re never coming back, or when someone goes like grocery shopping and stuff like that. And I think that’s the most heartbreaking fact I’ve ever heard about dogs. I can never leave you, like what the hell?
– Yeah, If I could, I would just take them with me forever.
F: Yeah, and I feel that I would describe music for a dog so it can relate to it. It’s the feeling when your owner or best friend, whatever you want to call it, the human. It’s the feeling when the human comes home again.
– Wow. I love that answer, yeah, I can’t even do it better. Music is like that even for us. it’s like when your favorite person is coming into the room. Exactly.
F: Yeah, I love that answer. And it’s sort of like that for all the situations in your life. Whether you’re sad or you’re happy, or you’re feeling like dancing or just like walking down the street, or simply blocking out noise on the train or whatever, it’s just always a companion, I guess. And it kind of makes sense for me.
“I write music to give people a space to be creative, as well as it is for me.”
– I completely understand it. Is this why you do it? Is this why you write music? to accompany people?
F: I think, I write music for a lot of different reasons, I guess. I always tell people that it’s to understand myself better but then it’s also to understand other people better. Because I love when a song has so many meanings to different people.
And I love hearing that, not just with my music, but I love nerding out about stuff and lyrics and what they might mean. And I think I write music to give people a space to be creative, as well as it is for me. And I, I don’t know, so many songs have helped me through difficult phases of my life. And I kind of, if I can do that for someone, not intended, not intended anyway, if I can do that for anyone, then I guess that’s sort of like a “purpose fulfilled”.
And I love how it’s such a cool way of doing something over silence. Like, usually there’s nothing there and you just end up with something. Even if it’s like shit, you just do something, and it can be grasped. And I love that. I mean, you can buy a vinyl and hold onto it, but still the songs feel like a hug. You can’t hug a song, but they still feel like it.
– It’s helping you, helping us, right?
I love the congruence on this because somewhere I read that you wanted to create songs that feel like, and I quote, “a little home where you’re understood and cared for “.
And I can personally tell that, yeah, you’ve done that successfully, since the beginning. That’s your superpower.
You mentioned that, when you were writing the songs, you felt heard, you felt seen. So, when listening to your songs and your lyrics, I think that’s a feeling that at least I can take from. I feel seen, I feel understood. I feel like, “ah, wow, yeah, I’m not the only one feeling like this”. So, that’s very sweet of you. You’re creating this without intention, but still managed.
F: That means so much. Also, I think every time you talk to someone about anything that’s troubling you, or that’s on your mind, or mental health stuff, or just every time you’re vulnerable, I feel like it creates this space where you can feel better. And things just get better as soon as you talk about them, I think. And that’s kind of what I want to put out into this little world.
Like, for me, it’s not always easy to release those songs, especially the first album. It was a lot. And now it’s become a way of connecting to people that I’m super proud of. And I’m just getting very comfortable in being vulnerable, because I feel like “what’s the worst that’s going to happen?”.
Usually, people are just very grateful. And they don’t really think about stuff as deeply as I do. I mean, I think, as an artist, I overthink a lot, especially what people think, or what they mean. And then, at the end of the day, it’s not about me anymore. And I just can be very vulnerable and very open and personal. But someone who listens to it doesn’t think about me. They just think about themselves. And that’s just the coolest part about it.
– Yeah, I always thought that when we listen to a record, we project ourselves in that record, I think I don’t remember who said that, but once the music is out there, it’s no longer from the artist, it’s from whoever listens to it. So yeah, just share your heart and we will put ourselves in there and not judge you or anything.
F: I’ll do the judging myself. Don’t worry. I’m joking. But mostly during the process, I’m questioning everything 100 times. And then it’s just like, “okay, let’s maybe step back and get the ego away”.
– Jaja, yeah.
Now, coming back to the script I prepared. At some point we talked about the release plan, but if it’s still a secret I will not mention. What can you tell me about the plan to release new music?
F: I can confirm that there is an EP. The EP is coming out in October. I don’t have a date yet. I’m still thinking, but sooner rather than later, I guess.
– Cool, no pressure, just take your time, do it with the love that you’ve been doing all your job.
F: Thank you. I mean, the EP is done, so I’m good. I’m like, “let’s just put it out”. But there will be a song, which is what I can’t say because I haven’t said it yet. There will be a song next week on Friday. And it’s called Mean Something. And I love it a lot. So yeah, I’m very excited for it. [The single has just been released by the time this interview is published, August 29th, 2025. Listen to it, here].
I started a newsletter, like a little bubble. [Go and subscribe, here]
– By the way, are these songs (EPs) interconnected between them? or are they different pieces, or it’s again like a full story or something?
F: They are connected, it was really difficult because I always write with albums in mind. I never really think about shorter projects, I don’t know if it’s the way I grew up. I always listen to albums and I’m a huge fan of sitting down and taking in a whole record and so I’m kind of old school about the whole single releasing thing. I’m like “okay, I have to release singles. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it”.
For me they are two parts, because I’ve thought about it too, I don’t just want to do something because it’s better promo. The EP that’s coming out is very much like a breakout of old habits, everything that’s Sad Girl With A Punchline, there’s also a song coming out that’s on the EP that’s called Scratch, and I’m very proud of that one
[I cut the next part of this chat to not spoil anything. But believe me, it’s going to be amazing]
– Wow! it’s cool that you write this, let’s say, not concept album in a way like Pink Floyd or whatever, rock opera stuff. But it’s like having some story in mind that actually motivates us to listen to an album, in its entirety. Of course, I’m a huge fan of that, I collect records for a reason. I love doing that.
When one can hear a story and put it in our mind and, again, being able of putting oneself in there and project oneself in this story. It’s really good. It’s not just songs because of making songs, no judgment to any artist, but this particular thing, of thinking it through and putting your soul is amazing.
F: Yeah. And I guess that’s just the only way I can do it. I respect everyone who’s like, okay, I’m gonna write the single and then I’m gonna write the next single. And at some point, it’s an EP or whatever. But I always think about how things are gonna fit together. And I’m a huge concept person. And everything for me must make sense.
– I totally understand, same here.
So, you just announced the first proper tour, that’s very cool! And I have one question, because I saw you have a duo and solo shows. What are those about? Any details about that? What does that mean?
F: I mean, I used to play only solo, which was mostly just because of financial reasons, honestly. I always wanted to play with a band, I always wanted to bring my best friends on stage with me, which I’m doing now, and it’s very very cool. But it’s still very hard to navigate because it’s so expensive. And some of the shows are just me playing support. And that’s usually something that I still do solo or in a duo setup, me and my other guitarist.
We try to think of special stuff for every setup so when solo I try to do something different and when I play duo another thing, and the band setup is the whole picture. The new songs are so band oriented, so it’s a lot of fun putting them into a solo context but somehow works.
– Yeah, on the Waves Festival, you are bringing full band, I guess. I hope.
– Ah, right!, that’s fantastic. I saw that!. Congrats.
F: Thank you. There’s like a lot of cool people nominated. I’m just happy to be recognized. I hope Waves is gonna be cool as well.
– And we’re very looking forward about it. For sure, I will be there. I already have a ticket.
It’s going to be nice. Just one last thing. A little bit of a closure, what I used to love about reading interviews, album reviews, or whatever when I was younger, was to know about my idols’ music taste, because that’s a great way to know new music. So, I always like to ask these two things. The first one, the classic, which bands influenced the sound of the incoming album? Maybe related to the vibes in the first question or not, I don’t know. And the second one, what was the last thing that you listened to today? It doesn’t have to be the same, because for example, the last thing I played, I think it was some emo hardcore song.
F: I love that. Wait, I’m going to look up. I’m going to answer the second one first, and I’m going to look up my recently played songs. Oh, yeah. I listened to My full name by Madison Cunningham. So good. It just came out on Friday. Do yourself a favor and watch the live version.
Also, I’m listening to the Hayley Williams songs. I made my own playlist; I love that she wanted people to just choose the order in which they listen to the songs. So I did that. And then, the other question, it is hard because I don’t know. I think I listened to a lot. I actually did listen a lot of David Bowie. I listen a lot of Lorde.
I listened to a lot of Maggie Rogers, Lucius, War on Drugs, Big Thief as well and Adrianne Lenker. I think that’s enough for now. I don’t know if any of it really influenced me, but I guess you take something subconsciously from everything you listen to and then you just put it in your own music, I guess.
– The other funny thing, I guess, of listening to so diverse music is that you can just put it in a blender in your brain and just make your own things. So, we have in Mexico a word that describes this idea, “campechano”, which is a mix of a lot of things. Just merged and make your own thing. It’s just good, good to know. And I think a lot of people will now listen to really cool bands with just these recommendations that you just made. Thank you.
F: Thank you so much for the questions, your time, and all the deep dive that you did. It really means a lot.
