A Conversation With Cloudy June
A Conversation With Cloudy June
The 24-year-old German/Cuban artist Cloudy June is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. A rising feminist and queer icon, Cloudy June’s songs confront social expectations with blunt, no-holds-barred takes on issues such as sexuality and equality aided by her talent for instantly unforgettable song titles (‘FU In My Head’, ‘Throw Up When I See Your Face’, ‘Mommy issues’, ‘High Waist To Hell’). As a result, her independent releases have now exceeded 40 million streams, while her IRL following has seen her sell-out her debut headline tour of Germany.
NSG: Good morning and how are you? What have you been doing today and how’s that going?
CJ: I’m great, thanks! I’m currently preparing for my tour, so today I started drafting out the set list, which is super exciting!
NSG: So let’s start at the beginning. Where did you grow up and what was it like?
CJ: grew up in Berlin and I feel like creativity has always played a big part in my life, from my childhood until today. I started writing my first songs when I was around 9 and when I was 16 I played my first gigs, making my way through small clubs and bars in Berlin until I was 21.
NSG: Your heritage is German/Cuban? Do you feel your heritage influences your music and if so, how?
CJ: Interestingly, I feel like my Cuban heritage isn’t influencing my music much directly. I’ve only recently started listening to more Latin music. I’ve always drawn inspiration from American artists or artists from the UK, actually. But new inspiration always keeps finding its way into my music, so let’s see what will happen in the future.
(Cloudy June_Credit: Frank Koppen)
NSG: You’ve been described as “A rising feminist and queer icon” and I’m guessing these subjects are important to you, could you tell me a little bit about them and the significance they play in your music and art?
CJ: I want to convey empowerment through my music and encourage people to not be afraid of self-expression. Sometimes I also like to be very direct or maybe provocative in my lyrics because that just feels natural to me and to who I am. And when people come to me after my shows and tell me that my songs help them feel more confident or even to come out to someone – that just means the world t to me.
NSG: Do you feel that the music industry is harder on women and those from ethnic backgrounds and if so, in what way and what do you feel needs to change?
CJ: In the end, the music industry itself is part of a system and society that still has racist and sexist structures. Even tho I feel like the music industry as a whole is way more woke than the finance industry, for example, we sure have room to improve. That begins with things like Pop artists who are people of colour repeatedly being labelled as R&B. It’s happened to me a couple of times when – if you just took one second to listen to my music – you could tell that my music has nothing to do with R&B. People love to categorize instead of taking the time to appreciate the uniqueness of somebody’s art. That definitely is one thing that has to change.
NSG: Your music has some darker undertones and is very stark in telling the reality of life, especially in songs like “Devil Is A Woman“. What do you think drives you to write in such a way as opposed to writing happy lovey-dovey pop songs?
CJ: Nothing wrong with writing happy lovey-dovey pop songs of course. I just often find myself drawn to darker or sad music than to uplifting songs. Especially dark and fierce music just gives me that confidence boost. And I feel like lots of pop music today has a rather darker undertone, which I love.
NSG: Who or what have been your biggest influences?
CJ: I had a huge Courtney Love phase when I was around aged 14. The way she sang and dressed and what she said resonated with me. And as a kid, I listened to Rihanna a lot and Miley Cyrus, and they have definitely impacted me until today.
NSG: You have a big tour coming up this year and will be hitting London for one of the 16 dates of your European ‘Does Your Girlfriend Tour?’. What do you like most about playing in the UK and do you have a message for your UK fans?
CJ: I only ever performed once in the UK before, and that was in London at an open mic at The Dublin Castle. I was in town for an internship at the metal label Nuclear Blast and met some of the loveliest people during my month there. What an honour to be back this year and actually play my own show in the city.
NSG: You’re based in Berlin right? Can you tell me three things about Berlin that most people wouldn’t know?
CJ: In Berlin, you can go clubbing for multiple days at once because some clubs and bars don’t close all weekend until Monday. So you can get lost in the party scene easily. Each area in Berlin feels like its own little city. If you take the U1 and drive from Uhlandstraße to Warschauer Straße, you can even see how the style of the passengers changes as you drive. “Spätis” are a big part of living in Berlin. They literally translate to “late-ys” and they’re small shops that are open all the time where you can get snacks and drinks.
NSG: I recently read that you used to front a Death Metal band! I love that! It’s a very different style of music from what you’re doing now, isn’t it? Do you still have a love of Death metal and can you tell me a bit more about your transition from that, to what you are producing now?
CJ: My taste in music got heavier when I joined a band project at my school at 16 and the guitarist, another student, introduced me to Death Metal for the first time. But since I grew up with pop icons like Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, going pop again was basically like returning to default. Just that now I have a love for another genre, and I still love to go to metal concerts whenever I can, even tho I listen to it less today.
(Cloudy June_Credit: Frank Koppen)
NSG: If you could sit down for dinner with any three people from history, past or present, who would they be and why?
CJ: I would love to chat with Paul McCartney, ’cause he is such a legend and I love that he still works on songs with artists today, like Rihanna and Dominic Fike. Post Malone as well, I just feel like we have a passion for Classic Rock in common that we could have a good chat about over some drinks. And Kim Petras, because she did that thing where she came from a small village in Germany and made it to become an international superstar and icon and I find that fascinating about her.
NSG: What’s your best advice on finding happiness and living a fulfilling life?
CJ: Good question. Honestly, I feel like I’m currently not entitled to give any profound advice, cause I’m looking for the answer myself. But therapy, moving your body, being there for your friends and to find & do things that you are passionate about – those things are definitely important.
NSG: What is 2023 looking like for you?
CJ: Right now, all I can think about is my tour and the new music that I’m going to release. This year’s also a lot about learning more about myself and hopefully self-growth.
NSG: Thank you so much for your time, we wish you all the luck in the world! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
CJ: Thank you so much for having me, and I can’t wait to be back in London!
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