Malou Lovis “If People Tell You That You Dream Too Big – You Don’t!”

A story straight from a musical fairytale. Surrounded by instruments since her early childhood, Malou Lovis takes a break from her social work studies and, along with her guitar, travels to Spain, where she meets other musicians and starts writing her first songs. After returning home, she makes a life-changing decision and decides to audition for “The Voice of Germany”, which she wins in 2023. Her captivating personality and unique voice capture the attention of many, making her approach to music, with the calming vibes and sometimes an almost-whisper-like vocals, her personal trademark. What happens after that is like a sonic avalanche of creative ideas, and pure emotions recorded in the studio – her debut album, entitled “things I wrote down last night”. I have recently had the privilege of asking Malou some questions about her path before and after “The Voice of Germany” and here’s what she had to say. Read on, and while you’re doing that, enjoy the songs I have selected for you as a sort-of soundtrack to Malou’s heart-warming story.

Bartek: Does it ever happen to you to wake up at night and write down song or lyrics ideas?

Malou Lovis: Luckily, I have a good sleep so normally the ideas come before sleeping or before going to bed 🙂

“Overachieving since 1999” are the opening words of your debut album “things I wrote down last night”. Realizing this must have been quite therapeutic and freeing for you. Is that what your album was meant to be, a form of healing?

Writing songs has definitely been a therapeutic experience for me. When I’m in a session—even with people I’ve just met—I often find myself opening up in ways I normally wouldn’t, not even with my friends. We end up having deep conversations that bring out parts of my story I’ve only ever written about in my diary. I’m usually not great at opening up, but something about the creative space in the studio makes it easier. That’s why most of my songs feel so personal—they’re like little confessions that I’ve turned into music, and there’s something really healing about that.

You have a very consistent approach to your sound which primarily focuses on acoustic vibes, quiet guitars, slightly whispered song openings. What type of emotion is hidden behind it, the one that you would like to convey to your audience?

Honestly, I just love singing in a soft, intimate way—it allows me to pour a lot of emotion into my music. It’s not necessarily about expressing one specific feeling; it’s more about creating a certain atmosphere, something gentle and vulnerable.

Let’s talk about the “fear of loving”. You wrote your song, “Glacier Rivers”, on this very subject and on the struggles of coming out. Are you now at a stage where you can say the fear is gone and you are all you have ever wanted to be?

The fear of loving is completely gone now. When I first started realizing I was queer, I was still going through puberty—and at that time, I didn’t want anyone to know. I thought it would be easier not to fall in love at all than to have to explain my feelings to someone. Hiding felt safer. But over time, especially after speaking openly about queerness in public, I discovered how freeing it is to be honest about who I am. Getting messages from people saying my music helped them embrace their own queerness really means everything to me.

In my favourite song from your album, “Dark Days”, you seem to assume the role of the stronger force in love, or being the steady foundation of a relationship. Is this how you see yourself now and where do you take that kind of strength from?

The song “Dark Days” tells the story of someone I care about, getting lost in comparisons, especially through the social media. I wouldn’t really describe myself as the stronger or steadier one in relationships in general, but in that specific case I write about, I try to be there for her—to offer support and remind her of her worth. Social media can make it so easy to question yourself, and that’s something I wanted to address in the song.

What was your first thought when you realized that you won “The Voice of Germany 2023”?

I think right after winning I couldn’t really think straight. I was focused on not passing out and about singing the final song again. It took me some weeks to realize what I did but I’m still wondering sometimes if that actually happened.

What was the biggest lesson you learned about yourself as a result of participating in this program?

Oh, I´ve learned so much about me. Before every show I would ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” and every time I would realise that nothing bad could really happen. I’ve already achieved more than I was hoping for, learned so much along the way. So even if I had to leave the show, I was thankful for what I did so far. And that mindset carried me through the show. I felt calm most of the time and I was thankful. And that’s what I took home with me – trusting the process, being happy and thankful for what I have, and, most importantly, believing in myself. 

Looking back at your beginnings and where you are now, what advice, if any, would you give your younger self that you think would be most valuable?

Never give up! And if people tell you that you dream too big – you don’t!

Which song from your debut album do you view as your personal must-listen highlight?

My two favorite songs are “Shadows” and “You Made Me”. “You Made Me” is a tribute to my beautiful grandma, and I truly love everything about that song—especially playing it live. People can actually dance to it, which makes it even more special! As for “Shadows”,I wanted to address not only my own experiences but those of countless women out there. It’s important to use my voice as an artist to speak up about things that matter. With “Shadows” I wanted to create a song that felt both beautiful and sad, capturing the complexity of those emotions.

If you were to perform with one artist who inspired you the most in your life, who would that be?

I get inspired by so many people and artists, so it’s hard to choose one. But when I was joining Tokio Hotel on tour, I sang a song with Bill in every show and I loved that! Tokio Hotel has a big influence on my music career and they inspire me as well. So, I would choose them, even though we did it already 🙂

What is your earliest music-related memory and how did it shape your musicality?

I remember my mum singing me and my sister to sleep. We shared a room and every night my mum or dad sang a song for us. But sometimes my mum took the guitar and played a song and sang along – I loved that. That is a very early music memory I have that definitely had an impact on my love for music from a very young age on.

Finally, let’s talk about the future. How do you plan to promote the album with singles, videos, live performances?

Promoting my music is not the easiest. Especially on social media. But I do my best to spread my music. I will play a few concerts or tell about my songs in interviews. In March, I supported Tokio Hotel on Tour, which was a perfect way to show my music to lots of new people. And in September/ October, I will play my first ever Solo Tour, which is very exciting.

More information:

https://maloulovis.lnk.to/TIWDLN

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Photos: Press release / © Jannik Perse

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