ABOUT ME

My story sometimes feels more like an exciting young adult novel than my actual life.

I’ve always been a bit of a daredevil. I don’t really like shying away from a challenge. When I have an idea, I usually want to see how far I can take it. And sometimes, that leads me to some pretty incredible people in the music industry.

That’s exactly what happened when I started posting P!NK covers on my fan account. P!NK noticed my videos, mentioned my name at Sony, and suddenly things started moving. That eventually led to my debut album Black Heart in 2023.

But somehow, things were only getting started.

One of the things I love doing is making mashups. At one point, I had the idea to play Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys in the style of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. I played it on an old, worn-out 12-string guitar that I had actually rescued from drowning on a boat in Volendam. I posted the performance on TikTok and suddenly millions of people had seen it, including Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac! He responded enthusiastically, which was pretty surreal.

And then things got even crazier. As an ambassador for Pride Amsterdam, I wrote the anthem Like A Phoenix. Together with cameraman Joost Elffers, we made an awesome music video with a burning guitar, and I performed the song on Leo Blokhuis’ NPO Radio 2 show in the summer of 2024.

As an encore, I played my famous mashup solo on guitar. I posted a little snippet of it on Instagram and TikTok. And then… everything exploded on the internet, again!

But the biggest surprise was still to come.

Pete Townshend became a fan. He sent me a private message: “You’re really good. Looking forward to more.” I mean… what do you even say to that? Then came the sleepless nights. I kept thinking: Do I dare ask him to play on my new album? I thought about it for two weeks. Eventually, I decided to just go for it. I sent him my most indie song, Call Out Your Name, and waited. Two weeks later, Pete sent me his contribution.

A blazing guitar solo. His playing is so recognizable. Rhythmic, full of attitude and completely his own. You can almost imagine those famous windmill-like arm movements from his heyday. And I get to play alongside him.

The track was produced by Jan Schröder. I also produced several tracks on the album myself, including Higher, Bleed and Two Empty Eyes. For Two Empty Eyes, I even collected handclaps from my fans.

And here’s another slightly crazy detail: I produce using a tablet and GarageBand. Not even the newest version. But honestly, I don’t really care. If it works, it works. I’ve always believed that you don’t necessarily need the most expensive equipment or the most conventional way of doing things. Sometimes you just need an idea and the courage to try it.

My 12-string guitar has become a bit of a talisman for me. It’s the same guitar I rescued from the water in Volendam. There’s even a theory that this old treasure might have some connection to The Cats, the kings of Dutch palingsound.

I have no idea if that’s actually true, but I kind of love the mystery.

And while I do love figuring things out myself and going on these adventures, I definitely don’t do it all alone. My band is a huge part of everything I do: Axel Limbeek (drums), Bram van der Schans (guitar), Kevin Clerence (bass).

They bring so much energy and personality to the music, and I’m incredibly grateful to have them alongside me.

See you at one of my shows! 💜