'How’s Life?' provides an intimate insight into the process of surrendering to life’s complexities. You get to meet protagonist Suzie Saol, from Kiki Deirdre's debut novel and album, and experience her coming-of-age story through music and storytelling. You can expect gripping narratives, woven together with the folky, and lyric-orientated music from her album.

Artist statement

As a musician and writer, I draw most of my inspiration from my surroundings. I observe and absorb, and try to let thoughts and feelings linger before putting them into words. Some of these reflections become poems, and if I’m lucky, they turn into songs. My creativity stems from my inner thoughts and emotions, which are influenced by everything I see and experience. I think this might make my music and writing both personal and relatable. I’ve been performing since 2009 and have been writing my own songs and poems since 2014. In my performances I try to be honest to the listener, with the hopes to create an atmosphere that invites the listeners to connect with both the music and each other.

Ambitions

I want to find balance between my creative work and rest, escaping the stress that years of hard work have brought. My dream is a stable life filled with both quiet moments and adventurous experiences. I want to live, and hide away from life to create. I want to keep performing live, and continue writing - for others, for myself, about others, about myself. As for making a living, I'll figure it out somehow. Probably gonna be tough - but oh well, that's life.

Learned during the studies

I'm both a musician and a writer, and my music is deeply influenced by my love for words. They inspire each other and help me grow creatively. Studying Musician 3.0 at the conservatory for five years taught me to explore and develop both mediums together. I've learned to create freely and experiment with my work. This experience has deepened my understanding of how my lyrics and music relate to each other. While I still have more to learn, these years have given me valuable skills and insights that will benefit me as I continue to grow as a musician and writer.

List of publications / exhibitions / prices / concerts / shows etc.

Novel How's Life? (2024)
Album How's Life? (2024)
Album Childish Old Souls (2022), collaboration with Het Volk.
Singles Quick Luck and Roam (2021)
EP Entwined (2017), currently exclusively available in physical format.

How can I use my written texts and poetry to develop my music?

In my research, I looked into using text in my music. I wanted to understand how I approach using text in my songs. By studying existing poems and artists who use poetry in their music, I learned different ways to work with pre-existing text. This helped me with my creative process of turning my own poems and stories into songs.