Image credit: Peter Rigaud
We first met Ro Bergman in 2019, as he was gearing up to share the EP New Horizon, and revealing a few tantalising singles (including ‘Clouds’ and ‘Horizon’) ahead of the release. Naturally, we sat down for an exclusive interview with the musician at the time (which you can read here). Now, nearly two years later, the indie-rocker returns with his first single from his next EP, Hi-Lo. While the EP is slated for release on the 18th of June, the Austrian has chosen to share ‘Wake’, a positive and shimmering single to lift your spirits while you bide your time. The single is accompanied by a live video, filled with unrelenting energy.
As covid-19 has changed the plans for many musicians around the world, we were curious to check back in and see how Ro Bergman himself had adapted to the unusual circumstances. Catch all you need to know in the follow-up interview below.
Hi Ro, welcome back and thanks for speaking with us again. What are you getting up to today?
Trying to grow
The last time we spoke, you were gearing up for an autumn tour. Tell us about some of the highlights of this tour.
The tour was amazing – especially now I really miss playing live and feeling the energy from a crowd. Touring is like going camping with your best friends and make music in between.
Your latest single is filled with hope and positivity – does this set the tone for your upcoming EP, Hi-Lo?
Trying to stay positive is for me the only chance – even if that´s super tricky. But yeah a positive mindset helps to adapt to special situations, which means not being naive. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it´s not easy to figure out what the reason is, but if you get it right, you´ll grow.
Tell us about your favourite track on the upcoming EP – what shouldn’t fans sleep on and why?
I mean all the songs from the EP are very important to me, as you can imagine.
I carried some of them with me for a very long time to be able to finish them. I like it if songs sort of write themselves and tend to give them the time they need.
I like ‘Wake’ because it´s a good reminder for myself.
I like Animal.
And HiLo is the title track for the EP – not without a cause.
You’ve been formally trained at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. What are some of the techniques you use to keep refining your skills?
Keep working – try to love what you do – be patient, also with yourself – use your energy to believe not to worry. Remind yourself what you want to achieve.
Tell us about some of the challenges you faced last year.
Hm… In the beginning, it was good for me to slow down, because I was really busy before. I spent a lot of time in nature and the mountains.
After a while, I lost the perspective for the feeling that this lockdown will be over any time.
But yeah, I had time to look more inside myself – and this is not always the funniest thing.
Sort of a “Hi Lo”, to sum it up.
One last thought to leave with your fans?
No risk, no magic
Bussi Ro
Follow Ro Bergman:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify
By Sarah Britton
