With “Bleib doch” out now, we took some time to hear from SMILLA. Read below to learn more about SMILLA, the story behind “Bleib doch,” and what’s to come.
Hi SMILLA! Let’s start with how did you choose your artist name?
Hi, my name is a combination of two things: the initials of my first and last name, Silvana Mehnert, and a short form of my first name, “Silla.” Put together, that became SMILLA, which, as I later discovered, is actually a Danish girl’s name meaning “the smiling and humming one.” I think that fits both my personality and my music perfectly.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I was born in Dresden and now live in Radebeul, just outside the city.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I’m not even sure there was ever one specific moment when I consciously decided to pursue music as a career. Music always felt completely natural to me. It was simply always there and made me happy. I grew up in a very musical family and sang constantly. My first recordings date back to when I was just two years old. From there, one thing led to another. At eight years old, I joined the Philharmonic Children’s Choir, where I trained for eleven years, traveled the world with the choir, and won countless competitions. At the same time, I studied piano at the conservatory.
Out of the choir, my first band, MEDLZ, was born. Right after school, I went straight into professional music with them. Over 25 years, we recorded around 20 albums and played more than 2,500 concerts across Europe. During that time, I also started carving out my own artistic path under the name, MISS ROCKESTER, releasing several albums, including an orchestral album together with the Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen. About a year and a half ago, I made the decision to leave MEDLZ in order to fully focus on my own music and go all in. As part of that journey, I reshaped both the concept and the name of my solo project to reflect my personal growth and that’s how SMILLA was born.
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my music as German retro pop with a little ’70s flair and touches of soul and funk. My songs are driven by warm, analog instrumentation, always recorded with my live band. I love combining classic ’70s sounds like Wurlitzer, Rhodes piano, and Hammond organ with modern pop grooves and carefully crafted vocal arrangements. I also enjoy wrapping heavier themes in a lighter, uplifting atmosphere and taking away some of their weight.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Outside of music, I honestly have far too many hobbies. I get excited about so many different things. I dance (hip-hop and urban styles), work out every day, make macramé jewelry by hand, crochet all kinds of things, and love upcycling. At my SMILLA shows, you can even find handmade items in the merch shop from macramé jewelry to self-designed T-shirts.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
My musical influences come from all over the place. My childhood was strongly shaped by classical music: Claude Debussy, Anton Bruckner, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. At home, my parents listened to artists like The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, Bee Gees, Smokie, and Queen. Since the 2000s, my inspirations have become even more colorful: Stevie Wonder, Teddy Swims, Muse, Robbie Williams, Dirty Loops, Vulfpeck, Yebba, Allen Stone, Cody Fry, Ólafur Arnalds and many more.
Who would be a dream to collaborate with?
I would absolutely love to sing a duet with Teddy Swims someday to me, he’s the new Joe Cocker, and that would truly be a dream come true.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
One of the proudest moments of my career was performing my first orchestral concert with my own music at the Dresdner Jazztage in the Ostra Dome. It felt like flying especially after we had to postpone the concert again and again because of COVID, and I had almost stopped believing the project would ever make it onto the stage.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is not to blindly trust bookers, agencies, labels, or distributors to do what they promise. The gap between musicians and the music business can be huge. I absolutely love the creative side of music and the community around it, but the business side, not so much. I’m learning more and more to accept that, expect less from the industry, and trust my instincts more.
Another important lesson has been gratitude: being thankful for every beautiful moment of creativity shared with fellow musicians and every second spent on stage together.
Now onto your release, “Bleib doch.” What inspired this song? What is “Bleib doch” about?
“Bleib doch” was inspired by countless conversations with friends where the same topic kept coming up. Often, the most talented, hardworking, and reflective people are also the ones struggling most with self-doubt. They can hardly imagine that someone could truly love them for who they are and not run away at the first problem. Since I sometimes count myself among those doubters, this song had been living in my mind for a long time. It was important to me that the song still felt courageous and uplifting, so I actually wrote three different versions and asked my friends which one resonated most and that became the final version we recorded.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Bleib doch?”
For the cover artwork, I imagined something like a giant wall poster, something impossible to walk past without stopping. The lyrics should hold your attention, which is why the title takes up so much space. At the same time, I wanted to create a contrast with an empowering, retro-inspired image of myself. I even took the photo myself.
What was the creative process like when making “Bleib doch?”
Recording “Bleib doch” was incredibly fun and surprisingly effortless. Everyone immediately connected with the song, so the process moved much faster than usual. Especially recording the backing vocals together with Adrian Röbisch brought so much joy and a lot of laughing fits.
How long did it take to complete “Bleib doch?”
All in all, the song probably took about a week to complete.
How did the music video for “Bleib doch” come about? What was your vision for the video?
My vision for the music video was “low budget, high spirit.” I wanted to create a detail-focused clip that I could film and produce myself. Then I came up with the circular cutout concept inspired by James Bond title sequences, and once that idea was there, everything came together really quickly.
What do you hope fans take away from “Bleib doch” and your music in general?
I hope my music gives people strength, positive energy, and feels like a little escape to dance and breathe. My songs deal with emotions and situations we all experience in everyday life, so I hope everyone can find a piece of themselves in them.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
Next, I’d love to get back into the studio soon to expand my EP, Neue Wege, into a full album. Most of the songs are already written, and I hope to release new music in the last quarter of 2026. At the same time, I’m currently deep into booking a tour for 2027, with many concerts planned mainly across Germany but who knows, maybe more countries will follow.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can follow me here:
Before you go, let’s ask you an off-topic question. What is your favorite sweet treat?
Ice cream. There’s honestly no limit for me, ice cream always works and always makes me happy.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
