Stefanie, you’re back after a long break – with new music full of power and depth, full of optimism and newly found self-confidence. How did you make use of this time-out? 
Over the last few years I was constantly on the road, lived out of my suitcase all the time and neglected the Stefanie behind the singer who takes to the stage every night. I had no time at all to think about whether I still wanted to do what I was doing. I was very tired, and so I took a break in order to sincerely question myself and what I do. After a three-month hiatus without singing a single note, I had a band rehearsal again. The moment they played the first notes, it was once again clear to me: I simply love making music, and this is what I want to do!

Your voice has also changed noticeably over the last ten years ...
Yes, as the saying goes: The voice is the mirror of the soul! When I was 18, I was ashamed of certain idiosyncrasies of my voice, I did not want to sound too feminine. But all facets of the voice are also facets of one’s own personality, and I have since learned to love them and enjoy them to the fullest. Like the delicate, higher passages that I sing in falsetto: Here I really had to come out of my comfort zone!

In the song “Mother’s Heart”, you sing about loving yourself as you are and not trying to fit into some schema. How do you manage to simply be yourself? 
In times like today, when you can compare yourself with anyone on social platforms like Instagram and Facebook, it is not easy. Especially when you’re in the public eye, you ask yourself: “Am I pretty enough for the cover, do I live up to the expectations?” – and forget that you play an important role in other people’s lives, and that they love you just the way you are!

But you always look very natural and confident! 
Women have always been made up, packed in costumes, and reduced to their looks. This used to make me feel quite insecure, even if I covered it up. I always knew, on the inside, that I actually like the way I am. But I also struggled before I could accept myself just as easily without comparing myself to others. Today, I know that beauty is a feeling and has to do with inner contentment!

And how do you manage to always be so happy and cheerful? 
I simply try to be open to everything, live in the moment and be grateful for everything the day brings. You yourself decide what kind of person you want to be and I have chosen to be a good person and to give as much love as possible. This isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.

Who are your personal and musical role models? 
My personal role models are my parents! If I succeed in being as full of love and as open as they are, then I’ve done everything right. My musical role models include Joss Stone and Jill Scott, but my style of music is very diverse and I try to not just do soul, or pop or funk. I always want to try out everything and explore different styles and facets of my voice.

Your lyrics seem to be spoken directly from your soul. How do you write your songs? 
The songs on my album are very honest! The whole story of the last few years is packed into them, with all the emotions that go along with it! All the song lyrics come from conversations; I write down what is on my mind and the thoughts I want to share with the audience – and then I talk about it with the other songwriters! We then proceed to assign a beat to the basic mood and give it a rough musical direction, depending on the emotion to be conveyed. And from there we start writing the song step by step.

Your trademark is the Valais dialect, but you sing in English. Why?
That stems from my teenage years, when I discovered soul and funk music at the age of 14. Although I also sang in vernacular with my cover band at the time, I noticed already then that Valais German is quite a hard, earthy dialect and not what you’d call “soulful”. It’s like the paint you use for a picture; it makes a difference whether you use oil or watercolour! It’s the same with singing. English is softer and more melodious, and singing in English simply suits me better than singing in Valais German.

One of your songs is titled “Home”. What does home mean to you? 
Home means a lot to me, even more so since I’m often away from home. It’s easy to feel at home in Valais because it’s like a small, cosy living room surrounded by mountains. But for me, home is above all the people with whom I experience unconditional love and feel secure: my family, my friends, and my boyfriend. With them, it doesn’t matter if I’m a singer or a baker!

And what does Switzerland mean for you? 
I’m truly a child of Switzerland! We simply have it really, really good here. There is a lot of love in this country, this is also something we notice every time we come here to play at festivals: The German guys from my band are always looking forward to our concerts here in Switzerland! Everything is done with a great love for detail, the backstage area is nice, the food is good, the people are friendly ... we can be proud of this!