Name: Natascha Polké
Nationality: Swiss
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, producer
Current release: Natascha Polké's ‘Dawn’ EP ft. ‘Let Myself Go’ is out now on Universal Music Switzerland. Get it here.  

If you enjoyed this Natascha Polké interview and would like to keep up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



When it comes to experiencing strong emotions as as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

When it comes to really feeling something as a listener, I’d probably say ‘If You Leave’ by Daughter …



… and ‘If You Wait’ by London Grammar.



Haha, it’s so funny how the names are so similar. Both albums just hit me emotionally every single time.

And performance-wise, Ólafur Arnalds at KKL in Luzern was honestly one of the most beautiful shows I’ve ever seen. I somehow don’t really cry from music very often but that show had my tears flowing.

And RY X too, his live shows are just pure emotion.

[Read our Ólafur Arnalds interview]

There can be many different kinds of emotions in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

I definitely feel most drawn to emotions that have something melancholic or nostalgic in them.

That feeling can be really soft and fragile, or sometimes a bit more intense and raw. But ever since I can remember, I’ve always been pulled toward that pool of emotions in music.

I have had a hard time explaining that listening to death metal calms me down. When you listen to a song or composition, does it tend to fill you with the same emotions – or are there “paradoxical” effects?

Ah, I know exactly what you mean. I definitely experience those paradoxical emotions too. When I listen to sad music, it actually fills me with joy.

My grandma used to be a bit worried about me because I was always drawn to this melancholic side of music, but the thing is, it doesn’t make me sad. It’s more like it lights a fire within me.

It’s strange how music and emotions work sometimes, but I think that’s what makes it so special.

In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of emotions?

For me, words and the voice play such a huge role in how emotions come across. The voice can carry so much. Sometimes it’s not even about what’s being said, but how it’s being said, or how the voice cracks for a millisecond.

I love when lyrics feel honest, even if they’re simple, and when the vocal has that human imperfection that makes it real. That’s often what moves me the most, both when I’m listening and when I’m creating.

So often when recording vocals, I have to be careful not to tidy up my takes too much to keep that initial emotion alive.

When it comes to experiencing emotions as as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing them? [Where do you feel them, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

That’s such a hard thing to put into words, but I definitely feel emotions physically when I’m creating. It really depends on the emotion itself.

The fragile, melancholic, bittersweet ones sit right under my ribcage, almost like a soft tingle. For a moment everything tightens, and then it slowly releases again. I feel it mostly in my chest and through my back, like a wave moving through me.

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture emotions best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

I think the best tracks are usually the ones that come together really fast and naturally. It’s the same with vocals, the first take is almost always the best one. It just carries a different kind of emotion, something raw and unfiltered that you can’t recreate once you start overthinking it.

It’s funny, because I’ve talked to so many producers and singers who say the exact same thing: always keep the first take.

How much of the emotions of your own music, would you say, are already part of the composition, how much is the result of the recording process?

For me, a lot of the emotion is already in the composition, in the chords, the melody, and the story behind it. That’s where the core feeling starts. But the recording process definitely deepens it.

Especially with vocals, the way you use your voice, the tone, the texture, it can completely shift the mood or even the whole style of a track. So that part is super important too.

For the Dawn EP, what kind of emotions were you looking to get across?

Ah, it’s definitely a mix of emotions on this one. I didn’t want the EP to live in just one feeling.

“Find Me” is raw and a bit melancholic, but there’s also this quiet strength in it, like gentle aggression. “Let Myself Go” feels lighter, peaceful, and passionate.



“Dawn” is cheekier and more powerful, it’s got that confident energy.



And “Ghost” is the most sensitive one, very emotional and melancholic.

Altogether, I think the EP moves through this whole spectrum of emotions, from softness to power.

How do you capture the emotions you want to get across in the studio?

I usually capture the more sensitive, emotional feelings through synths and vocals. The more driving or energetic emotions come through the drums and rhythm.

It’s like each element has its own way of carrying a different side of the feeling.

What role do factors like volume, effects like distortion, amplification, and production in general for in terms of creating the emotions, energies or impressions you want?

To be honest, those are effects I don’t really play around with enough. I usually focus more on envelopes, detuning, noise, and filters, that’s where I shape most of the emotion and movement in my tracks.

But yeah, I probably should stop neglecting things like distortion and amplification a bit more. Especially distortion can create amazing feelings.

In terms of emotions, what changes when you're performing live on stage, with an audience present, compared to the recording stage?

The creation part is the source of it, that’s where you have to be curious and let the emotion arise for the first time.

On stage, it’s different. You’re reliving it, but in a way that feels freer. You get to enjoy the ride of each track and reconnect to that original emotion, but with the audience adding their own energy to it.

It becomes a shared experience instead of something purely internal

How does the presence of the audience and your interaction with it change the emotional impact of the music and how would you describe the creative interaction with listeners during a gig?

Honestly, it’s like a ping-pong of emotions.

When I give more, the audience gives more back, and that energy just keeps bouncing between us. The more I feel them, the more I can let go and really lose myself in the music. It’s a bit like building trust and once that connection clicks, it turns into something bigger than both sides.

The hardest part is sparking that first moment, but once it’s there, it feels amazing.

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and/or performances have had on them?

I’ve received some really beautiful feedback over the years. People often tell me that my music makes them feel calm or understood, or that it helped them through a difficult moment in their life. That honestly means the world to me.

A lot of people write to me on social media and share that certain songs helped them through depression or a heavy period. It’s one of the most humbling feelings knowing that by putting my own emotions into a song, I somehow reached someone on the other side of the world.

Would you say that you prefer to stay in control to be able to shape the emotions or do you surrender to them and allow the music to take over? Who, ultimately has control during a live performance?

I’d say it’s a dance between the two.

I like having enough control to shape the emotional world I’m inviting people into and a lot of that happens in the preparation phase. But the real emotions hit once I’m on stage and I see the music’s energy jump over to the crowd. That’s usually the moment where I start to let go.

So who has control? Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s the music, and sometimes it’s the crowd. The best performances are the ones where all three blend together.

The emotions that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this power to bring about change in the world?

I think the emotions that music can generate are incredibly powerful because they open people up. When someone really connects to a feeling and doesn’t suppress it that’s already a huge step toward change.

I genuinely believe it’s important to embrace the full spectrum of emotions. Music creates a safe space where every emotion is allowed to exist in a beautiful way. Even anger, sadness, or frustration can be transformed into something meaningful.

When people are allowed to feel, they understand themselves better and that kind of emotional awareness can shift how we move through the world. As artists, we can guide that process a little, simply by being honest in what we create.