Following on from her much-loved 'Zubraniatka' EP late last year, Berlin-based artist KOOB is back on the grind once again to deliver her stellar new single 'Therapist'.
Adopting a rich and innovative jazz-inspired aesthetic for her newest outing, 'Therapist' makes for a dazzling return to form for her. With her impactful vocals layered across a jubilant and dynamic production throughout, she is certainly looking to turn plenty of heads with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
My first ever instrument was the piano—back in primary school. But the concept of “falling in love with an instrument” didn’t appear in my head until much later. After I graduated (with a degree in Logistics btw), I happened to get access to a friend’s trumpet—and it was a crush. The crush turned into something deeper when I found a teacher: the first trumpet at the Minsk Drama Theater, a human full of love for music who made playing feel so joyful. Big shoutout to Elmar right here.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I was absolutely blasted when I discovered Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Black Eyed Peas at 14. Growing up in Belarus in a family far removed from any music beyond radio pop, discovering RnB felt like landing on a whole new planet—warm, rich, sensual, rhythmic. You know that feeling when you suddenly find a word for something you thought was indescribable? Yeah, RnB all the way.
What was the first album you remember owning?
It was Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas. I still remember playing “My Style” on a CD player over and over in my room in Minsk—almost falling asleep but still hearing, “Lord have mercy... Yeah! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!”
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Simply Falling by Iyeoka—an absolutely gorgeous song I’ll never get enough of!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Here is my recipe, how to get them creative juices flowing:
1. Make sure that the night is magical (you will feel it)
2. Put a warm blanket on the floor (and a duvet on top)
3. Make green tea and stack up on dark dark chocolate
4. Put on instrumental music (I use Ravi Shankar’s “Chants of India” for example - works like a charm!)
5. Float on flow
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I am obsessed with the music of the French flutist and vocalist Naïssam Jalal and, when I need some soothing I listen to the absolutely magnificent voice of Arooj Aftab.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
For both of the above mentioned!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The fact that you get the excitement of starting something new hundreds of times.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The setbacks of touring hit me quite hard tbh - when you don’t get more than a couple of hours to get to know a city, its people, sounds, smells - and then—poof—you’re off again. If not for meeting my favourite people at concerts, I wouldn’t do it.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Hmm... I’d say one piece of advice that keeps proving itself the more I make music: don’t hold your music back. You’ll be a different person in a couple of years, and there’s a good chance the music you’re burning for now won’t excite you as much later. So release your fruits when they’re ripe—don’t let them rot!
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KOOB's new single 'Therapist' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.