"Krone" interview

Top talent Sodl: “I wouldn’t exist without music”

Fairy-like looks, metaphor-rich lyrics, versatile music: Anja Sodnikar aka Sodl is currently shaking up the local scene.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Grid Music, Denise Perhab,)

Still an insider tip for many, but already on her way to the top: 21-year-old Anja Sodnikar aka Sodl recently received the FM4 Amadeus Award, released her debut album "Sheepman" and has already shared the stage with Buntspecht and Endless Wellness. 2025 will be her year. In the big "Krone" interview, she explains the personal content of her album, raves about her family and honors Viktor Frankl.

"Krone": Anja, you won the FM4 Award at Amadeus this year. This is an audience award that is not linked to a jury or sales figures. Does an award like that count more for you than others?
Sodl: It's incredible to see how many people wanted me to win and voted for me. I don't know the exact numbers, but it's a special feeling. Of course I'm happy about recognition, because when you're working on music, you do it somewhere where nobody around you cares. In any case, I'm not too cool to not care about this award. (laughs)

Your career is currently off to quite a kick-start. Can an award like this help you take the next step?
New people will definitely take notice of you again and come across your music. The award is definitely another argument that you always need as an indie musician in the industry.

Your debut album "Sheepman" is being released these days with songs that you wrote over a number of years. The album is incredibly diverse, but always has a musical nod to the guitar music of the 90s. Where does the inspiration for this come from, because you didn't experience the 90s yourself?
My brother is ten years older than me and had a very strong influence on me in that respect - especially with regard to the music of the 60s. I think you can expect people today to listen to an album that is versatile, because I don't want to slow myself down when writing songs. But it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what I do - it all has its pros and cons.

Clear categorizations and genre divisions are no longer as important today as they were 20 or 30 years ago. This gives musicians like you the freedom to compose more openly and freely. Does this make it easier for you to immerse yourself in different worlds of sound?
But there is also always a need to label music. You need lyrics that concisely formulate what you're doing and that's really difficult for me because sometimes it really bangs, but then it's also very spherical and folky. There are also instrumental accordion numbers. I throw everything together, but in the end it still has to fit together.

Do the lyrics dictate the musical direction? So whether it becomes faster and more aggressive, or more deliberate and softer?
It's more the impulse that inspires me at the moment. Lyrics and music are often created at the same time, because it's one thing. I sit there, think about it and then something flows out of me.

The 90s were a break with the hedonistic 80s. The tight spandex pants and long guitar solos fell by the wayside, grunge and alternative rock made more room for vulnerability and openness. Everything was less superficial and more authentic.
And there was room for rough and raw music - just like I do. I have an aversion to overproduced stuff and like it when music has texture. I like this kind of departure, but it also happens automatically. I don't write political statements, but I have my political attitudes and views, which then end up in the music of their own accord.

Isn't it part of the magic of good songwriting to package messages in such a way that they don't come across as preachy or too topical?
Everyone can interpret what they want. Many people might not even realize what it's about, which is completely okay, because then they find something else in the music for themselves. Everyone should take what they need from it.

Were there any artists or bands where you paid particular attention to the lyrics as a fan?
With artists like Jimi Hendrix, I don't really care about the lyrics. The vibe is about something else. But there are prime examples like Adrianne Lenker, where the lyrics are immensely important to me. If I notice that a lyric is written out quickly or is downright pathetic, then I'm quickly out and sometimes directly disgusted by it.

You emphasized in an interview that the stage was a "safe space" for you. Now you're only 21 years young and you're putting a lot of yourself and your thoughts, wishes and worries into the public domain through your lyrics. Doesn't that make it difficult to feel safe?
Yes, but I sing in English, that's an important point. If I sang in German, I would lose my pump. I'm protected in English and sometimes I mumble when I sing. But if you want to get to grips with the songs, you'll know what they're about.

Is there a common thread that connects the individual songs on the album? 
I don't write stories that aren't true and all the songs are about things that I have experienced myself. The red thread is a purple-green spun sheep's wool that is somehow twisted - so there is no classic red thread.

Personally, I think the hand-painted album cover is beautiful. For record collectors, a picture like this is like an Eldorado.
We recorded the album in a group of good friends in a moldy basement and those friends who don't make music themselves were also there because they wanted to be a part of it all. A friend of mine watched us and drew the whole time - that's where the woodpecker came from. I asked her if she would like to draw the whole cover and that was a long and very intense process. You can now see elements of all the songs in the picture, which is what I did five years ago for my first EP. Although there is no common thread, the songs are at least graphically brought into a collective. It also brings out the fairytale atmosphere that many of the songs convey.

Did you visualize the album clearly during its creation? You can hear a certain naturalness in the songs. Everything seems very relaxed and purified.
That happens automatically. When you write and something feels right, it goes straight into the song. I don't fiddle around and try to conjure up a certain mood. I feel what's going on and try to express that in the song.

The oldest songs on the album must be a few years old ...
I wrote the oldest ones when I was 16, five years ago. They were written at home in the Salzkammergut and not here in Vienna. When I go home to the Salzkammergut, I realize that I write differently there than in Vienna. On the other hand, I also wrote "The Great Patterned Woodpecker" in Vienna, even though it's a very mystical and natural song. The song was born out of a situation in Vienna. There is a lot of concrete in Vienna, there are crowds of people and sometimes excessive demands. That's a certain pepper that I don't encounter in the country.

Is the songwriting also a search for peace in the big city? Like the opener "Father's Tears". A song that refers to the noise of the city, but is also a plea for men to show themselves to be vulnerable. Where is the connection in this balancing act?
The song arose from a situation I experienced on the stairs of the main library in Vienna. I was sitting there and just wanted some peace and quiet. Then a group of men came up and started annoying me. They were whistling the whole time, but I showed no interest and ignored them. I then left, but the next day the same thing happened to me. I asked myself whether I was bewitched and why this was happening to me. I was really grumpy because I had to give up my space just because others were acting so brashly. But I want to read the book where I want to. For me, space is very strongly associated with silence and noise - in other words, acoustically. I then put forward the simplified theory for the song that men shouldn't grab it like that.

Are the songs also partly a fight against the toxic hypermasculinity that sometimes prevails all around?
Yes, but also against the invisibility that you often have as a woman. It's a bit like an incantation, that you always visualize this and say it out loud to yourself.

Do you directly feel the gender imbalance in your profession as a musician?
I think you can feel it everywhere. It's actually there and it's impossible not to feel it.

Do songs like "Father's Tears" arise out of a spontaneous anger or a certain dissatisfaction? Do you channel these emotions directly into songs?
There is definitely a very strong energy. I often write out of anger or horror. That's good for understanding something and being able to process it. You're often angry because you feel belittled and channeling this anger into empowerment is a good contrast. But sometimes I don't even know why I'm writing something. It's just there.

What topics make you particularly angry?
Assaultive men are really often an issue. It often strikes me negatively and then, of course, the space that is often taken away from me. Sometimes I'm too sensitive to noise for Vienna, which also comes up in my lyrics. That's quite paradoxical.

Indeed it is. Especially as noise and being loud are important parameters of your profession. After all, it's never quiet on stage.
I need that kind of noise, I get something out of it. If my neighbors are loud, I get nothing out of it. (laughs)

Is Vienna still irreplaceable as a place to live because the Austrian music business is centered here and you also need the capital to network?
I somehow always convey the image that I don't like being in Vienna, but that's not true at all. I live in the same apartment as my violinist and my drummer is also at home in Vienna. There's a lot going on here and I really enjoy it. But I wouldn't advise anyone to move to Vienna as a musician, it's not like that. I really like being here and I wouldn't know how my career would be going if I wasn't here.

It's easy to network virtually, but your music gives the impression that you're a fan of real encounters. Is direct interaction important?
I actually write and produce everything on my own, but of course I don't play the drums myself, for example. My band is very important to me and there were a lot of hands involved in "Sheepman", without which I would never have made it. But there isn't a single computer-generated track on it - everything was recorded by people. It's a great privilege to be able to do it this way. As long as it's still possible, I want to continue working with people and not have everything recorded by the computer.

I sometimes get the feeling that people want to hear a bit of creaking and imperfection - away from mainstream pop productions. Isn't it nice when something isn't 100 percent smooth?
I like the rough, not the smooth. I want to feel the music and it should feel warm, everything else quickly becomes uninteresting. That's why I'm also very careful when it comes to external producers. I don't want to get anyone to perfect my sound.

Understood, Max Martin is not wanted. From a fan perspective, are there any productions by other acts that you think are really good?
The albums by Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker's band, sound warm and pleasant. They like to record live, which is something you have to dare to do. I really like Buntspecht's production, I was allowed to support them at the Vienna Arena in 2023. That was very exciting.

Are you already a bit more experienced when it comes to bigger stages?
I would say so and we're a really good team as a band. I played at the FM4 birthday party at the Ottakringer brewery at the end of January, which was different again. The backstage area was far away from the stage, there were lots of interviews in between and everything was stressful. I didn't finish my potato salad before the gig because of all the excitement. There were some real big names on stage, but luckily I don't have to deal with stage fright. Apart from that, I'm very relaxed.

Are you born with this nonchalance and openness on stage?
I don't know and sometimes I surprise myself. The first time I stood on a large stage was when I was seven years old and learning the accordion. It was in some barn in the country and I really got into it. I had full control and was able to show everyone what I could do. Of course, I still have moments of uncertainty, for example when the technology goes on strike. Apart from that, it's great. You can show others what you've worked long and hard on.

Accordion and violins can be heard on "Sheepman" as well as electric guitars. Is there actually a sound foundation that connects all the songs?
It's hard to say, because the songs are very different. But I instinctively feel what a song needs and what belongs where. Music always changes a bit. We play my old songs a little differently today than we used to, but in principle I haven't changed that much. I used to write and finish. Nowadays we spend a long time tinkering with songs, but in the end it's all still mine. That feels good.

A lot of people are now interested in your music and know some of the songs. Does this expectation make you approach songwriting differently?
No, but I've simply done a lot and now have higher expectations of myself. I used to have three chords and sing something over them. Now I can get a lot more out of songs. I want something to sound good without being too polished. In this respect, I am also a perfectionist. But you have to be if you want to do certain things properly.

Which song on "Sheepman" is closest to you?
That's very difficult to say. I like them all, otherwise they wouldn't be there. I really like "Fuchsia", for example. We call it a "lover's song" because people take longer to get into it. My brother hates the song because he thinks it's so crooked, but I particularly like it in the live version. When we rehearse, the ending has an insane impact.

Nature is an important element of the album, but so is family. "Father's Tears" or "Mama" sometimes go in this direction.
We can draw a lot of strength from nature and my childhood and origins are immensely important themes for me. I don't want to exaggerate, but these areas are probably in there a little bit everywhere.

Can you always preserve a bit of your childhood with your music?
Yes, a lot of things disappear over the years, but you can also capture experiences because you have them pressed onto a record forever. I'm very lucky that my family has always been very supportive, but they're not directly involved in making music. I like to play them my songs when I'm making something new and when my mom is cooking at home, she always wants me to show her something.

The song "Mama" seems to have emerged from your move. Is it connected to the pain of cutting the cord that you feel when you fly out into the wide world alone for the first time?
The distance actually brought me closer to her. I wrote "Mom" before I moved out, but it's a mixture of curiosity and growing pains. You don't know what's coming - that feeling is strong here.

From "Mama" the album goes straight on to "Sex". It's a number where you express desires and wishes more explicitly. In terms of content, it's actually a hard break in the song sequence.
That's true. It was difficult to sequence the songs on the album and I avoided it for a long time. I paid attention to which opening and closing chords fit together. I then sorted different chapters. I actually only noticed this transition on the album cover, but now it's like that and it fits.

All in all, the songs are a journey of your development over the last five to six years?
Not chronologically, but yes, my whole life is in there. But secrets are also an important part of the album and there are quite a few of them.

You also quote the legendary Viktor Frankl on the album - what significance does he have for you artistically and personally?
I find his whole life story admirable and I wrote about him at school. He put forward the theory that people are not driven by instinct, but by meaning. That's a nice thought that resonates with me. "Sheepman" is such a vague song. Almost like a wandering song that only gets a structure late on. For me, the meaning of life is very strongly linked to my music. If we were to think music away, then I wouldn't really exist at all.

What was before that? Surely there was a time before music?
Maybe the time in hospital before I was born, but then the music was already there. (laughs)

What is the album title based on?
There's the book "Dance with the Sheepman" by Haruki Murakami. There's a weird story behind it. I wanted to order second-hand books online and came across this cover. There's a sheep with a shirt on it and I found it insanely creepy. My flatmate and I really visualized it. Like a huge, menacing man - and I'm generally scared of big men. We then got carried away and put a mattress in my room because my girlfriend didn't want to sleep alone anymore. We were only afraid of our own thoughts. There is also a very lively Krampus tradition in the Salzkammergut. That traumatized me. When I hear a cowbell, I'm out of my mind. That's what I find so nice about Vienna, for example, that it's not practiced here.

Is there a key term for the album "Sheepman"?
I think it's the woodpecker. For me, it's like a magical animal that has something very wise but also childlike about it. The song "The Great Patterned Woodpecker" is very important to me and people like to sing along to the melody. It's a central song.

Tonight, March 13, you're playing your release show at the Sargfabrik in Vienna. What can we expect from this evening? Will you be covering anything in the set?
I can't cover anything and never really have. I play a lot of the album, but not in the order we pressed the songs. I will definitely come up with something nice.

Do you have a vision of where you can go with this music? How far can it go and where should it go?
I like playing on big stages and I'm also a bit of a show-off when it comes to that. I would love to play at the Posthof in Linz. And if they ever invite me, of course I'd also like to play at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. (laughs) If we had the budget, I would also like to create a really special stage set. It would have very strange root figures and Wolpertingers on it. Maybe some plants too.

You were recently mentioned in the ORF teletext for your FM4 award, which you acknowledged on your socials with a mischievous "Achieved everything in life". Are you a big Teletext fan?
That's a nice memory of my dad - or actually an annoying one. When I was watching TV as a child, he would come in and just switch on Teletext and find out what was on. Without asking whether I liked it or not. It resonates with a familiar and nostalgic meaning.

Do the songs on "Sheepman" actually close a certain chapter in your life? And will new songs take a completely different direction?
I guess this album is closure, but I'm afraid of closure. I've invested all my time and energy in the album for the last two years and I can't even imagine what comes next. I will now play live as much as possible and then try to get out of the looming emptiness that might threaten directly afterwards.

Live in Austria
Sodl will present her debut album "Sheepman" tonight, March 13, at the already completely sold-out Sargfabrik in Vienna. Further dates have already been confirmed: March 14 at the Music House in Graz, March 28 at ARGE Salzburg with Mira Lu Kovacs, March 20 at Bar Café Hildegard in Kirchdorf and May 15 at Wiener Neustädter Triebwerk. Further dates will follow.