There’s a tender tension running through bat zoo’s music — a sense of holding on while knowing you might have to let go. His new song Diamond Lanes, premiering today on C-Heads, captures that exact feeling: watching something beautiful drift out of reach, even when you try your best to keep up. Its warm, laid-back production contrasts with the aching sense of distance at its core. The song has been on repeat for me, much like Frozen Milk, his equally evocative track about loss, love, and the delicate act of holding on. “Sometimes all you can do is hold on to the things that give you hope and help you make it through,” he says. And even if that kind of holding on feels fragile — especially in the midst of chaos, doubt, or heartbreak — it’s often the one quiet thread that pulls us forward. It’s not always easy, but it’s enough.
In our deep conversation, we learn more about his songwriting process, why lyrics are the hardest part for him, his vision and inspiration for the upcoming EP The Upward Bird, he talks about the person who first truly and convincingly encouraged him that he could sing, the kind of records from his dad’s music collection that have really shaped him, and what, aside from his creative work, genuinely makes him happy.
photos by Hannah Riedel
I’m listening to Diamond Lane, the song we’re premiering here today from your EP. I really love it and have it on repeat. Tell me the story behind the song – where did the title come from and what’s the full story and meaning behind it?
Wow, thank you so much! I was raised in an American household. And they have something in the U.S. called “Diamond Lanes” – special lanes on the highway that let you skip traffic if you’re carpooling or driving an eco-friendly car. Essentially, a reward for making the “right” choice. The name itself always struck me and reminded me of something out of Mario Kart, when you hit a star and just glide through everything untouched by the chaos around you. Kind of like a lover who somehow moves on more easily than you do. And while I’m still sitting here in traffic, they just keep going – leaving me behind. So no matter how much you want to catch up, you’re just not in the right lane.
How long do you usually take to produce a song and what’s your songwriting process like – do you prefer writing lyrics first or the music, and are you more creative at night or during the day?
First off, I hate writing lyrics. I really do. I love good words, I love what lyrics can do, but the process? It’s the hardest part for me. I’m so hard on myself. It always takes forever because I don’t want anything to sound plain or weak. Still, sometimes it does. Take Diamond Lane, for example. I’m not super happy with how it turned out. I had the instrumental and the basic idea sitting around for maybe a year. Usually, I just mumble over the track until something clicks, then try to build words around that feeling. But this one was tough to figure out because the demo felt so smooth, so natural, that I really struggled to finish it. But it had to get mixed and mastered. And honestly, if it hadn’t been for my label pushing me, I’d probably still be sitting here trying to find a word that rhymes with lonely.
I won’t be working, free-writing or sketching songs until evening. Whenever I try to make something during the day time I’m like ‘What am I doing here? The sun is out.’ So maybe I’ll wait until five. That’s when I’m on.
“I hate writing lyrics. I really do. I love good words, I love what lyrics can do, but the process? It’s the hardest part for me.”
What is your vision and inspiration for your upcoming EP The Upward Bird?
I love Hot Water Music by Charles Bukowski – one of my favourite books. The title came from a chapter of the book. I also liked the image of a bird because it was the first time I produced an entire project for myself. I had full creative freedom. This felt like flying.
You’re not just a musician but also an Art Director, Graphic Designer & Illustrator. And you also directed your recently released music video for Frozen Milk, which is also part of the new EP. It’s such a beautiful video – I love the “realness” and “raw” feeling in it. Where and when were all these different personal archival footage sequences filmed?
Well, thank you so much! You are not stingy on compliments! Most of the footage is from my hometown, Heilbronn in Germany. The footage spans over five years, maybe more. Some of the scenes are hard to watch now, which made me decide to put in additional footage from the more beautiful parts of my life like my family and some friends from the States and Berlin. It just felt important to honor the song with something that felt undeniably real.
“At its core, the video is about finding balance between pain and love and the fragile beauty of holding on. After the destruction, what remains is the reason we keep going.” That’s such a beautiful meaning – maybe that’s why it resonates so deeply. What is that reason for you, that we keep on going? Is it love?
My friends and I were dealing with a lot of grief at the time – losing people close to us to suicide, which led to some self-destructive behavior of our own. Somewhere along the way, I started carrying a camcorder with me everywhere. I think I just wanted to hold on to moments we couldn’t get back, because who knows if we were experiencing something for the last time. So in a way, I guess that’s love, but more like love for yourself. It breaks my heart to think that everything comes to an end, and that some people never get to feel that kind of love for themselves. Sometimes, all you can do is hold on to the things that give you hope and help you make it through.
Are you already working on a video for Diamond Lane too?
The video for Frozen Milk is the last one from me for this EP. But I plan to make so many more. For the Diamond Lane video, I had the chance to work with my good friend Christian Ackermann – a truly gifted photographer and videographer. Christian has the ability to translate emotion into imagery. He captured exactly what was in my head, often without me even having to say much. That kind of trust between us made the process feel effortless. I’m really grateful for his eye, his patience, and the way he helped bring the vision to life in such a beautiful way.
“I also liked the image of a bird because it was the first time I produced an entire project for myself. I had full creative freedom. This felt like flying.”
You’re also part of the Berlin-based vocal ensemble A Song For You, and one half of the RnB duo GOLDA. How different is it for you to work on your solo project – what do you find easier and what’s more difficult about it?
It’s both more difficult and easier, in different ways. Working solo gave me the space to really figure out who I am creatively. The approach is totally different. It’s about digging into the things that resonate with me personally, rather than building something in collaboration. That can be freeing, but it also means I ask myself more often: Why do I need to make music? There’s so much out there. Like D’Angelo exists already. He made something perfect. Why do I need to make music?’
Still, when I’m working by myself, I can tap into these different streams of my unconscious. A continuous flow of ideas and imagination that’s free, strange, and sometimes spills into other forms of artistry, like visuals and stuff. It’s less about control and more about surrendering to where the ideas want to go.
What´s the idea behind your artist name bat zoo?
There was this one summer night when I tried to break into a public pool. On the way there, a bat got tangled in my afro. I completely panicked – couldn’t shake it loose for like two minutes. Looking back, I think that’s where the name came from, even if it wasn’t intentional. I always thought it sounded like a dope name for a punk band from New York – kind of emo, definitely unique, and I’d never heard it before. It came to me afterwards that this whole project is about facing my own fears. I’ve always had this deep panic about birds in closed spaces, too.
What led you to music in the first place? And did you always have clear goals for your path and career or did most things just unfold along the way?
It took me a long time to feel comfortable calling myself an artist. Still is. I guess it needs the release of your own project to feel more sure. Sometimes I have to zoom out and look at what people see in it. That was one thing. And then moving away from my hometown. It gave me focus and trust.
No one in my family makes music, so it always felt like something that other people do. But I had one friend – someone I really admired – who made a name for herself in the Berlin underground rap scene. I looked up to her so much, and I still do. She gave me my first real look into what the music world could be like.
She was also the first person who told me I could sing – not in a passing, offhand way, but in a way that made me believe she actually meant it. That stuck with me. She took me along on some background gigs for some of Germany’s biggest artists, and I just soaked it all in. At the time, I didn’t really know where it was headed, but it was definitely the beginning of something. Enough to plant the seed.
“I think I just wanted to hold on to moments we couldn’t get back, because who knows if we were experiencing something for the last time.”
Your early musical influences also come from your father’s record collection. What kind of records did he have and which ones come to mind first that really shaped you?
There was always music playing around me growing up – different kinds, from all directions. A lot of Bob Marley early on. Looking back, his music is so simple and pure, almost like it’s made for kids to understand the world a little better. Prince and Rick James, which opened up this whole world of extravagance and flair. Teddy Pendergrass, Al Green – voices that just stuck with me. He wasn’t always around, he left the family a few times, but whenever he came back, he made sure to bring that heat. A lot of rap like BIG, Nas, LL Cool J, Wu-Tang. My sister, who exposed me to a more older, feminine sensibility had me listen to Lauryn Hill, TLC, Janet Jackson. Her taste was exceptional.
I’m grateful for how open everything was. My dad used to tell this story about growing up in D.C., getting strange looks for listening to what they called “white people music” – stuff like ABBA and The Carpenters. But that was his thing. He always said, “Good music is good music.” It didn’t matter where it came from.
What’s one of the most important mistakes you’ve learned from over the course of your career?
I think I relied too much on other people’s opinions and decisions in the beginning. It wasn’t all a waste. There’s a lot to learn from those experiences. But it’s important to carve out your own path. The more you’re able to do on your own, the more powerful and liberating it becomes. That kind of independence is everything.
“My dad always said, “Good music is good music.” It didn’t matter where it came from.”
Home means…
Being able to fully be who you are. It’s the people who know you and don’t judge you too quickly when you mess up.
What is love for you?
Still figuring it out..
What makes you truly happy besides your creative work?
I’ve gotten a bit into baking cake lately. Cake makes me happy. And when I make it myself, I get to have more than one slice. Especially with some vanilla ice cream on top – Good Mother Lord of Jesus!
Follow bat zoo for more:
www.instagram.com/batzinthezoo
www.soundcloud.com/batzoo
