I will never stop trying to share the beautiful things. “Connection, being part of something, and showing up for each other feels like the most important thing,” Claire-Ann and Matthias of VARLEY tell me when we speak. And I hold on to that thought, because I know how much it resonates in my own life too. In the hours that feel heavy, it is exactly these things — the closeness of others, the moments that catch us off guard, the songs that stay — that give everything meaning.
Their new single Concrete Pool felt like that to me the first time I listened. It’s a song about heartbreak, but it doesn’t weigh you down. Instead, it carries a strange lightness, almost a wink at how absurd our deepest feelings can be. I love how it shows that music can turn even the hardest emotions into something you want to hold onto, something that makes you smile through the longing.
“The idea of diving headfirst into a concrete pool just felt like the perfect way to capture the absurdity and pain of heartbreak,” they explain. Once a trio, VARLEY are now stepping into the intimacy of being a duo, carrying their history with warmth while stepping forward into a new chapter with fresh energy.
photography by Yasmin-Sara Ergen
Dear Claire-Ann and Matthias, welcome — I’m so happy to have this conversation with you. How are you today, and where are you right now? (smiles)
Hi Christine, thank you so much for having us! We’re doing really well, excited (and a little nervous) about our upcoming release. Right now we’re in Berlin, soaking up the last of the summer before it disappears on us again.
Your new single “Concrete Pool” immediately swept me away. I find it wonderful — and considering the theme behind it, surprisingly light. Would you take that as a compliment? (smiles)
We’re so happy you liked it. Absolutely, we take that as a compliment. Concrete Pool is about heartbreak, but we never wanted it to feel purely heavy. For us, there’s always a strange humor in how intense love and loss can feel, and we try to weave that irony into the music. It’s our way of turning doubt and disappointment into something people can connect with, and maybe even smile at.
Heartbreak is something that keeps reappearing in my own life, in different variations — and it truly is one of the most painful experiences. Your metaphor of diving headfirst into a concrete pool captures that feeling so well. Why do you think we, as humans, are not better at controlling it?
I’m sorry to hear that. Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. Love and heartbreak can turn us into people we barely recognize, and even the most logical among us have probably been driven a little crazy. Sometimes it feels like someone else is in the driver’s seat, and you’re just holding on for dear life. Or is that me deflecting? I guess we keep falling into it because connection is something we just can’t help chasing.
Can you take us back to the moment this metaphor of the pool first came to you?
I like anything a bit weird, and Concrete Pool is no exception. The idea of diving headfirst into a concrete pool just felt like the perfect way to capture the absurdity and pain of heartbreak. I’m notorious for forgetting lyrics and melodies, so I wrote this one down and recorded it straight away… and then completely forgot about it. A little while later, I stumbled across it on my phone and thought, “Ohhh, I like this.”
“Love and heartbreak can turn us into people we barely recognize… sometimes it feels like someone else is in the driver’s seat…”
Speaking of new chapters — your story as a band has also taken a new turn. Going from trio to duo — what’s one thing you’ve learned about each other in this new chapter?
It’s bittersweet, but also exciting. We know each other pretty much inside and out by now, but our opposite schedules keep things interesting. I’m most productive in the mornings, while Matze is a proper night owl, so we’ve had to find a rhythm that works for both of us. Either way, lots of coffee helps!
Scrolling through your Instagram, I noticed that your profile picture — and even some of the trio photos — are still up. Is that a little bit of nostalgia sneaking in?
(Laughs) Good catch! The photos of us as a trio will always stay up, they’re a big part of our journey and a reminder of everything we shared with Joschka. While we updated the profile picture for Concrete Pool, those memories remain close to our hearts and continue to shape who we are as a band today.
How can we imagine the process of creating music together these days? What does it look like when it’s just the two of you working on a track?
Living in Berlin can get loud and chaotic, so we often escape to a little house in Brandenburg to focus. We usually start by jamming and letting the phone record, following whatever ideas come to the forefront. A blank page instantly stunts my creativity, so this way we create lots of little ideas and develop the ones that spark something in us into full songs.
Nearly 30 million streams later, do you still feel the same hunger and urgency you did when you released “Roamer”? Or has your relationship with making music shifted over time?
When we released Roamer, it was a pure fluke. We made the artwork and video ourselves, a friend took some photos in another friend’s living room, and that was it. I didn’t expect much beyond friends and family listening, so there was a lot of excitement but not much nerves. After Roamer went kind of viral-ish, it really started to feel like a numbers game, and I became more and more nervous with each release, streams and clicks started to overshadow the simple joy of making music.
Until recently, that is. Of course, you want the song to go out into the world, for people to relate to it and listen, but I’ve started to feel that hunger differently now. It’s less about metrics and more about going back to my roots: meeting friends, and just making music together. Not everything has to be planned to perfection or live solely in the digital world, and that has renewed the urgency and excitement in a much more meaningful way.
So, what do you love most about each other?
CA: What I love most about Matze is that he’s completely music-obsessed. He lives and breathes it in a way I don’t always manage. I’ll have off days when I don’t feel like doing anything, but he can’t get enough. I might sing a tiny idea in the kitchen, and he’s already in the studio turning it into a demo. His drive is infectious!
Matze: I love how Claire-Ann always surprises me with these slightly left-of-field ideas. She finds a way to make even the most universal emotions feel personal and surprising.
“Not everything has to be planned to perfection or live solely in the digital world…”
And what’s the most annoying thing? (smiles)
CA: Probably also how obsessed he is with music. He’s a proper night owl and wants to start a jam while I’m getting ready for bed, but honestly, that drive is part of what makes working with him so inspiring. (smiles)
Matze: Honestly? The most annoying thing is that she doesn’t see how good she really is. I hate watching her wrestle with self-belief.
When do you decide that a track is finished and ready to be released into the world?
I usually know a track is ready when it finally feels like it can stand on its own. After living in my head for weeks or months, there’s a moment of relief and excitement, like, “Okay, it’s done, and I can finally share it.” There’s always that last-minute doubt (“have I done enough?”), but music either grabs me immediately or it doesn’t, and when I love it fully, I know it’s ready.
What’s your favorite line you’ve ever written?
Ufff, that’s a hard one, mostly because every bone of my Irish body rebels at giving myself credit! But I’m quietly proud of the line in Extra: “Am I just an extra in your storyline, someone you can kill off without explaining why?” I’d totally love hearing that in someone else’s song.
When you’re not writing or recording — where do we find you on a perfect day off in Berlin?
A couple of years ago, I decided to go alcohol-free (best decision ever!) and became a bit of a foodie. I can’t resist the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen, so you’ll usually find us discovering new treats, strolling Berlin’s markets, catching friends’ gigs, and hanging with our little dachshund, who insists on being carried everywhere in her tiny bag!
And finally — the most important thing in life is…?
Right now, life feels good, and that’s thanks to the people in my life (and the four-legged ones too). Connection, being part of something, and showing up for each other feels like the most important thing.
Thanks so much for sharing your world with us! <3
Thank you! It was a pleasure. (smiles)
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