Over the years, Swiss artist Josephine Assayech has crafted a unique sound, drawing on her Italian, Persian and French heritage to forge songs that shine with both intimacy and warmth. Her musical journey started early in her life, with training in a children’s and youth choir at the church music school in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
From there, she developed her vocal talent through solo lessons before studying at the Winterthur Conservatory, crafting a voice that blends crisp high notes with a rich timbre. Known for her charm, ambition and artistic curiosity, she’s earned recognition as an artist whose performances dazzle audiences, built on a balance of vulnerability and strength.
In March 2021 she stepped out as a solo artist with her debut single “Wonderwall,” collaborating with Beat Hofstetter to open the first window into her original sonic vision. Her expressive range has become a trademark of her music, allowing her to convey a range of emotions that feel profound and moving. Two years after making her entrance, she returned with “Ashes” and this year she’s back with her third single titled “Mountains.”
Serving up a powerful anthem stemming from personal reflection and determination, the track was born out of a period of intense meditation, during which she grappled with doubts about her accomplishments and her path forward. In response, “Mountains” captures her personal growth and a reminder to recognise how far we’ve come, even when our own doubts threaten to overshadow our progress.
Brought in by the swell of deep atmospheric tones, Josephine’s alluring voice stitches airy melodies into the building arrangement as sweeping textures and hushed percussive shots wrap around her stunning vocal performance. Laying down a theatrical alternative pop sound brimming with defiance and engaging melodic writing, “Mountains” offers an incredible display of the artist’s timeless songwriting via a subtly anthemic soundscape.
With her meaningful lyrics carried by her graceful vocal performance, the song rises with pattering drums and layers of silky instrumentation to deliver an epic listening experience from start to finish. With her astonishing vocal flair and poignant writing, Josephine Assayech continues to impress with music that’s enduring and enjoyable in equal measure and we can’t wait to see what she’s got in store next.
We caught up with Josephine to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new single “Mountains” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Josephine Assayech below.
Hey Josephine, how’s things?
So far so good, thank you! Trying my best to get used to the shorter days and less sunshine. How are you?
What’s your earliest memory of making music?
As long as I can remember I always sang around and made singing and dancing performance-shows in my living room for my family. So I guess that’s one of my earliest memory.
Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?
There are a lot of talented artists that inspire me. But the main two, I would say, are the great singer/songwriter/producer Stromae and the greatest of all Tina Turner. Stromae combines superb music beats with poetic lyrics while exploring and combining all possible music generes and Tina Turner was a bundle of unique strength, who regularly challenged music-industries’ narrative of what a female singer should be/sound like.
How else do you find inspiration for your music?
Trough life and all the experiences that come with it.
What’s been your highlight of the year so far?
There have been many. But I guess the main ones would be my first concerts, that I have been giving and which have been so rewarding and filled with love, as well as the making of my music video for “Mountains”, which has been a dream come true.
What do you love about the Zürich music scene?
I guess the wide range of genres finding it’s way to one place, all together. You can find anything you want, from the classical opera scene to the hardcore rave-scene.
What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?
Under the shower or alone in a room, where you feel safe and comfortable letting your deepest thoughts being free.
How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?
I think it has become bolder. When you start out with something new, at least for me, you’re kind of shy around it as you don’t feel like an expert in this new field or feel like to have to prove the rightness of your place there. And that’s exactly what I went through over time. I’m happy to say that today, I feel like I belong exactly where I am and I’m looking extremely forward to evolve even further.
Has your production process changed over the years too?
Maybe not necessarily changed, but I’ve become more secure in acknowledging/showing my vision and knowing how to move myself in order to turn the vision into reality.
Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
For sure Stromae, the great producer Mark Ronson or someone unique like M.I.A.
How did you find making your new single “Mountains”?
I wrote Mountains in a time where “I’m wasting my time” was a sentence that was constantly buzzing around in my head. And that’s exactly what I took as a starting point for the song, meaning that I started with the refrain and from there on built the whole song. It came quite naturally to produce the song, as it was about a topic/feeling, that took a lot of space in my life.
What message did you want to get across with this release?
That everyone of us is exactly where she/he should be! “Mountains” represents our inner world and the overcome of negative thoughts. It is the powerful result of an intense inner dialog that I had during a time when my inner voices were particularly insistent. These voices made themselves strongly felt with thoughts such as “you’re not achieving enough” or “you should be much further along in life by now”. This song is my powerful appeal to these inner voices that each one of us is in exactly the right place at exactly the right time and we can be proud of the journey we have made so far. Much like after a mountain hike, when you finally stand on the summit and look back at the valley and the path you have mastered.
What artist have you been listening to most recently?
Ufff, difficult to put in one as I’m always listening to a wide range of music-genres, depending on the mood. But I would say Isabel La Rosa.
What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?
To know that you’re fine and you will be fine, no matter where you are in your journey right now. Just keep going!
What’s been your favourite live performance so far?
I think the concert in my Hometown, St. Gallen. It was filled with friends and family and it felt like the warmest hug ever.
Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?
It would be in a Amphitheater, with a sea-background, maybe in Taormina, Sicilly. The 3 Headliner’s would be Tina Turner, Stromea and Lana del Rey.
Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?
Start to bring your ideas on paper, make a Demo and look for a Producer that will get the vision you have. And from there on, work step by step. In the end it’s just about getting started and just stay focused on the goal you have.
Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?
Well the year is already getting to its final month, so for the first time, I’m working on a Christmas Project, that will come out very soon! Make sure to follow me on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook to not miss anything 😊!
Listen to Mountains below
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