Dutch musician Robine is getting ready for her very first headline show. She’s not just spreading the word online, she wants to connect with people through her music in real life too. Her soulful pop, mixed with R&B and jazz vibes, dives into the kind of conversations she’s usually too scared to have in „real life“.
Populärkollektiv: How does it feel to rehearse for your first headline tour?
Robine: I’m super excited. It’s my first headline tour, so it’s pretty big for me.
Populärkollektiv: You’re from the Netherlands, but you’ll be performing in German cities as well. Is this your first time performing your music in Germany?
Robine: I started in Hamburg. That’s where I built up my team. This is going to be the first time I play in all these different cities with my original music. Now that you say it, I’m like—yeah, it’s true!
I connect best with people when I actually see them
Populärkollektiv: I have seen you perform in a park in Amsterdam. It is interesting that you’re promoting your music in „real life“ and not just on TikTok, like a lot of musicians do now. Why did you choose to do PR this way?
Robine: I noticed that I connect best with people when I actually see them, when I perform in front of them and we’re face to face.
I also noticed this in my numbers online. They go up steadily, but the biggest impact always happens after a gig or a live performance. Then I see a lot of new people becoming interested.
I thought, let’s change it up and not do it like everyone else. Everyone sees new artists trying to make it on a screen all the time. So I was like, okay, let’s be different. Let’s try to do it face to face. I just go to the cities on my tour and show who I am and who we are.
Populärkollektiv: Did it take a lot of courage?
Robine: It took a lot of courage to try this, because it’s really outside my comfort zone. I was very nervous because I was so aware that people didn’t ask for this. I didn’t know if they were going to like me being loud and singing.
On the other hand, I got very good feedback. People appreciated that it was different than usual.
Populärkollektiv: It also takes a lot of effort. You even traveled to Cologne. Where did you start?
Robine: We started at the cathedral, but I noticed there were a lot of tourists. I needed locals. So we walked ten minutes out of the center and did a few sets there. That was actually very effective because I could reach the local audience.
Populärkollektiv: A lot of people wear headphones and are just staring at their phones. Did they even notice you?
Robine: Quite often, people had headphones in. But sometimes you’d see them take one earbud out to see what was going on. It’s crazy how much we’re in our phones nowadays.
My phone actually broke down a few days ago, and I realized how codependent I am and how much I’m on it every day. I’m trying to reduce that. I think it’s beautiful to look around and notice what’s happening in real life.
Populärkollektiv: Sometimes people are afraid to interact with street performers. Did they scan the QR code, or were they too shy?
Robine: A good friend of mine, who is a busker, told me to get flyers and make sure to hand them out, because people are often too shy to come close. So we played a set with a big poster out, and the girls on my team handed out flyers to people walking by.
Because of that we could see if we can get more interaction and more sales in the end. It was a good moment to just try and see what people like.
I would say some people danced, some people were just staring, some people filmed.
Populärkollektiv: And which song did they like best?
Robine: I’m not sure. I feel like the more up-tempo songs, where people can dance, worked really well. For example, My Own Girl is on the EP, as well as Don’t Feel Anything. It was a mix, really. In general, it was a mix. I would say some people danced, some people were just staring, some people filmed.
Populärkollektiv: And it was okay that they were just staring?
Robine: I think it’s fine. It’s super random that someone is just like, okay, let’s put some big screen up with the QR code and get attention. That must be weird.
Populärkollektiv: Was the PR trip successful?
Robine: We did sell some tickets, so that’s good! But I think in the end, it’s about combining things: showing your face to the local crowd, creating content around it, and posting it.
The people that saw me can then relate to what happened. I think, this combination worked pretty well. It did something. That’s great.
Populärkollektiv: So you still believe social media is important for promoting your music today?
Robine: It’s a free tool to promote your work. Even though it can be tiring and exhausting—and I feel like I’m not that great at it—I try to show up almost every day and just be myself. It’s free promotion, so I’d say you really need it as an artist.
I got older and started wondering how I could get there on my own. I wanted to tell my own story.
Populärkollektiv: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Robine: I basically started singing when I was eight years old. I uploaded a cover of a famous Dutch artist to YouTube. It went viral and he actually saw it. As a small kid, I performed on big stages in the Netherlands with him. That was really cool. But at some point, I got older and started wondering how I could get there on my own. I wanted to tell my own story.
During COVID, I had the time to take a break and sit down. I wanted to write songs— but how do I do that?
Randomly, I met someone from Hamburg online who had seen my weekly cover posts. As soon as the borders opened, I went to Hamburg and thought, „okay, let’s try writing with these people“.
I met so many lovely people, and to this day, they’re still my team. It’s been three years now. They’re the people I write with and perform live with. That’s really cool. I’m going to release an EP on October 31st.
Populärkollektiv: Was it hard to write lyrics with „strangers“?
Robine: It was really hard. It took me a while to really write about what I feel. Obviously, if you don’t know the people it’s like, “Yeah, I’ve been through something but it’s hard to explain“. I definitely had to build trust over a year.
Then I started to open up and write the songs I actually wanted to write. I’m not a native English speaker, so sometimes I know what I want to say, but not how to frame it. So it’s super helpful to have someone next to me who can help me with that.
Populärkollektiv: Can you describe your music a bit more?
Robine: I would say my music is soul-pop, with R&B and jazz influences. It’s a mix of everything, really, so it’s hard for me to put it in just one box. But a pop-driven melody is important for me.
I write a lot about conversations I’m too afraid to have in real life.
I write a lot about conversations I’m too afraid to have in real life. Some songs are about toxic times in my life—when I had toxic people around me and experienced abuse. I write about that a lot. But I also have super self-reflective and more light-hearted songs.
Overthinker, for example, is one where I reflect on toxic times, but also acknowledge them. I hope people can relate to that. At the same time, I don’t take life too seriously—so there’s always a hint of playfulness in my music. I like to leave listeners on a lighter note rather than a heavy, sad one.
Tickets are available here.
Bild: muziqme
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