The Ballroom Thieves
Photographed by Shervin Lainez
Are you from Maine originally? If not, where are you from?
I've lived in Maine for over 20 years now but I'm originally from Switzerland.
How did you become a musician? What inspired you?
I've always had a love for music, but I didn't fully jump at the chance of being a full-time musician until I was laid off from my desk job in 2012. At that point I figured I might never get a better chance to go for it. In a way, losing my job was the best thing to happen to my career as a musician.
Tell me more about your music. What is the messaging behind it? I'm sure every song has a different meaning so you can give me a couple of examples.
Our songs span a lot of topics but recently we've been most inspired by the dismal state of politics in our country. We often write from our personal perspective, so we have songs about love, traveling, and smashing the patriarchy into a smooth jelly.
Do you plan to launch new music?
We've got some plans to release new music, but the pandemic has thrown a bit of a wrench into those plans.
Do you plan to perform live or virtually anywhere in the near future?
We've decided not to play any live shows this year. The prospect of asking people to attend any kind of gathering during these uncertain times just didn't quite sit right with us, and since we're quarantined separately from our other bandmates the logistics of playing a show together are difficult. We will continue to take part in a few live-streamed shows throughout the summer and fall before settling into the Maine winter!