Helmoet

Musical genes

I was born in Amsterdam where I have lived with my parents and sister until I was 14 years old. My father used to sing and play the guitar. He mainly played songs from The Everly Brothers, Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones but also country songs from Jim Reeves, John Denver and Johnny Cash.

When I was 12, I started to get interested in playing  the guitar and learned a few chords from my father. The first song I learned was ‘Love me Do’ by The Beatles. Beside songs from The Beatles I also played songs from Simon & Garfunkel, Donovan and Bob Dylan. Regularly we used to sing and play on birthdays in our house., this created a cosy atmosphere.

Composing

I started to write songs in my early years. I remember that my neighbour and I, when we were about 10 years old, started a band. I played the drums (on a bucket or a cigar case) and my neighbour sang. We used to perform in so called home concerts for our parents. We had a real album recorded on a cassette tape.

I wrote my first real song when I was 15. Meanwhile we had moved out of Amsterdam to Almere. In Almere I started to play in several bands. My taste in music started to expand. From jazz to classical, from folk to rock. I absorbed all these styles.

Cooperation

Helmoet and Rebecca have been friends for a long time and we have worked together in music several times. In early January Rebecca contacted me and told me she had written some lyrics. I started to call her ‘Bob’  after Bob Dylan with his legendary lyrics. While reading the lyrics the first melodies and compositions started to take shape in my mind and that’s how we wrote our first song ‘Crossroads’ together. From then on we wrote about 40 songs together and this creative process is still going on!

When I compose a song I always search for beautiful melody lines. Creating something starting with nothing is the most beautiful thing for me. Eventually we started recording the songs in the studio with arranger Rick Duijn. The three of us had a beautiful and unique cooperation. Unfortunately Rick died at a young age.

I am incredibly proud of the songs on this debut album with the name ‘Head over heels’.