This is Maggie Lindemann

You ever come across an artist that you just can't stop listening to? Someone that you can relate to? Almost like she's talking directly to your feelings? You find yourself liking all of her photos for style inspo because her outfits are just always SO FIRE. Guilty party here. That's how I feel about this season's cover star. I was scrolling one day and decided to take a shot at an interview, not thinking I would actually get it. As I opened the email from her team, I screamed and then I realized I screamed and got silent. I had a small fangirl moment.

Maggie Lindemann is a 22-year-old electrifying emo goddess that has taken over the music scene with her raw lyrics and badass style. This month she finally released her much-anticipated debut EP, 'Paranoia', six years after her debut pop single, 'Knocking on Your Heart', which was released in 2015. Growing up in Texas and performing with her local church choir, she always dreamed of singing professionally, and she moved to Los Angeles at 16 to pursue it. At a young age, she started posting cover videos online on a video app called Keek, a video platform that launched in 2011 but died down after a couple of years. When asked what she would tell her younger self, she said, “Take shit more seriously and stop letting a boy make you feel like you are doing something wrong for having to go do business. Put your music before anything.”

In 2016, her single, “Pretty Girl,” an empowering pop track became an international hit setting her up for amazing success. The track has since been streamed well over a billion times to date, and its follow-up, “Obsessed,” boasts nearly 100 million streams.

As her fans awaited on an album or full project, she wasn’t really feeling the music. In an interview with MTV she cites, “The lyrics were me, but the vibe wasn't, and I felt like that started to become a constant theme in my music. I loved the lyrics, but the production, I always just didn't like it.”

Fans started to take note as well that her style and personality just didn't fit her music. After much consideration, she decided to finally put out music SHE loved and not what was 'popular'. In 2018 she released her first two pop-punk singles, “Would I” and “Friends Go,” and fans were in LOVE. Those singles were received as well as her pop ones and has millions of views on each. Now with 4 million followers, a new label, and a much more understanding of herself, she is ready to dominate with her debut EP, "Paranoia". This is Maggie Lindenmann.

Your music is so relatable and sometimes includes dark but very honest lyrics. What made you decide to become so valuable in your lyrics? ML: "I am just a very vulnerable person IRL, I'm always down to talk about dark deep shit, it doesn't really bother me. so naturally I talk about it in my music." What other artist gives you that same feeling that you give in your music? ML: "I have no idea, i

wonder whom my fans would compare me to?? I am heavily inspired my Paramore and Avril so maybe them just cause that's a lot of where my inspiration comes from? IDK I can't compare to them, I'm unworthy." You said in a recent interview that you only like to give a little bit of yourself on social media and more of yourself in your music. Why the choice and do you think having that strategy has helped you heal better vs putting everything out on SM at one time? ML: "I just think if people hate me on the internet, they don't actually know me or my personality. Only people that actually support me and keep up with me know my personality. So if you look at my IG or my music videos or whatever and you think I am this bitch because of how I look, that's completely fine Because it's just an assumption and not based off of any real knowledge if that makes sense."

How have you been surviving in these weird times and has it help you with your music in any way? ML: "I'm definitely bored, I want the world to go back to normal. I miss everyday things and I really miss concerts. I feel lik e for a while I was kinda stumped creatively but it's been like a year now since the pandemic hit so I'm kinda out of my funk." Your debut EP, 'PARANOIA' is coming out in a couple of days!!! Why the title and what is the story behind the theme of this project? ML: "I chose the title PARANOIA because around the time I started writing the EP, I was experiencing crazy paranoia. It felt like a common theme in my life during that time, and I liked how it sounded, so I went with it lol."

What was the hardest song and your favorite song to record? ML: "The hardest song was probably " Scissorhands" because we re-wrote that first verse like 3 times and my favorite song to record was probably "Crash and Burn" because I loved recording those harmonies and I love the belts." Knife under my pillow' is one of my favorite tracks from the EP. I know not a lot of people/artists talk about Paranoia but a lot of people deal with it. What made you bring that issue to light and what is your best advice to dealing with it? ML: "When we wrote it I was living in this house that scared TF outta me. I was always hearing shit and it was close to a highway, so it just wasn't really a vibe. I had a roommate but whenever he was gone it was just me in this big house and I would be SO SCARED. I literally kept a knife under my pillow every night because I always thought someone was gonna kidnap me or something. My advice personally, do not smoke, and just do things to help make you feel safer; whether that's keeping a weapon close or adding extra security."

Your music is extremely inspiring. How was the journey getting to this empowered version of yourself? ML: "Really hard. I'm still working on it but I'm happyish with myself rn and really happy about my music." Do you have any new advice for artists that may be looking at you for inspiration? ML: "To just take everything seriously even if you don't think something is that deep. First impressions are so important, and put your music before personal shit." We talk about mental health a lot in our publication. How do you deal with moments when anxiety kicks in or your mind goes against you? ML: "I give the worst advice when it comes to this because I genuinely do not know how to deal with it. I've been going to therapy for really bad anxiety, so I'm still working on it. When I get bad thoughts in my head I'll start counting things around me. That's the only thing so far that kinda helps." What is a cause you are passionate about and why? ML: "I'm really passionate about mental health, I just feel like it's not taken as seriously as it should be. When people show signs of mental breakdowns, people are so quick nowadays to "cancel" them or call them crazy or cyberbully them and these people need real help. It makes me sad. Some people really just can't help it." Aside from music, you have an epic clothing line titled, SWIXXZ. I actually just went to Zumiez and snagged some. Where did the name come from and what made you wanna do your merchandise differently than just the standard put your face on a shirt? ML: "Oh, no way, that's sick, thank you ha! The name has been my Tumblr name for a lonnnnggg time. I have no idea how I came up with it. I used to be really good at coming up with weird shit when I was younger. I think it literally just came to mind randomly." Where did your epic style come from? ML: "I think just a lot of musical influences. As I said, Avril Lavigne is a huge influence to me, Gwen Stefani, Amy Lee, Courtney Love, Pinterest lol." You also have a podcast! How was it tapping into the podcast world and what are your plans for it? ML: "Right now I just do it for fun when I can, I definitely wanna continue and grow it. It's fun to talk to nobody for a while and then have people listen." I can't wait to see where Maggie takes her career now that she is more comfortable with herself, is surrounded by the right people, and has her own. Everything comes in time and 2021 is hers for the taking. Her EP sounds authentic, like everything on it is what she wanted. I couldn't have wanted better for her.

MAGGIES DEBUT EP 'PARANOIA' IS AVAILABLE NOW. Buy: https://maggielindemann.lnk.to/paranoiaID