Spätcafé im Glockenhof: Kati von Schwerin

“Welcome Back Home” – Kati von Schwerin is back, and she’s brought a great welcome gift: authenticity in an era of calculation.

In a time marked by crises and wars, Kati von Schwerin wrote her third album—and she didn’t have to look far for inspiration, because even within a small circle, no one is immune to misfortune and worry. “I wasn’t ready for this day, and I’ll never be”—so begins the ballad “Until The Robin Sings” from the new album “Welcome Back Home,” catching the attention of anyone who has ever feared for a loved one. What if that person doesn’t come back? What if that last hug is the very last one forever? You say “Bye and see you later,” but what if that’s not true and suddenly everything falls apart? When you’re standing at the door waiting with a “Welcome Back Home” garland, but only your worst nightmare comes by and rings the doorbell. “I almost lost my father. It was a situation that felt like an eternity of uncertainty, and at some point I tried to do everything I could to influence fate in a positive way. What madness.”

It may sound cynical, but artists’ pain is pure gold when it’s packaged just right. And that’s exactly the case here: With “Welcome Back Home,” Kati von Schwerin has created an album that automatically leaves out any calculation or pretense, offering an unfiltered glimpse into the artist’s soul. Since its predecessor, “Inspired By The Riot,” was released 4 1/2 years ago—and von Schwerin, by her own account, was stuck in a deep creative slump—one can certainly view “Welcome Back Home” as a therapeutic-sounding work that served one purpose above all else: “not to go crazy.” “I thought I might never write another song again, and somehow I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I’d managed to do it before. It was totally strange, as if I’d been a completely different person on the last album. Which I probably was.”

On her latest album, Kati von Schwerin once again demonstrates a keen sense for arrangements and soundscapes, alongside her autobiographical and evocative lyrics. Musically, she remains within the pop-rock genre as usual, though this time with a loving penchant for synth sounds. Of course, one cannot help but highlight Kati von Schwerin’s vocal presence in particular. For in an era when artists still tend to whisper softly, Kati von Schwerin stands out as a vocal counterpoint. Placed in the same league as Kelsey Karter, Donna Missal, or Elisa Toffoli, Kati von Schwerin emerges as an expressive artist whose immense vocal power is nothing short of astonishing.

It’s also astonishing to consider that, in addition to her musical work, Kati von Schwerin has also been a successful visual artist for 15 years and will publish her first book, *Ja, wir hatten mal was* (Yes, We Used to Be Together), with emons Verlag in September 2023.