Stephanie Meincke

Danish singer/songwriter Stephanie Meincke has just released her latest project Never Not Thinking.

On this EP, Meincker delivers 5 tracks around the topic of overthinking. The lead single “Full-Time Driver” is about achieving goal after goal without taking the time to breathe and celebrate small victories.

“In my opinion, we’re in an epidemic of overthinking. I’m far from the only one who gets overwhelmed by small things that get blown up to become unmanageably big. Our brains are working overtime 24/7, and I wrote these songs to face the music–as a humble attempt to deal with my own mental clutter, the new stream, and a hardcore reality that I feel we as a society are far too passive and uncritical about,” she explains.

The entire EP was produced and mixed by Linus Valdemar, and it is out now !

Hi Stephanie, how are you? What's your story?

Hi, I'm doing very well, thank you! At the moment, however, I’m starting to feel a bit nervous about the upcoming release of my EP Never Not Thinking. I’m so excited to share what my team and I have created, but it’s also nerve-wracking. I’ve done my very best!
I’ve always been an overthinker, but for as long as I can remember, singing has been a key tool for me to quiet my mind. When I sing, I simply can’t overthink.

What did you grow up listening to?

The radio was always playing in my childhood home. Besides that, my mom listened a lot to Celine Dion, so I’ve always said that it was the big voices on the radio and Celine Dion who taught me how to sing. I simply copied what they were doing, and I preferred singing Alicia Keys when playing with my dolls rather than singing typical children's songs (which my sisters hated me for!).
It was the Danish artist Tina Dico who inspired me to start writing my own music at 13. She sings, plays guitar, and writes songs, so I decided to borrow my uncle’s guitar—so that I could play guitar and sing my own songs as well. The rest is history.

When did you realize you could sing?

I’ve always been singing, for as long as I can remember. But it wasn’t until I was about 25 years old—when I got into the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark—that I started getting actual singing lessons.

When did you know it was time for you to be an artist and release your original music? What gave you the confidence?

I guess I always knew I wanted to be a singer. However, when I was younger, I tried to convince myself to choose a more "stable" career. I worked hard in high school to get the best possible grades so I could get into any university program I wanted. At 22, I was actually accepted into a history and ethnology program—but when the first day of university came, I simply couldn’t bring myself to go. It felt like I was betraying the dream inside me if I started studying something else.
After that, I started working on my music career full-time, and I haven’t had a plan B since.

What are the biggest lessons you have learned since the beginning of your career?

That no singer or songwriter in the world can do exactly what I do. What I create can only exist because I am the one making it. This thought comforts me whenever the music industry feels too competitive. Only Norah Jones can sing and write songs the way she does—and only I can sing and write songs the way I do. And luckily, people can have more than one favorite artist.

"Full-Time Driver" is your newest single—what’s the inspiration behind this song?

My whole family is really into racing and Formula 1—but I’m really not. A few years ago, they were all in Barcelona watching Formula 1, while I was at home writing songs with my band. Suddenly, a thought hit me: I may not be into racing, but I do feel like a race car—driving around in circles and never really getting anywhere. That’s where the idea for Full-Time Driver started. I tend to drive in circles because I often forget to celebrate what I actually achieve. When I finally reach the "finish line," it has already moved to a new goal:
"My phone keeps making the map change, with every turn I make."
The song is also about being a big dreamer—spending so much time chasing your goals that you forget about everything else:
"Am I stuck here in the fast lane?"

Could you describe the songwriting and production process for this single? Who helped you create it?

I wrote the song on my guitar and then brought it to my band, who helped me arrange it.
The song (and the rest of the EP) was produced and mixed by Linus Valdemar during a heatwave in Copenhagen. Every time we weren’t recording, we opened every door and turned on every fan we could. I don’t think I’ve ever been that hot and that focused at the same time.

What made you want to release Full-Time Driver as a single?

I think it has a really good vibe, and it represents the EP well.

What can you tell us about your EP Never Not Thinking? What different topics are you exploring on this project?

It’s about me thinking way too much—especially when it gets dark—and I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. In my opinion, we are in the middle of an overthinking epidemic, where so many of us spend more time contemplating what we should do instead of actually doing things.
We’re also living in a time where social media and big tech companies are fighting for our attention. Too often, I find myself "trying to get better" by doom-scrolling puppy videos on Instagram instead of actually dealing with what’s hurting inside me.
This EP is my way of saying: Hey, let’s deal with our overthinking. I want us to get out of our heads and start feeling, being, and talking in the real world instead.

What advice would you give to fellow overthinkers?

First of all: put down your phone. Puppies on Instagram won’t make you feel better—it’s just a quick fix.
Other than that, I think we should all get better at saying what we are overthinking. Most of the time, I find that problems and fears feel way bigger in my head than they do when I say them out loud. This EP is my way of saying things out loud.

What do you want people to feel when listening to your music?

Less alone.

Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?

• Tina Dico – Count To Ten
• Lizzy McAlpine – When The World Stopped Moving: The Live EP
• Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
• Eee Gee – Winning

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Not to gatekeep my own music. Release what you’ve made!

In your opinion, what would make the world a BETTER place?

If we started looking up from our phones and actually talking to each other.

What can we expect to hear/see next from you?

In the spirit of my EP, all I can say is: I’m never not writing. So sooner or later, there will be another batch of Stephanie Meincke songs.

Connect with Stephanie:

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