Bibiza on Growth, Music, and Staying True to Yourself

Bibiza has never been interested in standing still. From teaching himself guitar in his childhood bedroom to becoming one of Austria’s most distinctive voices, his journey has been shaped by curiosity, ambition, and a refusal to fit neatly into expectations. In this conversation with AFFECT, the Vienna-born artist reflects on growing up, navigating success, staying true to his artistic instincts, and why reinvention is not a risk- but a necessity. Bibiza opens up about the lessons behind the music and the person behind the persona.

c BIBIZA

AFFECT: Who are you? What do you do?

BIBIZA: I’m a musician, and I make music under the name Bibiza.

A: You started playing guitar at an early age. When did you realize you wanted to make

music? What role does music play in your family?

B: Yeah, that’s right. I started playing guitar around the time I was 11 because my dad also started playing guitar after we watched a Foo Fighters documentary together. I just thought guitar was really cool. That’s when I started messing around with it, too. I basically swapped out my FIFA for guitar YouTube tutorials and taught myself how to play. Music never really played a role in my parents’ home. I mean, I don’t come from a musical family. I did take guitar lessons once when I was about 7 years old - just for a short while - because my mom thought I should give it a try. But I hated it and didn’t put any effort into it or practice at all. But then, 3 or 4 years later, I taught it myself.

A: How would you say that shaped your childhood?

B: Enormously. I mean, I really spent all my time - whenever I came home from school - practicing guitar or just playing guitar, and above all, learning lots of covers by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, and what else was there? Yeah, just all kinds of bands like that. Foo Fighters, of course, too.

A: What was young Franz like?

B: Man, young Franz was really wild, I’d say. Very adolescent, loud, and a soccer fanatic. We were always kind of a soccer crew and would tear the ceiling panels apart in the classroom. So at our school, there were these hollow ceilings where you could kick a ball into them and make holes in the ceiling. We loved doing that, but our teachers weren’t too happy about it.

A: What interested or fascinated you the most as a kid?

B: Music really kept me busy. I watched a ton of documentaries about rock bands and rappers. Rap really grabbed me, and I just got really into it and somehow started dreaming about doing it myself. What also really fascinated me was Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona. That definitely fascinated me a lot, too, when I think back on it. Or Fernando Torres - wow, such a pretty boy.

A: When you think about growing up, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

B: Responsibilities and above all, keeping up with those responsibilities, I think. I’ve always admired my mom for managing to do all those things she does. That she actually manages to do it all and at the same time have such a structured life.

A: Which part of you has stayed exactly the same over the years, and which parts did you have to let go of?

B: Wow, that’s a crazy question. I think what’s stayed the same is my sense of humor, my loyalty, and my humility. Especially my humility - the kind I’m at peace with within myself. Not necessarily the humility or the traits people see in me when I’m in the public eye or being put in the spotlight. But rather the humility you carry within yourself, the kind you take home with you. And when you reflect on yourself - those thoughts about yourself when you’re alone and at peace with yourself. That’s stayed the same. And what I had to let go of is… I think for a long time I was too nice. That sounds so bad, but too naive. Just naivety. Naivety when it comes to my circle of friends. New acquaintances, toward whom I’m too quick, too open, and too nice. I had to let that go. Or rather, I still have it. But that’s just because I’m such a people person. I love it when everyone’s doing well. I love it when new people come along and they’re also happy to be around me. I don’t love that because I’m somehow putting my own ego on it. Rather, I just love it when they’re feeling better. I just love making other people happy. And I definitely have to be a little careful there. So, naivety.

A: In Wiener Schickeria, you paint a very unique picture of Vienna. What was the Vienna of your childhood like?

B: The Vienna of my childhood. I was in school. I’ve been walking through the same narrow streets since I was a little kid. And what was it like? I played a lot of soccer, in the soccer cage. I was also in a soccer club. I spent a lot of time in the park. I hung out with friends a lot. I started going out a lot when I was around 15. So, I guess a pretty normal life. The cool thing about Vienna is just that it’s such a huge city, but it still keeps that small-town feel to it. Or what does “small-town feel” even mean? It has this soothing, small-town energy somehow. It feels like everyone knows each other somehow. I mean, that’s not actually true, of course. But if you were to tell that to a kid who actually grew up in a village, they’d probably scratch their head and say I’m crazy. I mean, it’s obviously a big city. I’ve had a wonderful childhood. Definitely a very free childhood. I grew up and was raised in a very free, liberal way.

A: Your lyrics have a very unique tone, somewhere between humor and tragedy. Where does this perspective on the world come from?

B: I think it’s the beauty in the bad, the bad in the beautiful. It’s just exciting to think on the edge somehow and always look toward where something is almost not working out or almost already has. Just crossing those boundaries like that, I think, is always very exciting for creativity. Also a certain sense of humor about life - just a bit of a wink at all kinds of topics, whether it’s breaking up or something sad happening or something truly beautiful happening. And when something sad happens, you have to see something good in it.

A: Bis einer weint feels more personal and emotional in places. Has your view of yourself changed in recent years?

B: Definitely. Wiener Schickeria was just a very excessive album. And then it kind of became a selffulfilling prophecy that naturally played out in my real life as well. A life like that, of course, also has its downsides. Wherever there is light, there is shadow. At times I was sad and questioned myself, questioned the people around me. Things happened that one shouldn’t or can’t be proud of-not all of them. And that somehow just led to this. But I’m still the same- these are just phases; I’m a person who goes through phases. This phase was basically the response to Wiener Schickeria phase - it was just the down side. Now things are kind of looking up again. It’s hard to talk about it.

A: What was your idea of the music industry as a teenager? And what turned out to be wrong?

B: Interesting. My idea of the music industry. Well, because I always watched so many documentaries and was, and still am, really into rap, I was always against the music industry. That’s why I was never really taken advantage of, because even at 17 or 18, I wasn’t exactly super experienced, but I acted like I was. And I didn’t put up with anything from the very beginning, which I’m very proud of. That’s why not much has changed. I was never really naive and always acted older than I actually was at the time. So I went into negotiations very boldly - when I was 18 during my first tryout, when I ended up signing with Sony. In sales, too. I was very sassy, no doubt about it. And that always worked out well.

A: How can you preserve your own artistic voice when suddenly a lot of people are having a say?

B: Yeah, I think that’s the guiding principle. So that’s the most important thing an artist needs to have. You definitely have to preserve your own artistic voice, because people celebrate you for who you are, not because some A&R team is coming up with strategies. You always have to stay true to yourself. And it happens to everyone or at least it’s happened to me, that you let others talk you into things. That always ends in disaster. Every single time. That means you just have to believe in yourself 100%. And that’s often hard. You must never start making compromises. With art, there are no compromises. So if I have a vision, then it’s carried out exactly as planned. It’s also put a lot of people off, which, of course, I think, can sometimes make it difficult to work with me. Or at least, well, it’s actually quite easy because I’m very clear, but not everyone is capable of working with people like that.

A: Do you feel that, as an artist, you have the freedom to change? Or do people expect you to maintain a consistent image?

B: I think it’s much easier to have a consistent image. Because it’s just pre-packaged and people get used to it. They know what they’re getting. Just like when you go to the spa or to Billa. Every day, I go to the front left to get the organic butter. With the same label and the same package. You walk in, grab your butter, and you’re happy. It serves its purpose. But I’m not a stick of butter, I’m a human being. And I change. And in my case, it’s very, very important for me to change. Or rather, I get way too bored if I don’t. I love music; I love all genres. I truly love music across all boundaries. Good music. I have endless fun trying to get more out of it somehow - trying things out, combining things. Not having to decide on just one thing and then stick with it for 20 years. I think Bibiza will always be adaptable. But it’ll always be very specific. And i’ll always try to create different phases. Just like Wiener Schickeria and Bis einer weint. Now I was in the mood for a different era. For me, the music on Rock’n’Rollstar just sounded different, too. I think a lot in terms of colors. And for me, that was clearly white. Maybe it’ll be red and black again. Red will always be Bibiza. Red is the signal color. Red is my color. I’m not giving that up. But now let’s take a different detour. Now we’ve taken a detour. And I have absolutely no idea what exactly will happen next. But please, I appeal to all artists: Keep evolving. Don’t get stuck in a rut. There’s nothing more boring than artists who always do the same thing.

A: What lesson has your career taught you so far that has nothing to do with success?

B: Success doesn’t make you happy. It really doesn’t. Not in the long run. Milestones, when you reach them, you can be very proud of them. But you also have to be able to be proud of them. You have to be on an extreme high all the time. And after the album is before the next album. And after the nextalbum is before the next album. And you never take time for yourself. But that answers the question right now- the one that has nothing to do with success. Don’t expect other people to have the same commitment to a certain cause that you have for it. Just because you’re passionate about it. Practice patience. And generally speaking, what goes around comes around- so take it down a notch. An old piece of wisdom. But yes, be patient. And stay calm. Staying calm is also very good. And everything will work out, I’d say, always at the right time. So yes, the energies are energizing.

A: Which version of yourself would your younger self admire the most today?

B: My drive, my determination. That I’ve already made all the things I imagined as a child come true for myself so all those dreams I had as a 14- or 15-year-old of someone standing on stage have come true. They’ve probably even come true on a much larger scale than I could have imagined back then. And I just think my ambition and perseverance are admirable. I’d just like to throw that out there as a shout-out to myself.

A: What would you like to say to your younger self today?

B: Everything happens at the right time. Don’t stress out. Stay grounded. Do your thing well. Make music, make it good. But it doesn’t have to go through the roof overnight. It has to go well. It’s awesome when an artistic career builds up slowly and keeps getting bigger. Because then you can grow along with it and don’t end up in situations you’re actually not ready for yet. Learn something. Learn to play guitar. Learn it well. Learn to sing. Learn it well. Get really good at what you do. And everything else will fall into place.

Thank you so much, AFFECT. Those were cool questions. I’m looking forward to your article.

Check out my new album.

Best regards, Bibiza.

Interview by Sophie Schiller