INA KLOS AS MINOA

American born, German singer-songwriter Minoa returns with a brand new release 'Wanna Go Back In Time', lifted from her forthcoming album 'Forward, Backward, Start Again' released this August through Listenrecords.

Drawing on a myriad of influences from indie, pop, folk and soul, 'Wanna Go Back In Time' yearns for the halcyon days where life was much simpler, anchored down by Minoa's ethereal, yet emotive delivery. She says: "The song 'Wanna Go Back In Time' is about not accepting the end of a relationship and dreaming yourself back to when everything seemed to be perfectly fine. It's like desperately shutting your eyes to blank out what there is in front of you and holding on to what you wish there was instead. Between the lines you can sense a resonating yearning, at first quite confronting, but towards the end more vulnerable."

Minoa, who's real name is Ina Klos, is singer, songwriter, musician and composer. She was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in a small town nearby Hanover, Germany. Within the eight songs on the album Minoa reveals an extraordinary sense for songwriting and melodies and wraps it up in an unconventional, yet recognisable indie-alt-pop sound, with nods to fellow luminaries Julia Jacklin, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, Soccer Mommy or Snail Mail.

Already in her childhood Minoa got musical support: She was able to take piano and singing lessons, sang in the school band, in a Jazz combo and in a choir. After her graduation diploma she studied Popular Music in Hanover for two years and quit it then, because she felt thwarted in her creativity, by the constant analytical questioning required while studying. She was longing for writing freely, right out of an emotion and went to Berlin, where she is living still. It always felt natural for the artist to write her songs in the English language, although it isn't her mother tongue. Yet spending her first one and a half years in USA seemed to have subconsciously influenced her in that way. Her dad's love for the music of the Beatles and her mum's for Joni Mitchell's probably too.

'Forward, Backward, Start Again', which will come out digitally, on CD and on Vinyl, marks a milestone for Minoa. With the album in her hands she will be stepping out of Berlin's DIY-scene and introducing herself in high quality to a wide audience. The title of the album fits metaphorically pretty well: It symbolises the inner fight with oneself to impatiently pushing yourself real hard to enter the next step in whatever you are willing to achieve, but at the same time it feels like you go ten steps backwards and need to begin at the starting point over and over again. It's about being held back by the tried and true and about being scared of letting go, when embracing the new. This kind of a quandary is an ever-returning source within the songs on the album itself.

The album shows a wide spectrum of emotional expression and vulnerability. In every single song Minoa's voice creates a different, very own world, that soaks you in and makes you want to dive deep under the surface with her. To leave everything superficial behind and to be you as you are, with all the emotions that you feel. Sensitivity and honesty is strength. This is particularly shown in the ballad 'Let's Get There Slowly', which lives from its pure fragility and tenderness. But also in the counter part 'Who Are You', which openly roars its anger and pain towards the listener.