A Chat with Mané (12.06.26)
Mané reflects on the journey behind The Goddess in the Room, from its first spark in 2021 to its evolution into a full album shaped by collaboration and creative renewal. In this conversation, she explores her ‘shamanic pop’ sound, blending raw intuition, organic percussion, and influences from artists like AURORA, Billie Eilish, and Eivør. She also opens up about burnout, empowerment, queerness, and how music became a space for healing, resistance, and reclaiming inner power.
OSR: Congratulations on the release of The Goddess in the Room. What was the initial spark or moment that inspired this project?
Mané: Thank you! It all started in 2021 when I first wrote the track, ‘The Goddess in the Room’, a song about reclaiming your inner power. I then spent four days co-writing new tracks with my musicians, Gwen Buord and Noods, in 2023 in a little chalet in the Swiss countryside and was convinced that it would just be for my new live show. I didn’t want to release music anymore because I was scared of having a third burnout. But after that weekend, Gwen suggested we meet every month to write some more, and eventually, after a year of writing and producing new songs each month, I felt like releasing an EP, which then turned out to be an album in the end.
OSR: You describe your sound as ‘shamanic pop’. How would you define that genre, and what makes it different from traditional alternative pop?
Mané: For me, it’s a blend between pop influenced by AURORA, Billie Eilish, etc. and some rawer sounds, which are mostly coming from intuitive vocals and some other organic percussion, including the shamanic drum. I was deeply influenced by Eivør, who also plays the shamanic drum on stage and blends it with her music. I think it’s also about another dimension opening up on stage when I play the drums, sometimes putting me into a trance.
OSR: The album explores themes of empowerment, queerness, spirituality, and bodily autonomy. Why were these topics important for you to address at this stage in your career?
Mané: These subjects really matter to me in my daily life. It’s my main source of inspiration when writing songs, especially when it comes to womxn’s rights. I am extremely angry and enraged when I see, read, or hear of womxn’s rights still being completely violated in 2026 – it really matters to me to be able to express myself, put my emotions on paper and in music, and also raise awareness about these topics – especially since so many womxn’s voices are being silenced right now. When it comes to queerness, it’s really just about sharing my perspective on my personal path, navigating it and hopefully inspiring other people to celebrate who they are. In general, these are all topics that mirror my values in life, so it’s natural for me to include them in my music.
OSR: You’ve spoken openly about experiencing burnout and re-evaluating your relationship with music. How did that period shape the creative direction of this album?
Mané: Going through multiple burnouts has definitely taught me how to treat myself more gently and also how to set some boundaries. It’s also shown me what matters the most to me, and it’s during that time that I started understanding myself and my high sensitivity better. So it definitely has had an impact on the topics I want to address in my songs. During these times, I’ve also encountered the shamanic drum and learned how to navigate my emotions through intuitive vocals – so it definitely has influenced my whole sound on this album, bringing more organic sounds into pop productions.
OSR: The shamanic drum plays an important role in your work. What drew you to the instrument, and how has it influenced your songwriting process?
Mané: I was drawn to it thanks to a shaman that I was seeing at the time of my burnout. She helped me express my emotions through my voice and through drumming. I felt a huge connection with the instrument and its sound and realized it helped me enter a meditation/trance state, which truly healed my soul. I then discovered the artist Eivør and started using the drum on stage – blending it with my pop songs. I would say it has mostly influenced my ideas for production rather than songwriting itself.
OSR: Tracks like ‘sappho’ and ‘Witches’ feel particularly powerful and unapologetic. What stories or emotions were you channelling while writing those songs?
Mané: For ‘Sappho’, I really wanted to write an ode celebrating womxn and sapphic culture. I’ve often heard this sentence while talking to other queer/lesbian womxn: “I like this woman, but I’m not sure if it’s because I want to be with her or if it’s just because I wanna be like her”, so I felt like making that the main topic of the chorus. It’s also a way for me to fully embrace who I am and my sexuality, and hopefully maybe inspire other people to celebrate themselves and love themselves for who they are.
‘Witches’ was actually written in 2018, and I’ve been performing it live since then. That’s when I started reading about witch trials and how the feminist movement had reclaimed the figure of the witch to defend its causes. It’s a song honoring women – all the ones who have died fighting for our rights, and all the ones who are still fighting every day. It’s also for all our ancestors, our grandmothers, who paved the way for us.
OSR: The album follows the symbolic journey of a Goddess reclaiming her power. Do you see that character as an extension of yourself, your listeners, or both?
Mané: I do see it as a part of myself – the one deep inside who always trusts her intuition. I think we all have that power within ourselves, so yes, definitely it is an extension of both myself and my listeners.
OSR: You’ve performed at renowned venues and festivals across Europe and beyond. How has your live experience influenced the way you create music today?
Mané: It has changed over the years – I used to write by myself, but meeting and working with the musicians I work with now has changed my way of writing. So in that sense, being able to play live with musicians that I really have a connection with has brought me to co-write with them in a way that feels super organic. For instance, I love to write toplines while they are jamming on a new production, and we’re all working on some aspect of the song in real time.
OSR: Beyond the music itself, you’ve built an immersive artistic world around your releases. Why is creating community and ritual such an important part of your work?
Mané: I believe every human being craves being seen and loved. I think that’s part of the reason why we create art, and why we listen to music: to feel something, to feel like we belong somewhere. So, to me, it’s these moments of connection that actually really matter in the end – creating a community where people can celebrate who they are, feel inspired, and feel a sense of belonging in a safe space. The world is already such a hard place, and we need more care for each other.
OSR: After listeners finish The Goddess in the Room, what do you hope they take away from the experience?
Mané: I hope it inspires them to follow their gut, to reclaim their power, and to be unapologetically themselves. I hope they take it as inspiration and support to be bold in their choices and that they can use this album as a safe and soft place to go back to after a tough day.
Many thanks to Mané for speaking with us. Find out more about Mané on her Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify.
