Q&A: Claire Rosinkranz Gets Candid At Austin City Limits About Spirituality, Success And Growing Up
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY ISABELLA APPELL ☆
YOUNG, WILD AND FREE—Bedecked in peace sign earrings, a mini mushroom hair clip and celestial patchwork tattoos, Claire Rosinkranz is the epitome of a flower child. The 22-year-old took Austin City Limits’ Miller Lite stage barefoot, her long blonde hair swaying as she moved. Living with chronic illness and growing up in the public eye, Rosinkranz is no stranger to adversity. Music has become a space she continues to grow into. Her candor about that journey has made her a model of authenticity for young women. Onstage, she was free-flowing yet powerful, playing viral hits like “Backyard Boy” and “Frankenstein” alongside new releases like “My Lover.”
Luna caught up with Rosinkranz after her set to talk about navigating the music industry at a young age, how spirituality keeps her grounded and what the last few years have taught her about success.
LUNA: Did you always know you wanted to make music?
ROSINKRANZ: My family was always very musical, so being around them made it impossible not to want to. And once I knew I wanted to make music, I really knew. That was probably around 6.
LUNA: What was it like navigating the music industry at such a young age?
ROSINKRANZ: I just didn’t know what was happening at all. I always feel like I can do anything, so when all of that came along so young, I was like, “Yeah, I can do this.” Now I look back and I’m like, “OK, that was a whirlwind.” I know a lot more now, and I would probably do a lot of things differently.
LUNA: You’re still so young, but you’ve been through a lot. What have the last few years taught you, and what advice would you give other young people about perseverance and growing up?
ROSINKRANZ: From 16 to 22, you change so much, and in your 20s, you change a lot too. I already feel like I change every week. I imagine that’s kind of how it is for the rest of your life. I’ve definitely grown as a person—it’s impossible not to—and my music has grown with me, because I write about everything I’m experiencing. I don’t know exactly what I’m learning or what’s changing, but I know that I am.
I would say allow yourself to change and don’t be afraid of doing new things. If your heart is drawn to a completely different vibe, or you feel stuck somewhere, it usually means you need some kind of change. It can be really hard to let yourself go there and do something different, because we build these images in our brains of who we are. Change is scary, but let yourself be free and malleable and do what you want.
LUNA: You come across as a very spiritual person. What keeps you grounded when you get nervous or things start to feel like too much?
ROSINKRANZ: I’m very spiritual, and I try my best to meditate, pray, all those things. I reground in a lot of different ways, including in nature. I believe we’re all connected to something bigger than ourselves, and I try to tune into that greater consciousness. I also use affirmations. Today, right before I went onstage, my affirmation was that nobody can be me better than me. Nobody can be you better than you. It’s really hard to let ourselves be fully free, and figuring out what that even means is hard, because we’re always changing. Sometimes I just think about all the things I want to be, and a lot of that is rooted in love.
LUNA: You’re honestly giving nature girl in the best way, especially with your hair swaying onstage. You looked so free.
ROSINKRANZ: I actually just cut bangs, and the number of compliments I’ve gotten is insane. It definitely adds to the free, nature girl vibe.
LUNA: I love it. How has your definition of success changed over the last few years?
ROSINKRANZ: Honestly, I don’t even know what success is. Sometimes having a concept of success is bad for me, because I can be really hard on myself. I’m definitely a perfectionist, so having that image in my mind is just a way to let myself down all the time. It’s never enough for me. I’m always looking for something better, which is cool because it means I have drive and passion, but I have to take a step back sometimes.
When I was 11, I had this image of myself doing basically exactly what I’m doing now. Sometimes I’m like, “Wow, I’m living it,” but then I’m also like, “On to the next.” If you always have that mentality, you’re never going to live in your dreams and be in the present moment. Maybe success for me is learning how to be fully here with my dreams and what I’m doing now. And that’s really hard to do.
LUNA: What message do you want to send when you’re performing?
ROSINKRANZ: I want people to feel like they can be themselves and dance as much as they want to dance. I just want them to have fun.
