Maggie Lindemann: The 10 songs that changed my life

From Paramore to Disturbed, Maggie Lindemann takes us inside her record collection and the songs that have soundtracked her life.

“I remember loving the Wiggles when I was a little kid, but I also used to listen to Gwen Stefani with my mom in the car when I was little on the way to [elementary school]. Hollaback Girl was probably my first big musical experience.”

“It’s been consistently one of my favourite songs since the eighth or ninth grade. I didn’t love school – I had a really hard time, so when I found that song, I felt like it just generally really helped me through some dark times.”

“Growing up, my parents were both metal listeners. My dad really likes alternative music – he listened to a lot of Metallica, Cage The Elephant, Linkin Park – and my mom was really into Disturbed, and I distinctly remember that she was always playing Down With The Sickness.”

“I’m the most not-singy singer you’ll ever meet – if people are doing karaoke, I will not participate. But if I had to… I’d probably go with Bring Me To Life. I just love that song, I feel like it would be a fun one for karaoke.”

“I have a ‘cry with me’ playlist on Spotify. There’s this one by Sufjan Stevens – the lyrics are so sad and the melodies are so pretty. It’s the song where he says, ‘Did you get enough love, my little dove?’ It’s just so sad.”

“I think that’s a perfectly-done song. I also love strings and when people incorporate that into music, especially in pop music, I think it sounds so pretty. So yeah, I think that song is perfect.”

“It’s just an amazing song. I can listen to it forever – it never gets old. The lyrics are so beautifully done and the melodies, and Hayley’s vocals, and it’s in Twilight! It’s beautiful.”

“phases was probably one of my least favourite songs on [2022 debut album SUCKERPUNCH], just because it was the most structured song and the most pop-punk, I guess. It felt a little bit disconnected [from the rest of the album]. But it’s my favourite to perform because if you sing it live, it really gets the message across better than in your headphones. It feels more heavy, I guess.”

“I don’t want sad music played at my funeral – I’d want people getting drunk, having fun. I think 3OH!3 would be funny to play at a funeral.”

Maggie Lindemann tours the UK from May 23, and plays this year’s Slam Dunk Festival.

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