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We spoke with Helena Delphi about her new album and her life as a musician in a male-dominated industry.
About Debut with 37
The Late Debut: You’re releasing your first album at 37. To what extent was this age necessary to turn the “wounds into wisdom” your lyrics speak of?
I needed time to find the courage to show my true self. I’ve always made music, but I mostly hid behind different masks. Fifteen or twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to tell my story truthfully. I would have either fallen into a victim mindset or come across as inauthentic. Now I’m ready.
The Pippi Longstocking Philosophy: You say you create the world the way you like it. How do you maintain that optimism while, in songs like “Lola,” dissecting the “dirt under the rug”?
I believe we can only change the world for the better if we truly look at it—if we become aware of what’s going wrong and acknowledge it. Suppression has never led to real change—quite the opposite. Things just stay the same. That awareness helps me not lose my optimism, despite all the darkness that sometimes shapes our lives. I know that facing things is part of the process. When I talk to friends who are struggling, I sometimes say, “You know, you have to pick up the shit to carry it out of the house.” And I apply that to myself as well.
Transgenerational Trauma
Transgenerational Trauma: Your album addresses burdens passed down through generations. Was writing these songs an act of actively breaking that cycle for your own children?
Definitely. In my personal life, I’ve been on a “cycle-breaker” path for a long time. That means I want to heal things so I don’t pass them on to the next generation. I honestly didn’t expect the artistic expression of that journey to become so important to me. But during the album process, I realized how powerful it is to sing about things publicly and transform them into art. As a victim of transgenerational trauma, you often feel a lot of shame. Making this album and choosing visibility was liberating—it proved to me that there’s nothing I need to be ashamed of.
The Metaphor of Wandering: In your title track, you sing that love used to “hurt like hell.” Where are you on that journey today—have you arrived, or has “wandering” become a peaceful state?
I think people wander forever 😉 In other words, anyone claiming they’ve finally “arrived” or are “enlightened” is usually polishing their ego—or trying to sell expensive online coaching (haha). At the same time, things do change. My path today is very different from what it was 20 years ago. I see much more light. My nervous system is consistently calmer, and I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. I’m very grateful for that.
From Jazz to new Album
From Jazz to Self-Empowerment: You studied jazz but didn’t feel at home there. What did the pop context give you that the world of “instrumental prodigies” couldn’t?
I generally have a problem with music being overly academic. For me, songs are something to feel, not to analyze. When emotion gets lost in technicality and solos are played just to show how well someone has learned scale theory, something’s off. That doesn’t mean this always happens in academic settings or that everyone who studies music lacks feeling—it’s just something I’ve partly observed and couldn’t identify with. I prefer writing honest, simple lyrics and melodies that don’t need to prove anything.
Critique of Capitalism: “You can’t buy happiness in online shops”—is that also a plea to return to mental well-being in a world constantly trying to sell us distractions?
Absolutely. I think the world would be a better place if we didn’t respond to our inner struggles with capitalist distraction. Unfortunately, the illusion that we can find fulfillment outside ourselves is widespread. I’ve suffered from that my whole life, and I wouldn’t say I’m completely free of it even now. I’m just on the path and trying to live more consciously. I believe that’s all of our responsibility.
The Role of Motherhood
The Role of Motherhood: Your son brought you back to your own story. How has becoming a mother changed your perspective on your childhood—and the sound of “Wanderer”?
When you have children, you truly grasp the weight of the violence you experienced as a child. Before I became a mother, everything felt like it was under a fog. But then suddenly there’s this innocent, vulnerable being that somehow reminds you of your own innocent core—and boom, everything comes back. In those moments—when your child triggers you—you have a choice: do I suppress what’s coming up and pass it on, or do I take responsibility and break the cycle?
The Oracle of Delphi: Your artist name is connected to a journey to Greece. Was there a moment of clarity there when you realized your story had to be told?
I can only recommend that everyone visits this magical place. The Oracle of Delphi is in the Greek mountains, and in 2023 I hiked up there at sunrise with my son. We had already traveled nearly 3,000 kilometers in a camper van, and honestly, my nerves were shot because, as a woman traveling alone, I was dealing with a lot of fears. The day we arrived, I stood in front of that ancient temple, crying, and somehow knew I had to tell my story.
No Finger-Pointing
No Finger-Pointing: You emphasize that none of your songs aim to blame anyone. How difficult was it to find compassion in songs about domestic violence and your father’s silence?
It was hard to share the truth of my traumatic story without feeling like I was exposing someone. Even though I no longer have contact with my parents, I don’t hold any resentment toward them. I can now understand why things happened and how difficult the battles they fought with their own demons were. That doesn’t undo anything or sugarcoat it. But it gives me the peace I deserve. It took a long time to find that.
About Book and Album
Book & Album: A book is being released alongside the album. How do the written words and the “gently brushed hymns” complement each other—are there things you can only sing but not write?
There are complex contexts and backgrounds that required more words. My songs are very poetic—they work through metaphors and between the lines—so it was important for me to capture the depth of each theme in accompanying texts. For example, “Freddie” is a skit about the feeling of losing yourself. “Where are you? In which dimension, where are you?” I sing in the song. If you read about panic attacks, dissociation, and loss of control caused by trauma responses in the book, it adds another layer of understanding.
Age Discrimination: The industry is often obsessed with early-20s “newcomers.” As a 37-year-old debut artist, do you feel like a rebel against a system that tries to put an “expiration date” on women?
Absolutely. It’s time to break this pattern and give women over 40 their stage back. There’s so much life experience, clarity, strength, and wisdom waiting to be heard.
Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship:
Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship: You run a company with 30 employees. How important is it for female artists today to be not just musicians but their own bosses to maintain control over their narrative?
Very important. In my view, many structures in the media landscape are still based on patriarchal values—the narrative of “naive artists” who need to be discovered and guided by powerful businesspeople to succeed. The financial power imbalance is the biggest issue. Social media has shifted things somewhat, though. For me, it’s essential to build partnerships on equal footing and not be seen as an object to make money from. Those days are over.
The “Heroine’s Journey”: In music history, women have often been portrayed as victims or muses. Do you see yourself as part of a new movement of women who actively turn their healing into art without staying in the victim role?
I think that’s exactly the true female revolution. We are alchemists who use creativity and expression to transform and heal what needs to change—within ourselves and in society. Patriarchy has taught us that women must be beautiful, sexy, not too much, not too little, and always better than other women to be valuable. When that system collapses and we start expressing our deepest truths instead of trying to please men, we will unleash a powerful force that can change the world in the long run. I truly believe that.
Mental Health Behind the Scenes
Mental Health Behind the Scenes: As an expert in mental health, how do you assess the pressure on young women in the industry? What structural changes are needed to prevent burnout?
We need spaces where business and art meet on equal terms. Artists need to work on their self-worth and personal healing to better set boundaries against toxic structures and find courage and stability within themselves. As long as I internally believe I am incomplete or small, nothing will truly change. And those who work with artists need to recognize power structures, reflect on themselves, and learn a new kind of respect and equality. The further we move away from patriarchal images of women, the more female art will flourish.
Role Models in “Bullerbü”: You live in Tübingen in your own version of “Bullerbü.” Do you think women in the music industry need more role models who show that radical honesty in art and a stable, happy private life are not mutually exclusive?
I think it would be wonderful if we made a simple, honest, even “boring” life cool again. Not everyone has to live in Berlin, take drugs, and jump from one overstimulating party to another. I did that in my early 20s, and it wasn’t a good life. It took a lot of healing to get where I am now, and I didn’t have female role models along the way. So yes—absolutely. Success in the media industry in 2026 can and should be healthy and authentic.
