We spoke to burgeoning indie folk artist Jan Kalter, who has made a striking impact with his haunting single ‘Save Our Souls’ and its accompanying music video. With this powerful release, the Cologne-based visionary asserts himself as a compelling rising presence in the indie folk scene. Originally from Nordhorn, Germany he started out in grunge bands, and his artistic path eventually led him to indie folk, where his quiet intensity could take center stage. Influenced by the likes of Bon Iver and Novo Amor, Jan Kalter has shaped a sound that is both atmospheric and vulnerable, signaling the arrival of a storyteller with massive staying power.
Tell us about you, how long have you been making music? What inspired you to start?
I’ve been making music in one form or another for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to sneak into my neighbor’s house just to play their piano. I didn’t know much—just a few chords—but repeating them over and over felt like stepping into another world, one that gave me a new way to express myself. That fascination never left me. Over the years, I went from those first meditative piano sessions to playing in grunge bands, and later I found my own voice in indie folk. So in a way, music has always been there—it’s less something I “started” and more something I kept following as it kept opening new doors.
The music industry is super competitive these days, was there a moment in your life that you wanted to give up on music? How did you manage to stay focused and achieve what you want?
I don’t think I ever had a clear moment of wanting to quit, but there were definitely times when I felt stuck or overwhelmed—especially in professional studios early on, where I couldn’t always explain the sound I was hearing in my head. That frustration could have made me walk away, but instead it pushed me to teach myself how to produce, to create space where I could explore without pressure. What’s kept me going isn’t ambition in the sense of competing, but the fact that making music feels essential. It’s healing, grounding. Even in the hardest times, it feels less like a career choice and more like a way of staying true to myself.
How would you describe your creative processes? Are the music and lyrics written in conjunction, or separately?
For me, the process is very intertwined. Often it starts with a sound or a simple chord progression that already carries a mood, and then the words grow out of that atmosphere. Sometimes it’s the other way around—a phrase or an image comes to mind and demands a melody to give it shape. But usually, it’s a dialogue between the two. I don’t separate lyrics and music; they evolve together, almost like a conversation, until they feel like they belong to the same emotional space.
Where did the inspiration come from?
A lot of it comes from contrasts—love and loss, comfort and fear, beginnings and endings. Growing up in a complicated family situation shaped me, too. That sense of belonging and not belonging at the same time gave me a sensitivity I still draw on in my songs. And nature has always been a big source of inspiration—the forests of Northern California, the misty landscapes you can see in the lyric video of ‘Save Our Souls’. Those environments mirror the inner landscapes I try to capture in music: beautiful, but often tinged with melancholy.
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m focused on deepening my sound—continuing to learn from the imperfections and letting them shape the music rather than trying to polish them away. I’m working on new songs at the moment, experimenting with sounds and arrangements—some of them push even further into the raw, stripped-back atmosphere I began exploring on ‘Save Our Souls’. At the same time, I’d love to collaborate with other artists, to let my work be challenged and enriched by different perspectives. Ultimately, the goal is to keep creating music that feels honest, and to share it with people who might recognize something of their own story in it.