THREE CHORDS AND A SHAKING HAND

You are one of the few lucky ones with exclusive access to the world of my upcoming album Three Chords and a Shaking Hand. The album will be released in June, with a few singles coming out beforehand.

This album means a great deal to me, as it captures some of my latest songs in an unprecedented way. Songwriting, to me, is an art of expression and a way to connect with the world around me. My hope is that these songs will connect us—one way or another. They might make you smile, tap your feet, reflect, relax, or maybe even shed a tear.

Work on the album began in spring 2025 with pre-production sessions, followed by recording, overdubs, and mixing throughout the summer. The album brings together a few more recent songs alongside others that have been lingering for quite some time. I’ll share more about the process and the wonderful people involved a bit later. For now, scroll down and take a first glimpse into the songs.

THE FIRST SINGLE

The song revolves around a feeling everyone knows all too well: the doubt of not being good enough and the desire to be seen and loved despite one’s shortcomings. I wanted to write a song about accepting that we’re not perfect—and about the beauty that can often be found in exactly that.

Last November, Johannes Gruber and I used the last warm autumn day of the year, cycling through St. Gallen, looking for spots to film this fancy music video. Check it out—I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you, Jo, for your great work!

MAKING AN ALBUM

I love writing songs. The moment you catch a spark and words and a melody begin to take shape feels like pure magic. That quiet rush of satisfaction—realising you’ve created something meaningful that didn’t exist just minutes before—is deeply captivating.

The second-best thing is recording your own music. Watching a song evolve from a skinny, fragile, rough sketch into a full-bodied, colourful, and rich piece of music is simply fantastic. Especially when you get to share that journey with a group of great musicians and wonderful people.

Three Chords and a Shaking Hand was recorded, produced, and mixed by Giuliano Sulzberger in his studio in Winterthur. Working with him was a deeply relaxing and genuinely fun experience. I came to him with roughly eleven songs; nine of them made it onto the album. He quickly developed a vision for the songs and invited Mattia Ferrari (drums & percussion) and Severin Graf (bass) to record the basic tracks for five of them with me. Four songs were recorded in separate sessions, featuring guitars and vocals only.

Giuliano, a talented multi-instrumentalist, added additional guitars, lap steel guitar, piano, and synthesizer across all tracks. Mattia contributed further percussion, and Zora Maag lent her beautiful voice for backing vocals.

What I loved about Giuliano’s approach was his instinct for sound aesthetics and the spontaneity he allowed to unfold in the studio. We chose feel and groove over perfection, letting find their own character. Surrounded by some old gear, he blurred the line between analogue warmth and digital precision, capturing moments rather than polishing them away. I am sure you can hear and feel this approach on the record.

I couldn’t be happier with the result and I am grateful to everyone who contributed his and her talent to the record. Thank you Giuliano, Mattia, Severin and Zora.

THE ACTUAL ALBUM