About Overcoming Procrastination and Self-Doubt: “GOTTA GO” by Red Ocean

Red Ocean

From the alpine slopes of Gastein, Austria, to the urban beats of Berlin, Germany, Bernhard Pausch has been on a musical journey that spans different genres and styles. He grew up with a love for sports, music, and adventure, and he expressed his creativity through soccer, grunge, and tourism. He pursued his passion for music production at the Deutsche Pop Academy in Hamburg, where he launched the House/Techno project BEFEW and later his own solo projects as RADIOKRAFT and GEORGE BERNHARD. 

His music reflects the influences of Seattle, Paris, and Berlin, the city where he now lives and works as a sound designer and composer at SUPREME MUSIC. He has produced soundtracks for commercials, short films, and other artists, such as SHELTER BOY, PHILIPPA KINSKY, GIANT ROOKS, BOY PABLO, and SEVEN PURPLE TIGERS. His newest project, RED OCEAN, is a mix of alternative and off-pop, combining the cinematic drama of film compositions with the catchy melodies of pop songs. His first EP, SNAPSHOTS, reveals his musical vision and talent.

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What's the story behind "Red Ocean" as an artist, and how did you discover your passion for music?

When I was about 4 years old, my parents gave me a Walkman. I was fascinated by putting on the headphones and diving into another world. When I wasn't listening to music or audiobooks, the radio was playing at home. My mother loves the radio. At the age of 11, I began to engage more consciously with music. My then-best friend, Chris, had two older twin brothers, aged 17. They owned hundreds of CDs, mainly heavy guitar music from bands like Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, etc. 

I loved everything about this music, especially that it was so different from what I had heard before. We spent hours listening to Chris’ brothers CDs in his room. Since you couldn’t buy CDs anywhere in the mountain village in Austria I grew up in, we often took the train to Salzburg on weekends to hang out at a large electronics market called „Saturn“ all day long, discovering new bands. 

The first CD I bought myself was AC/DC's "Stiff Upper Lip." At the age of 15, I bought my first electric guitar and formed a band with three friends. That's where it all started.

Your latest release, “GOTTA GO,” sounds awesome. What inspired you to create it, and what message do you want to share with your listeners?

Thank you! I wrote the song during a time where I felt like I hadn't tackled many things that I should have done a long time ago. While running, I listened to an Eminem album, as I often do during sports. That's when I got the idea for the message of the song and the guitar riff that you hear in the intro and throughout most of the song. 

The song is about knowing deep down that you have what it takes to achieve your dreams, but often you can't put the necessary horsepower on the road at the end of the day, for various reasons. Eventually, your subconscious starts complaining and reminds you that actually, you already bought your "Ticket to the Oceanside," as I call it in the song. So redeem it, pull yourself together, and go for the ride. You Gotta Go.

What are some of the sources of inspiration that influence your musical style and your storytelling in general?

Ambivalence is a bit of a theme for me. My mother says it's because my zodiac sign is aquarius, but I believe it's much more than that. On a musical level, my biggest inspirations, as contradictory as it may sound, have always been Nirvana and Oasis. These two bands were my religion from the ages of 11 to 18. 

First, Kurt Cobain led me to lose myself in music, then Oasis came along, who inspired me to become a professional musician. But music from the '60s and '70s is also a huge source of inspiration for me. In recent years, many artists have been added to my list, like Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, to name a few. It’s a long list.

How do you go about writing lyrics for your songs, what is your creative process like respectively?

I don't have a fixed process, and that's very important to me. Often, I feel the urge to pick up the guitar or piano. Usually, before I sit down with the instrument, I have a certain feeling that I want to express through chords. Once I've found chords that carry me, I start humming or singing melodies. Sometimes ideas for lyrics come to me directly; sometimes it's a fantasy text that I sing. 

I do this until I have a good feeling about it, then I record it with my phone. I often set these ideas aside initially and let them mature in my head. If at some point (it can be after a week, but also after a year) I feel that it's still good, I write the song. In most cases, I have the melody first and then write the lyrics.

Being an indie artist can be challenging and demanding in terms of time, how do you cope with it?

That’s very true. Writing, producing, and mixing music would probably be enough. Nowadays, you have many other tasks on your plate. It’s not like musicians didn't have to do these things before, but it's definitely different today. You have to promote yourself. Come up with things for your online presence, film, edit, grade, take pictures, write press releases – etc. 

So how to deal with that? I struggled for a long time to handle all of that because, like most musicians, I'd rather make music than post things online, but that just doesn't work. I try to find a balance between making music and "promotion." It's not easy for me right now, but I'm confident that I'll find my way.

If you had the opportunity to work with any artist, who would you pick and why?

Deceased artists excluded. It might sound random considering I talked about Nirvana and Led Zeppelin earlier, but I would love to spend time with Paul McCartney to learn more about his mindset and approach to songwriting. I think there are few other artists who have written as many catchy, iconic melodies or songs as he and John Lennon have.

What are some of the projects or plans that you have in mind for the near future?

In January/February, I will release two more singles, and in March, the SNAPSHOTS EP will be released. We plan to have a release concert with 1-2 other acts. My second EP is halfway done and will be released in spring 2024. 

Those songs will of course be part of my new live show and I will perform them at some festivals in the summer of 2024. Two of these festivals are SKANDALØS Festival and C/O Pop in Cologne.

Photo credits: ( 1, 3 & 4 - Carolin_Stueer, 2 - Alex Fuehrling)