An interview taken from our new digital issue THE CLASS OF 2025! Gigolo Tears is making waves as Germany’s hope for queer indie pop, the solo project of nonbinary artist Chris Schalko. With their new EP “Heul doch,” out since November 8, 2024, emotions are transformed into a superpower, exploring themes from PMS to the patriarchy, but most importantly, delving deep into feelings.
Founded in 2019, Schalko’s Gigolo Tears was born from a desire to move past anger and instead embrace vulnerability. The experiences of navigating the music industry as a female-presenting artist have shaped Schalko’s resilience. However, with Gigolo Tears, that chapter is closed: feminist rage evolves into a softer empowerment. Following the debut EP released in 2023 with Audiolith, featuring the menstruation anthem “Cramps,” Schalko continues this empowering journey with “Heul doch.”
Gigolo Tears crafts a striking empowerment pop sound steeped in queer feminist messages, while occasionally flirting with the infectious beats of Hyperpop and Hip Hop. The music channels a vibe reminiscent of a queer Apache or Bilderbuch, embodying the spirit of a heartfelt weeper on the dance floor and evoking the essence of Blond, Alli Neumann, Dorian Electra, Sophie, and Mariybu. Gigolo Tears is set to be one of my favourite artists to watch in 2025.
all photos by @nilo_yamandi
@gigolotears
audiolith.lnk.to/al446d
What inspired you to write “Loser,” and how does it reflect your personal experiences?
A tiny part of me always feels like a loser. I think it’s called Imposter. And it has something to do with I always being that person, who gets underestimated. But in the Song, it’s not about that part of feeling like a loser (or someone that can’t win) – it’s about Losing people on the way of self-growth. I came out as trans nonbinary very late. And that feels like I lost quite some things. Some privileges, some perspectives, and a lot of spaces where I feel safe. And people. The song is about the loss of a relationship, that had to end because of my change. I had to lose this person, to become who I am or who I want to be. So it’s sad, but it was an empowering step, to stand up for myself.
How do you feel the themes of your new EP “heul doch” differ from those in your debut EP “Crybaby”?
I grew so much in that time between those EPs and I wasn’t done with the topic of being a very sensitive and emotional human being. So I guess the topics do not differ so much from one another – but I do. After years of being very cold and hard, which I thought I had to be, cause that’s how you are a strong and empowered person – I still grow into being warm again and soft and vulnerable – cause I think that is so much stronger, cause I don’t hide behind a wall of this coldness, I am a softie and a crybaby.
Can you discuss the emotional journey you’ve taken as an artist leading up to this new release?
To be completely honest, being an artist in 2024 means that you have to suppress your emotions and needs and always push them to the limit. My emotional journey from the last release to this one was: if you want to be seen as a queer indie artist, you have to push even harder and stop listening to your emotions. So I try to relearn that. I try to push and still stay connected to my emotions and my needs.
What significance do you attribute to the title “heul doch” about the content of the EP?
What I love about the title: “Heul Doch” is, that it usually is used as an insult. But in the original meaning of the word it is just an invitation to cry. This is what my music and this EP is. An invitation to cry and to enter your feelings.
How do you believe your perspective as a nonbinary artist shapes your music and connection with listeners?
For me, it is so wholesome to write songs, that other queer and nonbinary folks can relate to. My main audience is girls, gays and theys. And that is not by accident. What I want to create is a space, a tiny bit of music, that other queers can listen to, when they need a little bit of empowerment. I just played a concert in Berlin, where the audience was just very mindful, very cutesy, very queer, and having them sing along and feel safe means everything to me.
In what ways do you celebrate vulnerability and emotional honesty in your songwriting?
I try to write in a poetic but still matter-of-fact kind of way. I feel the lyrics when they are honest. So for example on the EP I tried to write about the moment of not being able to leave the bed or accusing the macker of being a macker simply. Not make a big metaphor but, just say “Würd so gern löschen, was ich dir gesagt hab. Hab vergessen wie man Spaß hat.“ But also i like lyrics like: „Ich bin ein Cis Macker und natürlich bin ich selbstverliebt. Ich mach die Beine breit, weil mein Ego dazuwischen liegt.“ where i have fun with things that are really annoying like menspreading Cis Het Dudes.
Can you describe the production process for “Loser” and what unique elements were incorporated?
I worked with my main producers Daniel Husten and Nils Hansen on the Song. Normally I produce a Demo on my own, where I write some lyrics and parts of the song and then Danny and Nilo do their magic in the studio. In this case – between my first demo and the studio session, I had a Session in the Woods of Brandenburg with Nilo (who also plays guitar on my live gigs). Cause he is good at finding the finest guitar progressions and melodies. So we went to Brandenburg, had some time at the lake, had BBQs and worked on Loser. Which is kind of my thing, cause I always have the worst heartaches when it’s summer and everyone else is happy.
How are you incorporating themes like menstruation and the patriarchy into your music?
Very good question. I mean, I am a simple human. So love and relationship things are a big topic for me. But also these queer-feminist topics are big themes. I try to sing about these things without being educational. I just want them to be seen/heard. I use humour as my tool to write about more heavy topics, I guess. To be honest, If it’s about if I am writing a more political song, and when I am struggling how to find the right words and perspective I ask myself: what would Peaches do? She’s my Idol no. 1.
How do you envision the relationship between your music and the queer community evolving with your new work?
To be completely honest: All I want is, that some queer kids to find my music and think: oh cool, I feel seen. Or even better: I’m cool, if they can do music and stand on that stage, maybe I can do that, too.
Read the full interview here:
