Culture Cabinet

One of music’s most beautiful traits is its ability to transcend any limitations. The best songs don’t necessarily need to be literally understood to be felt. Really, music speaks its own language, one that’s universal and not bound by borders. 

With their new album, Yarın Yoksa, out now, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek is only proving such. The album offers a mix of original songs from the band and a handful of covers of Anatolian folk songs, for which the group has become somewhat known. 

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek’s music is multi-layered, to put it lightly. To classify them as “world music” would be to disservice them. They assert their music is better suited to be labeled as “outernational,” a term they’ve coined to press their passion for making their music inclusive. 

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek started when front woman Derya Yıldırım, a Hamburg native who was born to Turkish parents, met French musicians Graham Mushnik and Antonin Voyant while working on a community theatre project in Hamburg, Germany. They later met drummer Helen Wells, who originates from Cape Town, South Africa. And though the group’s connections were instant, they did not set out to become a “folk band” per se. 

“We met Derya in Hamburg,” Voyant explains in an interview with Culture Cabinet. “It was part of a theatre project. We had come up with a show with Derya, and we decided to cover these Anatolian folk songs because that was what Derya was doing already, and then it really evolved. So, we were doing our own songs, covering some songs, and still doing new versions of the Anatolian folk songs. But we also developed our own sound and our own songs.” 

That sound encompasses a psychedelic funk vibe over a mix of original and classic, offering a timeless sound. Yarın Yoksa is an album that could have come out at any time. It could have been released in the 1970s, it could have been released in 2025, and it would have always been right for either time. 

Yarın Yoksa marks a significant turn for the group, as it serves as their first album produced after signing with Big Crown Records, with Leon Michels serving as the album’s producer. 

“It was very different, and at the same time, quite similar,” Voyant says of the experience of working with a major label after initially being self produced. “I mean, we worked on the songs before, and we did the usual development of songs and arrangements, like the way we used to do in our studio, kind of pre-producing the tracks. Then, we took that to New York. Of course, we were completely up for letting Leon step in. The idea was collaboration. We love his musical approach, we love his sound, the way he produces music. It’s a bit different than what we do. It was quite fascinating to watch them work. But, overall, we are super happy about this collaboration.” 

In speaking with the group, it is ever apparent that they are not only grateful for the opportunity to work with a bigger producer, but they also welcome the opportunity to give their music a wider reach. 

“I’m one of the important channels for Germany to actually reach the generation, to make folk music visible to everyone,” says Yıldırım. “I think there’s some magic going on, where [the music] doesn’t just belong to one geographical place. It has roots in Germany, in Europe, and now in New York with Big Crown Records. There’s many reasons why this music should spread everywhere.” 

With the release of Yarın Yoksa, the band is also looking forward to embarking on a tour. 

“I’m looking forward to the audience’s reaction,” Wells says of what she’s most excited for with the tour. “Hearing their reaction to songs we’ve never played before. It will be like a premiere.” 

And while that introduction of new work also brings about anxiety (“Maybe they’ll love it, maybe they’ll hate it,” Wells laughs), the overarching theme of breaking barriers of culture and language comes back around. 

“Language is not a barrier for us,” Yıldırım says. “People will receive our music in a different way this time, especially the production. You will understand this music even without understanding the Turkish language. I can promise that to our new fans in America. Maybe they can receive this album better than the other ones. I have that universal feeling to myself now. Like, yeah, this is the one. I hope people can find it empowering and motivating.” 

You can stream Yarın Yoksa below.