60 Minutes or less - Episode 42 - Derya Yıldırım

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - the podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 42, you might have to bear with me on the pronunciation front, as we look to Germany and our guest, “outernational” artist Derya Yıldırım.

Based out of Berlin, Derya Yıldırım leads the band Grup Şimşek, bringing together players from South Africa, France and Germany, with Derya herself born in Germany to Turkish parents. Self-described as “outernational” rather than international, they promote a sound that’s more inclusive or “beyond borders”, mixing Anatolian folk with psychedelia and pop influences for a delectable cocktail.

In March 2025, the band put out their third album ‘Yarın Yoksa’ (via Big Crown Records) - a record that instantly grabbed my attention from its terrific artwork alone before I’d even heard a note. Only a few days after its release, we were lucky enough to catch the band at Manchester’s Deaf Institute, completely hypnotised by their - at times - breathtaking performance.

We were delighted to speak with Derya over Zoom a few months back, to talk about the new record, performing live in the UK and the historical significance of some of these songs.

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