(12.02.2019)
“We were with the forces at the end“
Tokio Hotel deliver the title track for the new “GNTM” season with “Melancholic Paradise”.
Whether the band will also appear in the show of Heidi Klum? “We must not betray that.”
MTV awards, number one singles, sold out concerts, hordes of screeching teenies – Tokio Hotel experienced absolute pop madness for six years after breaking through with “Through the Monsoon” (2005). All the more astonishing how unscathed the Magdeburg band got out of it after pulling the rip cord in 2011.
The twins Bill, and Tom Kaulitz (29) have been living in California ever since and have a noticeably more relaxed atmosphere there. Tom is due to his engagement with supermodel Heidi Klum still constantly in the headlines. With the recently released single “Melancholic Paradise” Tokio Hotel deliver the theme tune to the new season of “Germany’s Next Top Model”; From the end of April, the band is also back in Germany on tour. During the interview in Hamburg, Bill, Tom and bassist Georg Listing (31) talk about the trauma of the past and Tom‘s attempts to match Bill.
teleschau: Bill, are you glad not to be the most important person at Tokio Hotel right now – at least from a media perspective?
Tom Kaulitz: The most important thing he has never been! (Laughs)
Bill Kaulitz: It’s definitely a different situation. It’s nice that it’s not all about me all the time. But none of us rips to do so much as a private person in the media.
Tom: It’s nice that I’m in the “Superillu”.
Bill: And Tom is also happy that he’s finally in “Frau im Spiegel”.
Tom: Honestly, I do not follow that all that much. That’s the positive thing about Los Angeles, because you do not even notice it there. Since the books are not around the barber. But Bill says that right: of course I do not care. People always do not believe that, but it’s not like we’re giving interviews to the notebooks. They write about it, we do not get it and so can not control it. I also do not know what is in the newspaper in Italy.
Bill: That’s why one begins to develop a sense of relaxation. We do not look, and we do not google our names every day. That’s important, too. The nice thing is that we fly back to L.A. again and again, and then there is silence from the turmoil.
teleschau: Tom, you have an Instagram account, but do not use it at all. Why?
Tom: I’ve always kept myself out of this. The social media are far too negative for me. People deal with it all day, everyone leaves their mustard. I never liked that. But I’m also not on it that I like to do selfies of mine and think: Oh, cool, look, here I look cute, I have to share with the world.
teleschau: Then others will do it for you?
Tom: Yeah, that’s what others do. I have never needed that. I get up in the morning, look in the mirror and think: wow! That’s enough for the day (laughs). Anyway, I feel like this selfie post is a female thing.
teleschau: Did Tom get a boost of self-esteem in the last few months?
Bill: Oh no, his self-confidence is unchanged. (Laughs)
Georg Listing: That’s just the exaggerated transfer of his insecurity.
teleschau: Is Bill the Instagram representative at Tokio Hotel?
Bill: Yes. I always have to tell the others, “Post something!” But they do not have that much enthusiasm for it. I love Instagram.
Tom: I am glad that Bill takes over and enjoy the comfort that I do not have to do it. It makes everyone funny about me, because on my phone is an Instagram version that is as old as Instagram itself. I do not even know my password. I only use my phone for texting, telephoning and listening to music.
teleschau: Recently there is a new single – “Melancholic Paradise”. Was the song written especially for “Germany’s Next Top Model”?
Bill: No. But Tom plays music all day long. And Heidi and Tom are always sitting in the morning, working on their laptops. If he then turns it on, Heidi of course also gets along.
Tom: I produce the songs in the studio, but listen to every demo in the car.
Bill: In the song Heidi said anyway that he would be great for the opening of the show. For us it has of course also fit well from the timing – and zack, the thing was bagged.
teleschau: Was there any concern about how your fans would react to this cooperation?
Tom: It would have been weird if I had started as a model on the show. That might have been a lot!
Georg: But I think you would have come a long way.
Bill: I felt that the song was totally natural. We all work in the same field somehow. Of course you support each other when you are a family and you also find your job good – that’s clear. The thought that this was too much now did not occur to me.
teleschau: Will you have a gig on “GNTM”?
Bill: We can not reveal that.
teleschau: Two years ago you probably could not have imagined that Heidi Klum danced to your song on Instagram, right?
Bill: Actually you could have made a music video out of it! It’s perfect because the song is so funky and disco. Although our songs are otherwise electronic and danceable, they often have a different weight. “Melancholic Paradise” is totally easy. From the Instagram video, in which Heidi dances, we have now made an action, so that others dance to the song. A few fans have already posted their videos.
teleschau: What inspired you to the song “Melancholic Paradise”?
Bill: I was sitting at home with a friend in the morning, celebrating and drinking wine. We talked about why people do not talk to me and dig in. Another buddy had the theory that I was scared of people, so they did not dare to talk to me. I would look so confident and have to approach people more. Tom does not have the problem and is generally more open than me. This friend said I would always look a bit thoughtful and melancholy. Melancholy would be the first word that would come to mind if someone asked him to describe me as a guy.
teleschau: Tom is known to be lovingly powered. How is it with you?
Bill: There’s nothing there. Dead pants.
teleschau: Can Tom not help there?
Tom: I’m always the wingman!
Bill: Yes, that’s right. If I have a flirtation or I want to make something clear, then he threads it.
Tom: I’ll talk to the person then …
Bill: … because I often do not dare. I’m very shy private. I fall in love too hard, that rarely happens. And then mostly in the wrong person.
teleschau: Does Heidi Klum not have a few people to pair up, so that the family gets bigger?
Tom: We’ve always been trying that. But you can not search for love either, that’s the thing.
teleschau: How will you celebrate your 30th birthday in early September?
Bill: I’d love to party big with all the friends. But if we then come to Germany, we do not know yet. This is the last time you can really celebrate.
Tom: I’m thinking about not celebrating so much anymore. From 30, it’s kind of downhill.
Georg: The 40 is not far away either.
teleschau: What are the ambitions with regard to Tokio Hotel? Would you like to be number one again, win the MTV Award again?
Tom: Half of the awards that we have in the studio are gone. The Grammy for the best production but I would definitely want to pick up again. Otherwise, the important thing is that we have found a good balance between privacy, job and tours. We used to travel five years straight before we took the longer break. We were not at home, something like private life did not exist for us at all. It feels much better now. At the level we did it at that time, we would not do it again because it was just too much. We were with the forces at the end. And you also lost your appetite. Right now, and already with the last albums, we feel better than ever.
Bill: We always just want to do what we’re up to. If people love that, that’s great. Of course you never have anything against a mega successful song. But we will not leave our path to achieve certain things. We will release music if we find it good and fun in our hearts.
teleschau: Would it mean something to get in Germany once again the recognition of a big hit?
Bill: We’ve never played our music on the radio. That will not happen. The German radios just do not play us. Besides, the music world has changed so insanely. We sold 700,000 CDs of Through the Monsoon.
Tom: Today I do not know how to measure such a hit. Today’s number one does not mean much anymore. Today, it’s enough if a few thousand kids download your stuff.
Bill: When many people stream your song, that’s great. But you can not touch it anymore, your hit. Before, you could touch that. Since the official charts were printed, then it was a number. But now there are iTunes charts, Spotify charts and Shazam charts. It is not really tangible anymore.
teleschau: What significance do live shows have for Tokio Hotel today?
Bill: Our live shows are expensive, so we put a lot of money in, because we always want to bring something on stage that you have never seen before. Above all, as far as light, production and superstructures are concerned. Also on the upcoming tour. Promised.
teleschau: Is there any left over from the money of that time? At the time, many people were involved in the productions.
Bill: Let me put it this way: If you sign with a major and the band is so young in the contract, it’s never good contracts. But it is not for nothing that we are no longer signed to a major label.
Tom: Today it’s all about copyright – who does his stuff himself, who writes his own songs. We stand there quite well, because we do everything ourselves. Otherwise, you only deserve live music with music. That was not so different back then because you had a record label in between. If you’ve sold a million records, those are the first to earn. But we do not want to complain now either. We’re fine.