Should I stop listening to heavy metal?

Why German pop singer Wincent Weiss actually prefers to listen to heavy metal

Some rock'n'rollers would spin in their grave if they knew you were going to give an interview at 7.45 a.m. Why do you get up so early?

When you advertise the new album, you do a sound check at 3:30 a.m. so you can appear on breakfast TV. Instead of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, making music means a lot of work for me every day. But that's a good thing. I prefer to get up early and do a lot than sleep through the day.

Which of the wishes and dreams, about which the song “Hardly Expect” is about, have already come true?

What I set out to do in terms of music and career has already been exceeded a hundred times over. It is amazing what I can experience! So far, there has been far too little time for what I imagine privately and as a family: to become a dad and grandpa at some point. In the video I'm going to have an artificial beard. One of my own is my most unrealistic wish. But you should never stop dreaming ... (smiles)

Does writing actually help you deal with difficult things?

Getting busy with something always helps. Some speak to friends or family, I communicate with the fans while I am writing songs. Somebody once asked me: "Isn't it stupid to be on stage every evening and being reminded of your ex again and again?" Not such a bad point, but processing continues.

How do you even recover?

Not really yet. I work 95 percent and have five percent private life. I try to have at least an hour and a half a day to myself. Then I ride a motorcycle, do sports or listen to music - and I don't have to talk to anyone. I always plan to go on vacation, but I canceled the week in April.

Where did you want to go?

To Bali. After 13 years of skateboarding and snowboarding, I really want to learn to surf. Since I have knee problems, this wish would hardly have come true.

How important is speed to you?

I like to ride quickly, but when it comes to snowboarding, I'm more of a relaxed, technical rider and do tricks when riding slowly. When I drive a car or a motorcycle, I get into a speed frenzy. Unfortunately.

How much of your earnings go towards fines?

Since I drive with cruise control, I haven't been flashed for two and a half years. But this is also due to the many motorway routes in Germany, on which there is still free travel.

How did the song "1993" come about?

I wrote it five years ago, but it didn't go with the first record. It's different now because I reveal a lot more about myself on the second album. "1993" is about my family situation. I grew up with my mum and without a dad. But I've never missed it. Nevertheless, with the song I would like to call on fathers and mothers to look after their children and not to disappear.

You are the first Vincent I know who spells himself with a W ...

When I see Vincent with V, I think it's funny. But I don't know anyone with W! (laughs) Everyone thinks it's a stage name, but it's on my identity card.

Does that have a special reason?

My mum just wanted the initials of the first and last name to be the same. She would rather have WW than VW! That's how I became Wincent. If I had become a girl, she would have named me Wendy. That's why I'm happy that I became a boy ...

Who inspires the live show you're touring with this fall?

I don't have a particular role model. I recently watched Taylor Swift on Netflix. I think it's amazing how bombastic the American artist's shows are. With her something exploded and blown up every second. Even yourself! (laughs) With us it will be more relaxed. I come more from heavy metal.


That's when I started making music! When we've covered the famous metal bands, a friend did all the shouts and screams and I did the vocals. I still mainly listen to metal today and a little bit of what my colleagues are doing.

How did it come about that you now make radio-accessible German pop?

I feel more comfortable writing songs because I can express myself better in German. But I don't rule out doing a little metal project at some point.

To person

Wincent Weiss (26) made it into the last 29 of "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" in 2013. His breakthrough came in 2015 with a remix of the cover of "Under my skin". One of his greatest hits is "To Be Music". From May 2019 Weiss can be seen in the Vox show "Sing my song - The exchange concert". His second album "Irgendwie Anders" has just been released. On July 25, 2019 he will perform at the Hohentwiel Festival in Singen, on November 23 in Freiburg, on November 26 in Zurich and on November 30 in Stuttgart.

Published in the People section