Pohlmann: His fondest memories of his deceased brother

Pohlmann's brother died 23 years ago. Now the singer has dedicated a song to him. These are his fondest memories of him.

Pohlmann (48, "If now summer would be") looks back on his life with his new album "Fehlgoldrichtig". Sad experiences also shape the long player: the singer dedicated the song "In Your Shoes" to his brother, who died 23 years ago. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Pohlmann tells which memories he still associates with him and how he assesses the future of the music industry after the Corona crisis.

With the new album you call for serenity and prudence. Why is this so important to you in these times?

Pohlmann: We are increasingly getting an impression of where the world and people could go. More and more consciences weigh on our shoulders and political decision-makers are sometimes brutal. We feel powerless. There are rifts between people because opinions drift apart. The extreme views that are fueled require us to take positions until we have to decide on a side.

In general, it is becoming more and more heated when it comes to climate change, and ahead of that also the human interaction. And our faces hidden behind masks don't make it easier for us. We need transparent masks so that you can see the other smile. And we have to face the fears that arise with caution in order to buy ourselves time.

On your album you also sing about your brother who died 23 years ago. Why was this the right time to write a song about him?

Pohlmann: I had scruples about mixing this very private part of my life with music and then always with the industry behind it. After a long time, I was able to take an emotional perspective that allowed me to finally tackle the matter. I heard Grönemeyer's song for his wife again about two years ago in a hardware store. I was in the process of choosing a drill. It got me so bad and it was so nice to howl to me in the hardware store. And I don't cry often.

I then decided to create a musical home for my grief work – and it was grief work. So many good things came back to me while I was writing and recording in the studio, and my brother was close again. I think there is value in doing that. Also for everyone who is looking for a musical home for their memories. Much is sung about love, but also about death. But we made a completely different thing out of it than Herbert. Philipp Schwär (German music producer, editor's note) opposed the whole thing with a strong, positive musical energy, another facet of dealing with death. I laugh and cry at the same time when I hear the song.

What are the fondest memories you have of your brother?

Pohlmann: The shower! As described in the song. The disco and the last long conversation under an oak tree, under which we used the word "was" for the first time and suddenly we noticed that we were saying goodbye to each other. The laughter when we sometimes smoked weed when we were young. And otherwise he made my mother laugh so much that it was the best lunch I can remember with him.

You have been on stage for over 15 years. What highs and lows do you look back on?

Pohlmann: There are no low points in this story. At no time did I sit there feeling like that was it. For 15 years we did a glider flight, sometimes above and sometimes below a cloud cover, but we were always in the air.

You haven't been drinking alcohol for almost five years. Don't you miss him sometimes too?

Pohlmann: I sometimes have a little wine again. Fortunately, I wasn't an alcoholic. All I had found for myself was that I couldn't keep my measure while drinking. Well, after such a long time, you got a glimpse of his behavior. If I have a white wine every now and then, I can control myself much better. And I only drink something on specific occasions.

Larger live performances will only be possible again in 2021. How much are you missing the stage in the Corona crisis?

Pohlmann: Not like that at first. But now we're getting into a long-term problem, if I may put it that way. Isn't it also a bit selfish to miss concerts? Getting applauded and all. Yes and no. Music is bigger than us. If you show her the necessary respect, it is a shared immersion that can go deeper with audience for all who participate. And I miss that very much. Ben Harper once said: "You can fool people but you can't fool music". For me there is a humility in this that I take very seriously.

The corona crisis is a major financial burden for the music industry. How are you personally?

Pohlmann: I created reserves through my summer radio hit. They keep me afloat. But I'm also looking for a diving device.

In your opinion, how will the corona crisis affect the music industry in the long term?

Pohlmann: That is difficult to say. If there is a normality to which we can return, I believe that it will take a year or two, then everything could be as it was before with all the trimmings. Should it continue like this, the change from disk to CD to mp3 to streaming was a special development with a lot of losses. If the live business were to cease as well, that would be fatal. But new ways will be found again.

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