Schlager-Duo Fantasy: “The youngsters don’t have it easy”

Martin Hein (52) and Fredi Malinowski (51) will release their new album “Mitten im Feuer” on January 13th. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the musicians reveal why a song on the record made them “tear” and why their songs mainly tell personal stories. In addition, the two talk about their professional and private plans for the year.

“In the middle of the fire” offers 14 new songs, a record for you. They even postponed the release again to record new songs. How do you not lose your creativity after 25 years?

Fredi Malinowski: If you love doing something with all your heart, like we do, then I don’t think you ever lose your creativity. Mainly because making our fans happy is also what drives us, which is the absolute best feedback in the world. We live for what we do.

The album was made during and after you restructured as Fantasy. Why was a change necessary and what has changed?

Martin Hein: That’s how it can be in any normal relationship. At some point everything is so entrenched and there is no more right and left, so it is better to go separate ways so that everyone can develop freely. We needed that for ourselves to find more of ourselves again and we believe we are on the right track now. It feels good.

The song “Darling, ja immer noch” is a collection of lines from fantasy hits. How did the idea come about and was it difficult to create the song?

Malinowski: This idea came up during the Corona period. We’ve been thinking about how we can bring our songs back to the fans’ minds. In addition, we couldn’t perform live for a long time and that’s how this idea came about. When we sang the title in the studio, we shed a few tears because we realized how long we’ve been doing it and how important it is to us.

Mr. Malinowski, you wrote “When the Wind Turns” for your husband. What is the song about? Do you find it difficult to publish such personal songs?

Malinowski: I have absolutely no problem releasing personal songs. Almost all the songs we sing reflect something of ourselves, otherwise we wouldn’t be singing them. The song “When the Wind Turns” is about the importance of talking. Again and again. Silence does no one any good and simply leads to misunderstandings. Dean has always been there for me and always catches me. That’s why I dedicated this song to him. He showed me how important it is to talk to each other about everything. And we can.

What do you think is the recipe for a long-term partnership?

Malinowski: As I said before: talk, talk, talk. If there is a problem, talk about it immediately. Not until the next day.

The song “Every tear makes you strong” is an invitation to never give up. What or who helps you fight your way through difficult times?

Hein: Our partners, friends, family, but above all our fans. That means a lot to us and always gives us support.

How do you keep your optimism, especially in these difficult times full of crises?

Malinowski: We are both optimists. With us it never gets boring. We laugh a lot and if there is nothing to laugh about then we do something so that we can laugh and we are always there for each other. And the fans help us the most in a crisis. They give us a lot back.

Speaking of crises. You had to cancel your tour due to the ongoing tense situation in the live industry. How difficult was the decision for you and what are the exact reasons for it?

Hein: The cancellation of the tour was very difficult for us and cost us many sleepless nights. It wasn’t an easy step, but it was absolutely necessary. So much is happening in the event industry right now, there is a huge lack of staff and we wanted to do a big arena tour. With a heavy heart we decided with the organizer to cancel the dates because there were too many production-related problems.

How has this changed your plans?

Malinowski: Yes, actually we would have been on tour for a few weeks. But like this we will be seen on many individual shows, which we are also very happy about. And of course there will be lots and lots of news. First comes our album and we’re on a promotional tour. We’re looking forward to that now.

Artists like you cancel tours, other musicians announce big tours. How do you currently assess the situation in the music industry?

Malinowski: As I said, it has become difficult. Sure, others are announcing big tours, but nobody knows at this point what the situation will be like in the spring. We keep our fingers crossed for our colleagues that they can carry out their tours. There are so many tours running in parallel, but just not enough staff anymore. And without good professional staff such tours are simply not feasible.

You wanted to postpone the celebration for your 25th anniversary in September 2022 by one year. Are these plans still standing?

Hein: Yes, they are still there.

Vicky Leandros, Ute Freudenberg or Jürgen Drews: Some hit stars will soon say goodbye to the stage. What do you say about the farewells and what about the Schlager offspring?

Hein: Everyone has to decide for themselves whether and when to say goodbye to the stage. We have the greatest respect for this decision. But it hurts your heart. These are all music greats who have shaped the hit. It’s hard to imagine that they will soon be gone from the stage. The Schlager offspring definitely doesn’t have it easy. Good singers will certainly follow, but the footsteps that you want to follow are very big. They need all the support they can get.

When would the time have come for you to think about saying goodbye?

Malinowski: We haven’t thought about that at all. There’s still time. We are now starting again properly, after a far too long rest phase.

What are your wishes for the new year and do you have any resolutions?

Malinowski: We have no resolutions. If you want to change something, you can do it at any time of the year. You don’t need January 1st for that. But of course we have wishes. Namely that we can all stay healthy and play a lot of concerts to make us and our fans happy.

Mr. Hein, you got married in 2022 and recently celebrated five years of relationship with your wife. What joint plans are you making?

Hein: The biggest plan we have: to live and enjoy our lives. In 2023 we will celebrate a church wedding. We’re really looking forward to that.