Philipp Poisel: That’s why he’s an “extreme Stuttgart fan”

Singer Philipp Poisel (40) will release his live album “Neon Acoustic Orchestra” on March 8th. The accompanying concert with the songs from his album “Neon” (2021) was recorded last April at Motorworld Metzingen near Stuttgart. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the Ludwigsburg native talks about the special features of a live album, his sponsor Herbert Grönemeyer (67), his almost completed architecture studies and his 40th birthday last year.

Why did you want to do the live album “Neon Acoustic Orchestra” after “Neon”?

Philipp Poisel: On the one hand, with a live album you have more freedom. The songs have already been released on the previous record and you can then improvise a lot more with them. You look at it again from the outside and are somehow more relaxed because you have already let go of the matter. Then I can enjoy playing the songs live. On the other hand, we played in large halls during Corona, but they weren’t completely full and the large distance between the rows of chairs felt really bad. I always wanted to get closer together and so the idea came up of sitting together around a campfire and playing the music in quiet tones again.

The concert was recorded in Metzingen near Stuttgart. Did you choose the location because of your hometown?

Poisel: We also looked in Berlin, but somehow we found what we were looking for here in the country. I came to the hall through a friend and it was important to me to implement the idea of ​​a small island so that the larger surroundings were hidden and a more intimate atmosphere prevailed. And so the audience sat in a circle around us and the stage. Overall, I’m also an extreme Stuttgart fan. I think the city is just the right size and it’s also cool that it’s a little underrated. When people say, ‘Oh God, it’s so ugly in here.’ Then I think: ‘It’s a good thing that you’re a bit under the radar here, that feels good.’ (laughs)

How does your feeling change when you are on stage with an orchestra?

Poisel: Of course I feel very flattered that such great musicians get involved and work with me. At orchestra concerts, I also like to take on the listening position myself when I have a short break and don’t have to sing. I just enjoy listening. There’s something celebratory about it, it’s a little celebration where the songs you’ve written are celebrated.

Is there an instrument that you find particularly exciting in an orchestra?

Poisel: Above all, I think the harmony is good. Otherwise I really like the cello and what was new this time was the saxophone. This meant we had a few more jazzy arrangements and it didn’t become too classical, which is why we have a relatively varied program.

Herbert Grönemeyer with his record company Grönland Records was a huge supporter of yours from the start. What does the contact look like today?

Poisel: The contact is definitely still there and we see each other occasionally. Greenland also hosts a kind of Christmas party once a year, which was really fun last time. I’m still very proud that I grew out of the label. What I appreciate about Herbert as a musician is that he remained very approachable, despite his popularity. When I see how people approach him and how he deals with it – he just loves his fans and that’s very important.

Are there any other role models for you?

Poisel: I’m particularly inspired by younger people and fresh, trendy things. So I don’t tend to look at long-established artists or my own pension (laughs), but I’m interested in what I could still do. I’m thrilled by the versatility that exists today; you can create something much more quickly from your living room and that means there’s a lot of creativity. I’ve been studying for the last few years, been away for a bit and now have the challenge of reconnecting. I think I missed it a bit. I might have had to become active on Instagram and the like earlier, now the journey there is even longer, but I have to live with that. If you deal with it, then it is also an opportunity. When I’m on tour I’m more open to it than when I’m sitting around at home. The excuse that I don’t have time for it will definitely no longer exist.

What is the status of your architecture studies?

Poisel: If nothing else goes wrong, I’ll be finished in August. The beginning was already violent. There are extremely ambitious people in the course and you have to commit to it and give twice as much if you want to be taken seriously than someone who has actually done something completely different before. I spent all night studying and it was extremely time-consuming. I’m really glad it’s over now.

Do you also want to work in this profession?

Poisel: I have a friend who has a small architectural office. I can already imagine working on a few smaller projects. As a musician, it is also important to talk to other people and maintain interpersonal relationships in your everyday life. Ultimately, this is where art comes from. When you’re either at home or on tour, this isn’t helpful.

Are you also working on completely new music?

Poisel: I always don’t like to talk about it because I feel like I want to keep it to myself for now. But what I can say is that I’m somehow working on new songs in my head every free second. This never ends. I probably won’t really go into the studio until August or September. It could be that a new album will come out relatively quickly. It would be nice to start something new in the beginning/middle of next year.

You turned 40 last year. Has that changed anything for you?

Poisel: As a 39-year-old you think that you are racing towards this sword of Damocles. Since I’m 40, I’m not interested in it anymore. No stone fell on my head, nothing bad happened. I’m thinking about turning 50 next, and I’m still really young for that (laughs). I still have a whole decade ahead of me before the next big birthday arrives.