Samu Haber is back in the “The Voice” chair. In an interview, he reveals what he missed about the show and what he does to balance out filming.
The 14th season of “The Voice of Germany” (from September 26th every Thursday at 8:15 p.m. on ProSieben and Fridays at 8:15 p.m. on Sat.1 and both on Joyn) has three returnees in Samu Haber (48), Yvonne Catterfeld (44) and Mark Forster (41) and a new coach in Kamrad (27).
Samu Haber was a coach on “The Voice” in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020, most recently sharing the chair with Rea Garvey (51). In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the Finnish musician reveals what he loves most about the music show and why the coaches harmonize so well. He also talks about what he finds difficult about the German language and what he likes to do most in his free time.
Why did you want to return to “The Voice”?
Samu Haber: I was broke and my manager told me it was the only chance I had left (laughs). Jokes aside, I was there for the first time in 2013 and most recently in 2020 with Rea Garvey on the double chair. After that I recorded a Finnish album in Finland and was on tour there. I didn’t have time for “The Voice”. Now they asked me again and I said yes. I thought it would be fun and it is. I’m glad I came back.
What did you miss the most?
Haber: I love the whole show, but if I’m honest, I love the blind auditions and the first weeks of filming on “The Voice of Germany” the most. It’s so crazy to fight against the other coaches for the talent. It’s like a combination of the best moments of your life, we cry, laugh, win and lose. And it’s always great how many people sign up every year and that there are always such good talents.
How did you prepare? Did you have to get used to speaking German again?
Haber: Before filming began, I had two meetings with my German coach Dirk, who is a really cool guy. Unfortunately, “The Voice” is also in German in Germany – so I can’t hope for Finnish or English (laughs). But I had already noticed when I was on a promotional tour in February that I understood many of the questions in the interviews well and it worked, even though I’m still struggling with the language. And I’ll be saying a lot of funny-bad things on TV again. I hope they get removed before the broadcast. You can’t even show that at 2 a.m. (laughs) But my motto is: Whatever happens, happens. I don’t have to understand everything all the time or express myself correctly. I try to get people excited about my team in other ways.
What is the most difficult thing about German?
Haber: The hardest thing about the German language is that even Germans don’t understand it. (laughs) When I ask Mark Forster or Yvonne Catterfeld why it’s called “the” woman but “the” car and what the meaning is behind it, they can’t explain it to me either. If you accept it and don’t question it anymore, then it gets easier. I find it hardest to talk about feelings. It’s easier to make mistakes with funny things.
What is the difference between this season and the other seasons you have been in?
Haber: I have to say that we have the best chemistry ever between the coaches. I love all three of them. Yvonne, Kamrad, Mark and I sat down before the season and talked about what fears we have, when we feel uncomfortable and where our limits are. It was nice when we all said out loud how we feel. That’s how we should deal with these things in life in general. If you are honest with people, they can respect your limits. That’s what makes filming for “The Voice of Germany” so much fun and so energetic. We fight hard for the talent, but after a coach battle we also openly ask each other whether a joke went too far or whether everything is OK.
You already knew the new coach Kamrad before “The Voice”. What was your experience of him?
Haber: When we were on tour together in 2018, I was the star and he was the warm-up. Now it’s obvious that he’s the big star and I’m just the guy next to him, but I like that (laughs). I’ve known since then how talented he is as a musician. I would even say that he’s the best of the four of us on stage when it comes to playing, singing and performing. On “The Voice” he can now also show how intelligent, fast, funny and super nice he is and that he really has a good heart.
Is there anything you want to do better as a coach this time?
Haber: I know that I will always give everything for the talents. Sometimes it is not so easy to find out how to best help them. And we are a team, so I don’t have 20 hours in a row for each talent individually. I am a bit like the coach of a football team. I have to trust the talents to do their part. And if something goes wrong in my eyes, I can come up with ideas on how they could do it better, but they have to develop in their own way. And when things happen naturally, they are at their best. I have already won twice this way, so I will not change anything.
What does a talent need to bring to win?
Haber: The show is translated as “The Voice of Germany”, so you have to have a good voice. It doesn’t matter how you dance or whether you look good. After the blind auditions and the battles, it’s no longer up to us coaches, but the Teamfights jury and then the TV viewers. There’s no secret recipe for winning. I’ve never understood why some of my songs or albums are very successful and others aren’t. That can never really be explained. But I have the feeling that the more genuine and truthful a talent performs, the better they are received. We’ve seen so many times that it’s not the technically best singer who wins. It takes a certain magic. Bono from U2 was almost thrown out of the band because he wasn’t the best singer, but he brings something else to the table.
Your debut English solo album will be released in October. What can fans expect?
Haber: I don’t think it will be the most surprising album ever, because I haven’t reinvented myself. It’s somewhere between pop-rock and folk singer-songwriter. I’ve always done what I love and I’m sticking to that path. I also wrote the songs for Sunrise Avenue and I still do the same things with my guitar and piano. But I feel really free doing it. Sunrise Avenue is my life’s work and we celebrated our farewell two years ago in the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. Sometimes I felt the pressure to repeat the success. But today I think: I don’t have to be successful at all. I want to play in clubs and maybe at a few festivals and have fun. That’s why I’m very happy that I’m starting the European tour on the same day that the album comes out.
Is it strange for you to be on stage without Sunrise Avenue? Are people from your previous team on tour with you?
Haber: No, I have a completely different band. But I’m used to that. During the pandemic, I recorded the Finnish album and toured with it. I took part in “Sing meinen Song” in Finland and play with the “The Voice” band. I think that if you do something with new people, you might learn a few new things. I will always love and respect the members of Sunrise Avenue and no one can take away the journey we’ve taken together. But I’m very happy where I am now.
What do you do to balance out music and filming “The Voice”?
Haber: I love martial arts, taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Thai boxing. At home in Helsinki I train with a group. Otherwise I like to ride my motorbike to the harbour and go out on my boat. I love the peace and quiet and I also like to do it alone. Then I anchor and take a nap or listen to the sound of the sea.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
