interview
“Never again war”
“It’s tough being a freak”: Tocotronic on her new album
They are Tocotronic: Dirk Müller, Rick McPhail, (top row, from left), Arne Zank and Dirk von Lowtzow (bottom row, from left)
© Gloria Endres de Oliveira/ Universal
Tocotronic singer Dirk von Lowtzow and guitarist Rick McPhail about making music in times of the pandemic and the new album “Nie wieder Krieg”.
This is the fourth or fifth interview I’ve had with you. We have met so often in the past few years. Every time I had a queasy feeling, as if I had to take a German advanced course exam.
Dirk von Lowtzow: Oh my! Of course that shouldn’t be the case. how come
My impression: You expect in-depth knowledge of the text and an interpretation of which films, books or works of art you allude to in your songs.
Dirk vonLowtzow: Hmm. Is that how it comes across? It’s not meant that way, really. We look forward to seeing familiar faces again. So don’t worry: no exam today.
Well, then no interpretation from me, but the question about the lyrics on your new album “Never Again War”. They sound completely different than on the “Red Album”, which had such a groping, associative language. Now you are more specific and direct.
Dirk vonLowtzow: When you’re in the creative process, you don’t even notice such changes. They happen unconsciously and only become clear after some time has passed. But it’s true: the topics that have interested me as a songwriter in recent years have become more existential. Before, it was more playful, and on the album “Wie wir willleben” we took it to the extreme, to the point of puns.
And that no longer works today?
Dirk vonLowtzow: It would seem unnecessarily aloof and elitist, these collage-like language games somehow no longer fit. Today we are interested in other topics such as life, dying and death. Or your own inner turmoil. The war you wage with yourself.
The song “Jugend ohne Gott gegen Fascismus”, the first single from the new album, doesn’t sound all that difficult and existential, even though it has a cumbersome title.
Dirk vonLowtzow: Yes, maybe you have to think of “Summer in the City”. When I was writing, I had a group of young people in mind who skateboarded and drifted through the day.
One of your early songs is called “I want to be part of a youth movement”. Do you tie in with it?
Rick McPhail: It’s generally about how it feels to be a freak. Some people consciously choose to become freaks because they want to rebel against something. Others, however, are born freaks. It’s not a conscious decision. I became a freak because I was interested in a certain music and lifestyle. And sometimes it’s hard to be a freak because the world around you doesn’t accept it so easily. You would like to be part of a youth movement that catches you and protects you. I didn’t want to attract attention – but I was noticed and I got punched in the face for it.
Do young freaks have it easier today?
Rick McPhail: I guess so. The generation of parents has realized that being a freak doesn’t have to be a bad thing – and that being different doesn’t necessarily mean wanting to pee on someone’s leg.
Whether parents’ generation or freak or normal citizen – one problem is currently occupying everyone: the pandemic. How did Corona influence the production of your album?
Dirk vonLowtzow: In mid-2018 I wrote the first piece, “Nie wieder Krieg”, the other pieces were written by the end of 2019. Then we rehearsed and actually wanted to go into the studio in April 2020. We then postponed that by two months because of Corona. The plan was to release the album in January 2021. So we are now a full year later.
Isn’t the pandemic changing the perception of the new songs? Isn’t much of what was originally intended as an individual expression now being interpreted in socio-political terms?
Dirk vonLowtzow: It is quite possible that there is a transformation of the material taking place. The reading changes, I find that extremely exciting.
How important are live performances for you?
Dirk vonLowtzow: In the summer of 2021 we gave a series of smaller concerts, open air, with seating and in front of a maximum of 700 or 800 people. We played the old stuff from our Hamburg years. At first we were skeptical whether this could be the right setting for a concert – but it worked wonderfully. We really enjoyed the performances, the energy you feel there. We really breathed.
You usually release a new album every two to three years. Are you already working on a new one to keep the old rhythm?
Dirk vonLowtzow: No, that would also be difficult. We need the response to “Never Again War” to create something new. An album is always a response to the previous one. We’re releasing “Nie wieder Krieg” now, hopefully going on tour in March – and then we’ll start working on a new record at some point.
The new Tocotronic album will be released on Friday, January 28th