Name: Dagobert

Age: 33

City: Berlin

So, tell me, what’s your story?

My story? Well, you want to hear the long or the short version?

The short version first.

Well, when I was young, I was homeless for 2 years and decided to make music. Then eventually, I was able to organize a little bit of money and moved to Berlin… I spent half a year in Berlin and got kind of inspired to go on with music. And then, the grandfather of my brother-in-­law died, and he lived in a house that was far up in the Swiss mountains. And this house was empty because he was dead. And it was a chance for me to just move in where I could have a place to stay. And then, I went to this little village with 30 people, where I had nothing to do at all, and stayed there for 5 years and made a lot of music.

Just by yourself?

Yeah, I was all alone the whole time. And I was really productive, I made a lot of music. And after 5 years I decided to release that stuff, do concerts, and the usual things musicians do. Then I moved back to Berlin and organized the label and got a kind of team together, you know, like management and booking agency and everything. And now I’m releasing records and stuff. That’s the short version.

I read an article about you on the web where you said, you don’t think you are naturally born with talent, you are just suborned and you just wanted to make music. Really?

Yeah, I mean, after more than 10 years I’m still not able to sing, really. I just have my own style, but I don’t hit the notes. But I don’t care. I like songs, and I sing them the way I do. Nobody else does it like I do and I never try to be anybody else. I try to make music very much the way I am. That’s why I cannot really learn from other people.

How does it work? Do you write your own lyrics and rhythm?

Everything.

Do you have a band or a team?

Well, I’ve released two albums so far, and I recorded them with one guy, my producer who added a little bit of instrumentation, which I cannot play on the record. All the rest is programmed by me. And now I have a band for concerts. They are quite good, so I think of maybe recording with them for the next album. But so far, it’s been me, and a little bit of help from my producer.

I’m not familiar with the musical part of the world, I know maybe in the art world, artists are also struggling, but they try to find a gallery to sell their work, or sometimes they sell their work themselves. How does it work in the musical world, how do you make a living from making music?

I don’t really make money. I lose money. I talk people into lending me money, and then I lose it.

What do you mean? Are you gambling or something?

No, no. My company is not really investing money, they are just doing some of the bureaucratic stuff for me, organization…

You have a company?

Yeah, several. It’s a bit complicated. I have a contract with Universal Music. But they don’t do anything, actually. And then I have another label, which does a little bit more. But in the end, you know, if you don’t have a major deal… I mean, you can have a small deal with a big company or a big deal with a big company. But unless they organize a big budget for your project, then you more or less have to do everything by yourself.

So how are you making a living as a musician?

I’m 33 now, and I never had a flat or home or anything. I’ve always lived at friends’ places. Still now. So I don’t really make money, but it always worked quite well. And of course, I think and I believe that it’s going to change. Because I mean, I can tour the country and people come and pay money for the shows. But I always invest it into better products for better sound and lighting and stuff. So there is never anything left for me.

How does it work with the touring and performing part? Do you approach places and say, hey I want to perform at your place, and you share the profit with them? Or do you have an agency to do this kind of thing for you?

Yeah, I have a booking agency for that. It’s a different contract with every venue. But usually, you get a fee that is definite, no matter how many people come. If they make enough money, then all the rest is split 50/50, 60/40, whatever. But usually, they keep all the money for themselves. Or they say they have a lot of expenses. But, it’s ok. I just like to play. I don’t do it for the money. I play wherever I can actually. You can book me and I come.

When you say you just like to play, do you mean you just enjoy singing? Or… do you need the audience?

You know when I made music for 7 years or so just for myself, I really never showed anybody anything. And I liked it because I love music. But at some point, it was not fulfilling anymore. So I need the audience. Now I’m looking for that. Wherever you play, there are always people who haven’t heard of you, then they give it to you, that’s good. I like to spread the whole thing.

Do you want to get famous?

Yeah.

From where you are now to where you want to be, what’s still needed to be done? Is it pure luck, or…?

No, I mean, all those plans and dreams and goals you have in your life, of course, they are making the direction which you follow, but it doesn’t have anything to do with your everyday life. Right now, I’m playing in not-­so-big venues, but it’s cool. I can do whatever I want. I can write stuff, and record it the way I want, I can play it everywhere, that’s cool. Of course, I want to make it bigger, and I work on it, and what I need to do… first of all, I would say I need better sound. Nobody plays this stuff on the radio because people are not used to the kind of sound I make. I like my albums, but they don’t really have to sound like this. They can get a bit more modern.

What do you mean by “modern”?

You know, just when you turn on the radio, put it on the main stations, everything sounds a little bit the same, you know. And if I can get this kind of feeling into my music, then maybe they’ll play my music too.

So you want your music to get more popular? Easier for people to remember and sing?

Easier for people to just accept it. Because right now when they hear my music, they think, that’s strange, what kind of shit is that? It’s because I used a lot of strange synthesizer sounds and weird instruments and stuff. I like it, but it doesn’t have to be like that. For my next album, I want to do like a real pop album, you know? So when you play it, people don’t say, “What is that?” They just say, “Ah, ok, that’s good.”

Do you think then you are compromising your music for the audience?

No, no no. Because that’s what I want, you know. I want to work a bit for that kind of audience. Therefore, I just do that step. It’s not a compromise because that’s what I want. I don’t see a problem. I wouldn’t do that a few years ago. But right now, I will.

It’s kind of a challenge you set for yourself?

And after that I will do more weird stuff that nobody will listen to anymore. I have a planned double LP album of death, you know, only obscure songs about death, which will not be very poppy. So…

Do you get frustrated when you don’t have inspirations for making music?

For me the nicest thing in life is writing songs when I have a new song, then I’m very happy. Nothing else can give me this kind of feeling. And sometimes it just takes a lot of time, and I have no ideas, nothing at all. Then I can get a bit frustrated, but on the other side, I already have a lot of material that I haven’t yet released. Actually, I can be relaxed.

Do you ever have other jobs besides making music to make money?

I’ve never had a job in my life. Not even a small job.

You just refuse to have a job?

Absolutely. When I finished school, I was 19. I decided to never take any job just for money. Therefore, I ended up in a basement actually similar to this one, where it was the only place that I could live. And I lived there for 2 years. I had no money at the time, not much to eat. But that’s where I began with the music. It was also the first time for me to feel like really free. Ok, I had no money, not really a future. But at least, there weren’t any people to tell me to do this and do that. So I felt quite good.

Wow, even when you were hungry? What did you do then?

I stole bread in the morning.

And do you think that’s actually freedom? Or is that a limitation and frustration that you are not able to be really free?

There is no absolute freedom of course. You’ll always have something that you can hold on to. Otherwise, life makes no sense, and you lose your mind. But if you are too deep into circumstances that are not good for you, then you have to free yourself out of the situation. That’s what I did back then. And it was necessary.

Interviewed in Berlin, Mitte, August 6, 2015