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Hello EES, today we're going to do a completely different Insider. It is not you who tell me the insider, but I will pester you with questions. Ready?
EES: Oh man, that's a cool idea! Yes, go ahead, I'm ready! -)
You were pretty stressed about the music video for "Your Sister". It feels like you only started shooting 3 days before the release. Why?
EES: Yes, the week before the Your Sister release was really crazy, that's why I went to the forest for 3 days on Friday and just chilled.
ALSO, I really wanted to shoot the music video with the well-known music video producer "Marvin Ströter", I know him very well, he has already been to Nam with me twice. Because I knew that the song fits his style videos exactly, I really wanted him to shoot it, but he was so busy and I just couldn't find a way to meet him - and then it was suddenly 3 weeks complete offline because of a personal situation. And then I noticed, ok that just won't work anymore, that he shoots it - I have to do the whole thing myself in 1 week! -)
Tell us a little bit about how the song came about and what it means to you?
EES: Yes, I think the song was the 2nd or 3rd song that was created on the trip with the producers in Namibia. Herry Sweetjive built the first beats for it (also produced "What About U", "We Are One" and "Just Do It") and Kraans de Lutin then finished building it. What is cool - that we passed a place on the trip through the desert where you could cut stones that were millions of years old and these then gave off different sounds, we recorded them and then built them into the song (break part). That means the song has the sound of the oldest desert in the world (the Namib Desert).
The location really blew you away. What kind of villa was that? Definitely not yours or? -)
EES: No, No, you will laugh at how amazing it all worked! Well, I usually shoot all of my videos in Namibia, because I know a lot of people and it's easy to organize something quickly. But in Germany I don't know so many people and I don't know so many people either! -) Well, then I started calling those I know. The first one said, "yes I know someone with a great big house, but is in northern Germany, just give them a call and say my name" - I'm so OK #ifnotwhynot - called him and he was very easy going. Only meant as long as I don't shoot porn with them everything is good! -)
Yes, it was very far away - but a super nice house and the only thing I could get in a hurry, so we (model, friend and I) traveled 3 hours and cameraman David 10 hours (from Austria) for this special location . At some point after 3 hours of shooting, the guy said he has to go to an island, we should continue shooting in peace and when we're done just pull the door. We were totally alone in the house, really crazy how much he trusted us, almost a bit CRAZY. But I am totally grateful that there are still some great people who make this possible for me.
What definitely not only struck me, that wasn't the whole band. Who was the rest of
EES: YES, that's right, watch out! Unfortunately everything had to happen so quickly and when I asked the band if they were all available - unfortunately some of them were on vacation and couldn't that day. But I had to turn it quickly because the release was around the corner from the song. So I quickly asked the band whether they still knew any - because musicians always know other musicians! -) Then I needed a location, because driving the whole band north to the big house was not an option, then Klaas has (Saxophonist of the Yes-Ja band) said we can shoot it in his garden. And that's exactly what we did. - and it was so much fun to chill out with the band again and this is also the very first real music video where the band (well, not all of them) are there.
Is the song actually a true story? Have you really fallen in love with an oukie's sister?
EES: Mhmm no not really, but a lot of people asked me that after the song, haha especially because I once lived with The Hunta's sister for 6 years. But that was like MY sister. But music is also entertainment - even if I process a lot of my real life in my music - not everything can always be 100% derived from my story. Here it was more of a topic that I thought was cool and wanted to write a song about it.
But if I think again very hard now - I could say when I was still very young - I found Van Dee's sister very cool for a short time - but that was more like, "I'm still young and checks a bit the girls for the first time out in his environment ", haha!
How is it for you to release one song after the other from the new album? That was not the case before to this extent.
EES: Yes, crazy or! It feels so awesome - I could get used to it, it gets a bit sad - if I only promote the album for a few months after the album release and don't put out any new songs. I noticed, especially after the whole “Your Sister”, how easy (well, simple is exaggerated) but how it works to release something quickly. Nowadays it is anyway that as a musician you should release a lot more music because everything moves so quickly. But then the quality also suffers a bit - something that is very important to me. Mhmm now I'm a bit lost from the question, what was that again? Ah yes: IT FEELS COOL! -)
We all saw your Insta story last weekend. You chilled in the German forest to clear your head. Did it help?
EES: Oh yes, it was sorely needed, the two weeks were really tough. What some do not know is that I am currently working in a recording studio 10 hours a day a week. To finance everything I do here with my music - because such an album (and singles) launch (and the whole music video) costs a LOT of money! -) Which I can't get in at all at the moment - because there isn't any shows and the money you earn with streaming is a total JOKE. Yes, 2 jobs and then a lot of pressure because I am solely responsible for everything and also do everything myself, editing the video, preparing the whole launch, writing all newspapers, sending videos to video transmitters, radio sampling etc .. Then you need a few Days in the forest and nature is the best place to regenerate. It was very good and I now somehow want to go out every weekend, you can often see that on my social media channels - who's looking closely! -)
Are you looking forward to the tour or is the fear of a renewed failure more present?
EES: Mmmm I'm HUGE, I'm not worried that the tour won't take place. Yes, the incidence numbers will go up, but with over 60% with a full vaccination in Germany and there are still a few weeks until the tour, it will work. The only thing I'm a little worried about is how I finance all of this, a tour like this is very EXPENSIVE, especially if we don't sell enough tickets. All sponsors that I have already written to with really cool concepts have all canceled. It's more of a heartfelt thing about this tour, because even if we sell it out completely, it's a joke what we deserve from it. I have a big band - so without a sponsor, and many bands have that for sone tours - the whole thing will be really difficult, unfortunately.
Thank you for answering our questions. A little tip from me, if you chill out in nature, it will be even better if you leave your cell phone at home.
EES: Yes, that's right, you are absolutely right - only in the high phase of my biggest album that I have ever dropped, and felt to be working on it for 20 years, then suddenly to say in advance and do not do social media, which unfortunately for Musician is very important in today's world - I didn't want to leave it out completely. But I can tell you - I almost only took it out quickly to post and then it was back in my pocket on Airplane mode - there was no electricity in the forest hut to recharge, so had to last the whole weekend! -)
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