Interview withJanosch Moldau (vocals from Janosch Moldau)
“Through the years the roots of my music remained the same because I cannot change as a person. I am like I am.”
The most beautiful way to learn about creating music is asking the musician. Also if you want to feel the magical atmosphere of the breeding of songs you need to speak with a musician who works on the album at the moment. Janosch Moldau and Hendrik Schindler are working on their 5th album now, and recently we have had an amazing phone interview with Janosch. Straight from Italy: the new LP, Janosch's story of becoming a musician, his favourite music, the way he keeps going and his cherished dream.
Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: Now you are working on the new album; when is it supposed to be released?
Janosch Moldau [Janosch]: Yes, now we are working and we are planning to release it next year. It can be released in spring or autumn, it depends on the companies and the agency, but I try to end up with the writing by the end of the year.
RoD: Do you need a special atmosphere while working on the lyrics, music?
Janosch: Well, sure! It always depends on where you are and which atmosphere you have, it's reflected in the songs. So, when I try to write the new songs I really enjoy to be alone and write on my own, it's my extra special atmosphere.(laughs)
RoD: So, is it your personal experience in your lyrics or you just write the stories?
Janosch: To be honest, I guess it's both. It's a bit of personal life experience and there's also a fiction. But you know, I don't have a concept for my lyrics, it just comes to me from nowhere, it just appears in my mind and then I have to record it. Of course, also the personal things that move me and touch me deeply can be found within my songs and lyrics.
RoD: Your songs sound so sincere and touching, and your lyrics are quite dramatic… are you melancholic person?
Janosch: Oh, it's a good question... I think I really enjoy being melancholic and to feel all these melancholic aspects of life. It's something super positive when you are open-minded to the smaller and weaker things in life and can be happy with it. So let's say that melancholy is my best friend!(laughs)
RoD: Sad story... Do you think your soulful music is better to listen in clubs or to listen alone at home with a glass of wine?
Janosch: When I started to write with my first album I would say it was more like that kind of music when you can sit at home and drink a glass of wine and enjoy the evening, but I guess that it all changed. We played more and more live shows over the years and now I'm happy to have it both in my music. I think you can listen to my albums at home. But those who have seen our shows, know that we do have a really nice club atmosphere too. So, in my albums should be both aspects combined meanwhile. The new album will be again a bit slower than ‘Minor’ but also quite poppy.(laughs) It has a lot of nice melodies.
RoD: Do you have favourite songs among all you have in our albums?
Janosch: From the point of songwriting, I guess one of the best songs is ‘Not With The Son’ from the ‘Motel Songs’ album because a lot of people love it. For me personally, it’s the song called ‘Precious Life’ from the last album ‘Minor.’
RoD: Has your music changed since your very first album?
Janosch: Yes, in the beginning, I wrote my music at home, you know that was a quite interesting experience. Also, I had a lot of struggles on basic questions like how I wanted to sound, how I should produce my albums... Nowadays a lot has changed because I've got so many options to play live all over Europe, and as you may know I’m writing and recording every song since 2012 in my little apartment at lake Lugano in Italy. Also, the whole atmosphere and life in Italy are very different to the life we have in Germany. And meanwhile, I do feel a bit more confident speaking Italian which is very important in Italy because although it's very close to the border of Switzerland, they do not speak German here. So there are many reasons why the sound of my records changed dramatically, but through the years the roots of my music remained the same, because I cannot change as a person, I am like I am.
RoD: When you started your professional career?
Janosch: As a songwriter, I've started maybe a bit late... because in the beginning in Cologne I worked in a recording studio and did some work for other musicians. As a solo musician, I started in 2005 and released my first album. So with my own music, I had to start once again from scratch, because at that time I knew absolutely no one who could help me with this kind of music and business.
RoD: You said, your first album was in 2005, and at what age did you begin to create the music? When has it started?
Janosch: I guess, it was at school time, because my mother taught at the school of music and had a lot of classical music and also she studied the piano. I listened the whole day to the pop records that she had bought. I felt great admiration for all of this... and soon as a young boy, I wanted to become a songwriter too. I recorded on tape playing the piano of my mom, it was something really basic. And I tried to sing in English, to write the lyrics, so it started all at school time... well, you can write: "one day it has just started and I don't know why!"(laughs)
RoD: So, the music was your dream since you were a child? Or that came later?
Janosch: Yes, it was a dream in my childhood, every day when I came home from school I started to make music and my mom told me: "No, no, no! You just have to do your homework first and all that kind of stuff!" And so it was a dream for me, something I could not have right to know at that time. So, I've decided to take this road, step by step later...and I realized that it wasn't only a dream, but something you have to work for. You know, it's still a dream now, but a realistic one.
RoD: Janosch, what is your dream now?
Janosch: My big dream, in general, is to be with the people you love and to be surrounded by the people who love and appreciate you. And to do your work not only for yourself... I think it would be selfish and destructive a bit. So, that's a kind of dream I try to live, it isn't too easy. It would be great if people could see that the music is not only for myself or for being called a “rock-star”. Sure, in the end, it's all for the fans and the whole nice music circus...(laughs) but first of all, it's for the people I'm very close with...
RoD: Who would you be in case of not being a musician? An actor, maybe?
Janosch: It's an interesting question, by the way... I would say, an actor of course not! (laughs) It's totally strange for me how an actor can work at all. An actor always needs to “travel into the soul of another person” in order to act. For me, it’s enough when we go on tour and I'm really happy when the lights go out when we leave the stage, so maybe that's the reason why I often wear my sunglasses. But I do not wear them on stage as I need to have the personal contact with the audience. You know, maybe I would have become a monk, but I would say it would have been much too hard for me to bear. I could not bear being totally separated from the “worldly side” of it all...but it's really a nice thought for me and I know so monks, this would be the perfect kind of profession in my dreams.(laughs)
RoD: But isn't that also hard to be a musician?
Janosch: Well... It's a good question. I would say of course from the business side of it all, it can be really hard, but the good thing is that I do not have to force myself to this work. This is the lovely side, so people can say it's hard to be a musician and to write songs of course, but as I told you before, I'm really happy to do this work. I'm thankful for this work. Of course, we have had some hard business facts to cope with over the years, but I still do have best my friend ever as my manager at my side, I really enjoy this. It’s a privilege.
RoD: As we speak about the acting and music: have you ever created music for the film?
Janosch: No, I haven't. It's a nice question, actually, I had a meeting with Hendrik in concern of that. In the near future we will deliver my music also to some film music agencies including my instrumental versions. And to be honest I simply have no time to write music for films, and I guess I'm not the film music maker at all! So, we don’t write music for films but we will try to bring some of my songs to the film industry.
RoD: Have you any musical inspirations which make you to write your own music?
Janosch: At the moment, I listen to classical music but I'm not listening to a lot of music in general. As I've said, I need a bit of silence.(laughs) But of course, there are a lot of people and bands I loved: Depeche and many songwriters from the 80s. Also Colin Vearncombe, the author of the ‘Wonderful Life’ song, which was a really huge hit, I'm still listening to his music, also to his latest albums...
RoD: Do you have some slogan which helps you to keep going?
Janosch: Now I try to give something away with the music, to give something to others and to be a good person for others. This is also the idea that I'm not the only person on this Planet, there is something higher, and I'm not the boss – in that sense, human beings are not the boss over this Planet, I'm just trying to reflect what is going on in the world at the moment... It isn't only a slogan, it's all about the feelings of the songs I write at the moment.
RoD: It sounds better than a slogan, people can feel it but not just read the words. And what can you say to our audience, to all who waits for your interview?
Janosch: The first thing I would love to say is that I'm very happy to have this interview with you now... because I didn't expect to give any interviews during the period of songwriting. Usually, we have interviews when a new record is out or if we go on tour. So this is the first interview I gave during the lonesome process of my latest songwriting period. I hope that people can feel a bit from this mood in my answers. Hopefully, you and the other people will enjoy a bit the things I told you...
RoD: Sure! Thank you for your time, good luck and we are waiting for you and Hendrik in a tour!
Janosch: So nice to hear this, thank you! Take care.
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