1. what inspired you to write a book?
The idea of writing an autobiography about my very ambivalent life as a singer, songwriter and guitarist with Frei.Wild, one of the most controversial and at the same time successful
German-language rock bands of our time, didn't even come from me. It was a representative of a German major record company who gave
the impetus and said: "There will never be a better and more patient mirror of yourself than a biography. Lyrics, songs and interviews in your case
reach no further than to your fans. If you really want to show your life to a wider and larger field, then throw yourself into this adventure. Leave nothing out, don't hide anything, show
yourself as you are - and even your biggest critics will reconsider their attitude. That alone was not the reason, but it was the decisive impulse. Having already written or worked intensively on several books for our band in the
past, it wasn't long before I decided to get to the bottom of myself and my whole
being. With the help of two mentors, Karoline Kuhn and Prof. Dr. Stephan Kaussen, both very experienced people in the fields of politics, culture and above all
in biographies, accompanied me on this adventure and guided me through my inner jungle of
own history, crises, pressing questions, lessons learned and above all everything that has ultimately made me who I am today with countless questions and food for thought. A controversial and
much-discussed, but nevertheless totally happy singer, farmer, fisherman and carpenter. But above all, a person for whom family and nature are the most important things.
2. how do you deal with writer's block?
To be honest, I haven't had any and I don't know any, fortunately. But I also think I know where this freedom and fearlessness comes from: From the large repertoire of songs that I
have been able to write in almost 25 years of making music, not only for Frei.Wild and my solo album, but also for many, many other artists. The potential safety net of hundreds of songs and lyrics is now so big that I probably don't even think about what falling, in this case writer's block, would mean. And so I just keep on dancing, unperturbed and free (laughs).
3. how important is it for you to receive feedback from readers?
As with my publications in music, impact, reaction and longevity are very important to me. But of course: first and foremost, created works have to feel good to the respective minds behind them, and that's probably the case for all creatives. If not, the chances of success will be slim.
4. would you say that writing your biography has changed you?
It certainly has! It has opened my eyes even more to many things, made many
mechanisms clear to me and simply strengthened me even more in some areas of my work and actions
. And it reminded me anew that conviction and
passion are enormously strong driving forces and that
criticism from others, especially in my very special case, has always been very close to each other.
You can find more great interviews with authors at the following links:
Interview Sandy Mercier: Interview: Sandy Mercier
Intervier Ruprech Frieling: Interview with "Bücherprinz" Ruprecht Frieling: "Self-confidence ultimately decides everything"
