Tokio Hotel - FIA Q&A Youtube (03.04.2015)

Tokio Hotel News (@WirLieben_TH)

TVN TV : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Warsaw, Poland (27.03.2015)

Győr+ TV : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Vienna, Austria (26.03.2015)

DASDING : Interview with Tokio Hotel "Between hype and hate" - Cologne, Germany (20.03.2015)

(ENGLISH SUBS HERE)

Planet 105 : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Zürich, Switzerland (15.03.2015)

On Sunday, Tokio Hotel had their comeback in Zurich's house. Kim was backstage. 

Radio Kiss Kiss : Phone Interview with Tokio Hotel (13.03.2015)

The italian radio station Radio Kiss Kiss speaks with Tokio Hotel about Kings of Suburbia 

and their upcoming show in Milan!

Feel It All World Tour [Q&A Session with Fans]

• "Bill said Tom and him want to write a book this year. Georg joked "it`ll take a long time, you have to learn how to write 1st""
• "A fan asked Bill about his palm tree tattoo. And he said: "How do u know?! Did I post a pic?""
• "Bill said palm tree is something peaceful to him & reminds him of holidays."
via @TokioHotelUKST

• "I asked if they would be doing more in the UK in the future, they said yes because of new label." 
• "In the Q&A bill said the show opens with we found us :)" 
via @amieewhitney

• "The band said that after the European tour, they will tour America and then Latin America."
via @FlawlessAlien

• "Gustav said he had to have glass around his drum set so the noise didn't mess with Bill's sound." 
• "Bill said Pumba is not used to Aliens shouting his name in the street, he doesn't get it." 
via @LauraB483

• "My question was to Bill - what's the most embarrassing picture on your phone. He said the naked ones. :) He's super nervous of losing his phone so he tries not to keep anything too incriminating or embarrassing on it." via @rondavanmeter • "Some girl asked bill what he looks for in a gf... AND A BF. He didn't look impressed and spoke about cheating." • "Bill: "Oh I love Italy!" (to Italian fans) -- Gustav: "But we're in Spain."" via @amieewhitney • "Bill telling us how he was hurt and cheated on in a relationship & how he doesn't believe in second chances." • "A fan said to Bill that he looked good as a king and the band said "Queen". "Queen Bill", the band know." • "A Spanish fan said in Spanish "Tom, I have a problem. My girlfriend gets very 'excited' over you". And Ander translated while laughing. Tom went on to reply: "I see no problem with that." • "Tom mentioned about releasing the tour dates and he nearly said when and georg hysterically laughed at him." •"Fans asked the band what movie title sums them up and Bill said 'I don't want to say because it's our book title.'" via @flawlessalien

• "Bill: We feel overwhelmed by your happiness, and we're doing shows only to see your faces and your smiles" 
via @aliennement

• "Bill said they decided to film a show in South America later this year for the DVD." 
• "At the Q&A Bill said: 'You guys made me sing in German & I didn't want to!'" (about Rescue Me) 
• "Asked Bill if he got to see the David Bowie Exhibition in Paris while he was here & said no,but he really really wanted to"
via @rondavanmeter 

• "Tom would like to go travel the world on a motorcycle & he might do that this summer"
• "Bill would like to backpack through India with no money. Just on his own. That's his dream"
• "Bill wants to bring out a clothing line that is unisex"
via @KimiTomiDoll 

• "So I asked about the dress and Georg was the only one who had already heard of it so I gave them my phone to show. They all saw it as black and blue, except for Bill, who thought it was white and gold so the twins started arguing in German. They were like fighting to get my phone into their hands to take a better look at it & it eventually ended up in Tom's lap. They also asked us which colour we saw. Bill found it really interesting because he was surprised that he & Tom saw different colours. And at the end, Bill said to me: "That was an amazing question!" They were really intrigued by it."
• "Another girl asked Bill to sing Run Run Run with her so he started singing and then we all sang together."
• "Someone asked Bill about embarrassing moments & Bill said he's sometimes rude about people without knowing they can actually hear him. Once he complained about a stewardess, saying "can this cunt fucking move" & the stewardess turned around & said "yes, the cunt can.""

via @margonthedge

Advocate.com : Tokio Hotel's Bill Kaulitz: 'Love Is Not About Gender'

As Tokio Hotel heads out on its first world tour in five years, the rock band’s front man reveals how he got his groove back and why he believes love has no borders.

Long before the Viper Room became known as an iconic hangout of Hollywood’s young elite as well as the site where actor River Phoenix died in 1993, 8852 Sunset Blvd. was a favorite hot spot — then a jazz club called the Melody Room — where mobsters like Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen could frequently be found. It’s a location deep-seated in the storied history of Los Angeles, and tonight, lead singer Bill Kaulitz and the other members of Tokio Hotel have set out to make a historic moment of their own as they prepare to perform for the first time on the same stage where acts ranging from the Pussycat Dolls to rock royalty like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have gone before. It’s a vastly different setting than where they were just one week earlier, performing in Berlin before a crowd of nearly one million people, but as Kaulitz rounds out the group’s sound check with a rapid-fire run of their track “Girl Got a Gun,” it's apparent he’s no less eager to perform for the 250 fans who are waiting on the other side of the nightclub’s door to see one of Europe’s biggest bands.

“We never really get to do these kinds of shows, so it’s definitely different,” he tells me moments later as we’re led down the club’s velvet-lined staircase to a dimly lit room beneath the stage. “But it’s going to be fun because we’re going to be so close to the people here tonight, and I always like that because [in a smaller venue like this] you get the energy you put out right back.”

Though he says the band has been looking forward to performing in the famed West Hollywood nightclub for several days, he readily admits he and his identical twin brother, Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz, were in a completely different headspace a few years ago. After their debut album dropped in 2005, the band members quickly found themselves on a meteoric rise to fame, but four albums, hundreds of live performances around the world, and more than four years on the road had taken a toll on the 25-year-old artists. “After our last album came out in 2009, Tom and me left Europe and we moved to America, because it was just craziness,” he says. “We just had to step away from the career a little bit, because we felt like we had said everything. We’d done so many albums over so many years and we’d been on the road for such a long time. We didn’t know what to do or what kind of music we wanted to make.”

Leaving their home in Germany, the twins moved to Los Angeles, where, Kaulitz says they “took a year off and didn’t do anything” before finding new inspiration in L.A. nightlife. That muse resulted in a new electronic-laden sound for the alternative rock band, which they carefully crafted over the next five years as they began putting together their fifth studio album, Kings of Suburbia. The album was released worldwide last October and shot to the top of the charts in 30 countries, plus landing in the top 5 in 17 others to become Tokio Hotel’s most successful album to date.

Kaulitz considers the album’s success due to both the time the musicians spent honing their new sound as well as their willingness to take another risk. “We just wanted to make an album that we personally love,” he says. “A lot of people don’t do that, they make music for their fans. But this time I wanted to make an album that I’m totally happy with and that reflects my own style.”

In addition to his distinctive sound, Kaulitz’s sense of style has been one of the standout aspects of Tokio Hotel’s onstage persona. This evening he’s dressed in a pair of light gray jeans and a black graphic T-shirt with a black and white flannel long-sleeved shirt tied around his waist, a choice of attire that’s a departure from the usual flamboyant fashions that have become synonymous with the singer. However, Kaulitz tells me his creative couture wasn’t always appreciated. “When I was 13 I would come to school with makeup and nail polish and I had teachers who would say, ‘We can’t teach you and you’re not allowed in class,’” he says as he runs his fingers through his bleached platinum-blond hair. “I got so much shit in school because I had an extreme look. There was always a lot of talking, but I always kind of enjoyed that. I like to play with it, because I find it funny that it upsets some people.”

Kaulitz says his form of self-expression caused several raised eyebrows earlier in his career, with many people making assumptions about his sexuality. “When we first came out with our music, the gay question was always there and it was super important for everyone,” he says. “But for me it was amusing. I was always laughing about it because I was like, ‘Why is that so fucking important to everyone? Why can people not just live and do their thing?’”

He continues, “For me, love is such a beautiful thing and I love that you actually have no control over it. I never know what’s going to happen. I never know who I’m going to meet when I walk outside. For me it’s about finding the person you want to be with and I feel like it doesn’t matter what gender that is. I don’t understand why it matters so much to people. It’s weird.”

It’s this experience Kaulitz says that inspired the band to write the track “Love Who Loves You Back” that appears on their latest album, and informed the sexually fluid imagery that appears in the song’s music video as well. “I wanted to show that love has no gender or boundaries. [The video] would’ve been stupid if I just had a pretty girl next to me or making out with a pretty girl the whole time. That wouldn’t reflect the song,” he says. “That’s why in the video I wanted to have someone who is a little bigger, someone who is hairy, someone that’s older, someone that’s young. If there’s a girl next to me, then of course there needs to be a guy next to me. Because that’s for me what the song is about. In my opinion, love is not about gender, it’s not about religion. Love has no borders and no boundaries. I feel like love — you can’t control it and that’s a nice thing. It just happens and you don’t choose who you fall in love with. That’s why I love the song so much and that’s why we shot the video the way we did.”

The message is one Kaulitz says the band is excited to be promoting as they head out on their first world tour in five years, and he’s looking forward to giving fans a show like they’ve never seen from Tokio Hotel before. “This time we’re going to play clubs for a few shows and it’s going to be a new experience for us because we usually play big shows all the time,” he says excitedly. “Our fans will get to see us in a small environment this time and for this album it works out perfectly because we want to turn those clubs [where we play] into nightclubs. We want to take our fans to a party.”

Watch the video for Tokio Hotel’s “Love Who Loves You Back” below, and for tour dates and tickets for the bands current world tour, head to the official Tokio Hotel website.

Interview by Jase Peeples
Source: Advocate

Smash Press : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Berlin, Germany (28.02.2015)

ESKA.pl : Interview with Tokio Hotel #EmojiGame - Berlin, Germany (28.02.2015)

Tokio Hotel are playing #EmojiGame just for ESKA.pl. 

Watch and check if they guessed the lyrics of their own songs!

(drlima.net) Dressed Like Machines : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Berlin, Germany 24.02.2015

noisey.vice.com : "Das Erste Date Mit... Tokio Hotel" - Berlin, Germany (24.02.2015)

In unserer Reihe „Das erste Date mit …“ gehen wir mit Musikern auf ein erstes Date, um ihnen möglichst unangenehme Fragen zu stellen, die man bei einem ersten Date so abfrühstückt, und ihnen eine Chance zu geben, sich möglichst von der besten Seite zu zeigen—genau wie bei einem ersten Date.

Tom und Bill Kaulitz, die Zwillinge von Tokio Hotel, sind Rockstars per Definition, leben in der Metropole L.A., führen ein Highlife und gehören zu den wohl bekanntesten Menschen in diesem Lande, die sich nicht mal unerkannt auf der Straße bewegen können und vor allem noch nie in ihrem Leben U-Bahn gefahren sind. Das ist ziemlich genau der Gegenentwurf zu meinem Leben. Aber man soll schließlich auch mal aus seiner Comfortzone raus, musikalisch als Noisey und persönlich als quasi in der U-Bahn lebender Mensch. Für das Doppeldate mit Bill und Tom Kaulitz sind wir also auf einen romantischen Spaziergang mit ihren beiden Hunden Pumba (und der Andere) gegangen, auf dem wir vom Heiraten und Kinderwünschen über Autos, Groupies, mögliche Berufswahlen wie Pornostar oder BWL-Student bis hin zu Drake alle wichtigen Datefragen abdecken konnten.

Übrigens veröffentlichen Tokio Hotel am 27. März ihre neue Feel It All-EP und starten am Freitag ihre Welttournee. Das mit dem zweiten Date wird also erstmal nichts. 

Wisst ihr eigentlich, dass wir auf einem Date sind?
Tom: Ja.
Bill: Ich habe gehört, das ist dein erstes Doppeldate.

Ja, wart ihr schon mal auf einem Doppeldate? Macht ihr sowas zusammen?
Bill: Nee, aber wir hatten mal dieselbe Freundin.

Wirklich?
Bill: Ja (lacht). Also was heißt Freundin? Das war so der erste Kuss. Tom hatte ihn damals zuerst mit dem Mädchen.
Tom: Wir hatten aber mehrere zusammen, ne. Auf jeden Fall einige, die wir gut fanden, ich erinnere mich an mehrere. Mit einer hatten wir auch den gleichen Kuss.

Mehrere, die ihr euch geteilt habt?
Bill: Wir haben die so ein bisschen geteilt.
Tom: Ja, ich war immer zuerst, muss man sagen und dann ging das so ein bisschen über. Als ich keine Lust mehr hatte, habe ich sie dann an Bill abgegeben.

So macht ihr das also.
Bill: Eigentlich nicht. Aber früher vielleicht. Unsere Freundinnen waren auch immer miteinander befreundet. Wir hatten immer einen ähnlichen Geschmack, aber jetzt, wo wir ein bisschen älter geworden sind, hat sich das ein bisschen verändert. Oder, Tom? Ich finde, jetzt gehen unsere Geschmäcker ein bisschen auseinander.
Tom: Als Teenager findet man ja auch alles gut, was halbwegs gut aussieht.
Bill: Wobei auf dem Dorf gibt es auch nicht so viel Auswahl. Wir sind ja in einem kleinen Dorf aufgewachsen, da gab es dann immer nur zwei hübsche Mädchen.

Tom ist also der Aufreißer und du bist etwas schüchterner?
Bill: Ja, ich bin etwas schüchterner.
Tom: Ich muss aber sagen, der Aufreißer bin ich jetzt auch nicht mehr. Ich bin schon seit vier, fünf Jahren aus dem Game raus, weil ich eine feste Freundin habe. Die Zeiten liegen hinter mir.
Bill: Ich bin noch schüchtern und nicht in einer Beziehung. Ich bin auch eher der zurückhaltende Typ. Tom war ja am Anfang immer krass unterwegs und Georg auch.

Was, Georg auch? 
Bill: Georg auch, die haben das mit den Groupies schon ordentlich ausgekostet. Aber ich bin eher so der Romantiker, was das angeht.

Och. Und der Gustav?
Bill: Gustav ist mittlerweile sogar verheiratet, mit 26.

Das ist aber jung. Wäre das für euch eine Option, so jung zu heiraten?
Bill: Es heiraten jetzt ja ganz viele so mit 25, 26, in L.A. kriege ich das auch immer wieder mit. Viele in unserem Alter haben schon Familie. Für mich ist das kein Thema, weil ich ja nicht verliebt bin. Aber wenn das alles passt, würde ich das auch machen.

Wie viele Hunde habt ihr?
Bill: Die zwei, Toms Freundin hat auch noch einen, in L.A. haben wir dann drei Hunde. Aber unsere privaten Hunde sind die beiden.

Wenn der Kleine Pumba heißt, heißt der Große dann Timon?
Bill: Schön wär’s. Tom, er sollte Timon heißen.
Tom: Ich verrate seinen Namen nicht gern, weil ich nicht will, dass die ganzen Fans ihn rufen. Alle wissen, dass er Pumba heißt und alle rufen immer Pumba. Das Gute an ihm ist aber, dass er nicht hört.
Bill: Klar hört er!
Tom: Wenn die ganzen Leute Pumba rufen, ist das für ihn, als würde jemand Kathrin rufen.
Bill: So ein Quatsch.
Tom: Aber wenn ich mit meinem rausgehe und alle würden seinen Namen kennen… Wir nehmen die ja immer mit auf Tour, dann müssen wir auch mal mit ihnen Gassi gehen und werden von einer Traube Fans und Fotografen begleitet, die immer die Hundenamen rufen. Aber er geht immer kein Stück weiter, weil niemand seinen Namen kennt, weil ich so ein guter Papa bin.

Habt ihr gegegenseitig was mitzureden beim Daten?
Bill: Das ist schon wichtig, dass sich der Zwillingsbruder auch mit dem Partner versteht, wobei das eigentlich viel schwieriger für die Partner ist, weil die immer eine Beziehung mit zwei Leuten führen und vor allem weil wir immer die erste Bezugsperson für den anderen sind. Die Beziehung muss sich immer hinten anstellen. Wir sind wirklich so close. Es gibt nichts, was Tom nicht über mich weiß und umgekehrt genauso. Wo Tom ist, bin ich auch. Wir kommen immer im Doppelpack.
Tom: Die normale Partnerschaft, wie sich das andere vorstellen, ist mit uns gar nicht möglich, weil Bill und ich schon die engste Partnerschaft haben, die man sich überhaupt vorstellen kann. Nur ohne Sex.

Was ist, wenn das Mädchen eure Musik nicht mag?
Tom: Das wäre auch in Ordnung.
Bill: Wobei, weiß ich gar nicht, ob das so okay wäre. Findest du das okay?
Tom: Naja, wenn sie grundsätzlich die Musik scheiße finden würde, wäre das ja auch total albern. Das könnte ich gar nicht ernst nehmen. (Gelächter)

Gutes Selbstbewusstsein auf jeden Fall. 
Bill: Das wäre ja auch total bescheuert. Die Musik ist ja so privat und so intim. Wenn der Partner das scheiße findet, findet er ja einen riesengroßen Teil an dir scheiße. Das würde ja keinen Sinn geben.

Seid ihr da empfindlich?
Bill: Eigentlich nicht. Wir spielen unsere Musik auch immer als Erstes unseren Familien und Freunden vor. Da gibt es das ganz oft, dass die Leute das nicht schnallen, zum Beispiel bei „Girl Got A Gun“ haben viele gesagt: „Da stehe ich gar nicht drauf, finde ich kacke.“ Aber Tom und ich hatten immer ein gesundes Selbstbewusstsein. Es war auch oft so, dass wenn Leute etwas richtig kacke fanden—auch bei mir optisch—hatte ich noch mehr Bock, das anzuziehen. Wir sind da relativ selbstbewusst und vertrauen unseren Instinkten.

Macht ihr immer noch Highlife in L.A.?
Bill: Jetzt gerade nicht mehr so, weil wir viel unterwegs sind. Ich arbeite ja ganz gern und bin auch gern im Stress. Wenn ich zu viel Zeit für andere Sachen habe, baue ich meistens Scheiße. Dann wird das zu viel. Ich muss dann immer gucken, dass ich da wieder rauskomme. Und als wir das Album aufgenommen haben und keine anderen Termine hatten, war das schon extrem mit dem Feiern.
Tom: Ich habe immer so Phasen. Manchmal vertrage ich sehr viel und dann kann ich einfach nicht mehr. Bis vor Kurzem war es eigentlich noch relativ viel und an Gustavs Hochzeit habe ich mich so abgeschossen, dass ich seitdem sehr, sehr wenig feiere.
Bill: Gerade gehen wir gar nicht feiern, weil ich so Hypochonder-mäßig darauf achte, nicht krank zu werden wegen der Tour.

Wie feiert man in L.A.? High Society Clubs? Drogen?
Bill: Drogen gibt es superviele in L.A. Kiffen tut natürlich jeder, weil es legal ist. Das ist wie Zigarettenrauchen, das macht jeder. Ansonsten ist es schon anders als hier, alles ist um 2 Uhr zu Ende.
Tom: Es ist alles fancy, es ist lange nicht so ausgelassen und careless wie in Berlin. Es ist alles prolliger.

Findet ihr das cool?
Bill: Ja, es gibt schon coole Clubs, die es hier gar nicht gibt. Dort ist alles sehr durchgestylt. Es hat beides was, man hat auf beides mal Bock.

Fahrt ihr eigentlich noch U-Bahn?
Bill: Nee.
Tom: Ich bin noch nie U-Bahn gefahren.

Was? Du bist noch nie U-Bahn gefahren?
Tom: (schüttelt den Kopf)
Bill: Ich muss auch ehrlich sagen, ich wüsste gar nicht, wie das mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln geht. Ich könnte nicht mal einen Busplan lesen. Ich wüsste überhaupt nicht, wie ich von A nach B komme, auch mit Straßenbahnen. Ich habe das einfach nie gemacht.

Es wäre nicht okay, wenn eure Freundin eure Musik nicht feiert, aber seid ihr skeptisch gegenüber richtigen Fans?
Tom: Man ist schon skeptisch, weil man sich über die Jahre auch sehr isoliert hat. Wir sind schon, seit wir 15 sind, am Machen und dann bist du natürlich gegenüber Journalisten und Leuten, die an deiner Person interessiert sind, was am Ende natürlich auch Fans sind, sehr vorsichtig. Grundsätzlich kann ich das nicht ausschließen, weil ich ja grundsätzlich verstehen kann, dass man Fan von der Musik ist (lacht).

Es ist ein Zwiespalt.
Tom: Es ist ja auch bei jedem Kennenlernen schwierig, weil ich immer weiß, dass die Person mich schon aus der Öffentlichkeit kennt. Es ist zu 98% der Fall, dass derjenige schon mal über dich was gelesen hat. Die einzige Situation, wo das nicht immer vorkommt, ist in Amerika.

Ist das der Grund, warum ihr dort hingezogen seid?
Bill: Ja, total.
Tom: Irgendwann ging das für uns privat nicht mehr und wir wollten wohin, wo man auch mal Leute trifft, die einen noch nicht kennen.

Du erzählst dann immer, dass du ein tschechischer Pornostar bist, oder?
Tom: Genau. Ich frage mich manchmal auch, was realistisch ist. Wir sehen ja schon so aus… Wir laufen auch privat so rum, vor allem bei Bill fragen sich die Leute immer. Oft sagen sie: „Ich habe das Gefühl, ich kenne dich irgendwoher“, auch wenn sie einen nicht kennen. Jeder in L.A. will immer gleich wissen, ob du in der Industrie tätig bist und ob man über dich irgendeinen Kontakt kriegen kann. Ich überlege mir immer, was ich sagen kann, was realistisch ist und nichts mit Musik zu tun hat. Und dann sage ich immer, ich bin ein Pornostar. Bill sagt, er ist Fotograf.
Bill: Ich weiß nie, was man mir glaubt und dann erzähle ich immer irgendeinen Scheiß. Einmal hatte ich jemand, der selber Fotograf war und meinte: „Was ist denn deine Lieblingslinse? Ich habe auch ein Fotostudio.“ Und ich dachte mir: Fuck, ich weiß überhaupt nichts über Kameras. Dann musste ich mir irgendwas aus dem Arsch ziehen. Letztes Mal, als wir in Miami waren, kam auch ein Typ und meinte zu uns „Hi, ihr seht aus, als ob ich mit euch Geld verdienen kann.“

Das ist ja eine nette Begrüßung. 
Bill: Ja, und ich meinte so: „Ach nichts, wir studieren und sind nur bei Freunden.“
Tom: Aber das Problem war, dass wir mit unserem Auto da waren und sie das gleich gesehen haben.
Bill: Genau, er meinte gleich: „Ihr habt doch Kohle.“ Und ich habe dann gesagt, dass unsere Eltern ganz gut Geld haben.
Tom: „Wir sind nur Rich Kids.“
Bill: Er hat uns das aber nicht geglaubt. Die Leute glauben uns das einfach nicht. Ich brauche noch was Realistisches.

Sag doch einfach, du bist BWL-Student. 
Bill: Ja. Oder ich sage eben, ich mache als Hobby Musik.
Tom: Dann denken alle, du bist so ein Möchtegernkünstler.
Bill: Der gerne mal irgendwo Erfolg hätte. Davon gibt es in L.A. ja viele.

Oder Autoverkäufer, dann habt ihr gleich eine Erklärung für das teure Auto.
Tom: (zu Bill) Du siehst eigentlich auch aus wie so ein schmieriger Autoverkäufer, der Gebrauchtwagen vertickt (Gelächter).

Bleibt ihr eigentlich auf dem Laufenden darüber, was in Deutschland abgeht?
Bill: So ein bisschen, geht so. Man bekommt nicht so viel mit in Amerika, wenn man nicht konkret dranbleibt und sich informiert.
Tom: Insgesamt auch wenig, ich beschäftige mich meistens mit meinem Kram. Wenn man gerade im Studio ist und entspannt ein Album produziert, beschäftigt man sich eher mal mit anderen Sachen und informiert sich. Aber auf Tour oder Tourvorbereitung steht man morgens auf, setzt sich gleich an den Rechner und bereitet irgendwas vor. Dann beschäftige ich mit gar nichts außer mit Tokio Hotel.

Wollt ihr noch überall die Finger im Spiel haben?
Tom: Was die Band angeht, leider ja.
Bill: Ich würde supergerne mehr abgeben und entspannter sein. Wir haben letztens wieder darüber geredet. Eigentlich haben wir ein Riesenteam und es gibt für alle Leute Aufgabenbereiche, aber letztendlich gucken wir über alles drüber und sind da extrem unentspannt.
Tom: Wir haben eigentlich so viele Leute, die wir jeden Monat bezahlen, um Sachen zu erledigen, aber wenn jedes Thema über unseren Schreibtisch wandern muss, dauert es einfach doppelt so lange. Es ist ganz schwer, diesen Weg zu finden. Ich habe immer unglaubliche Angst, Kontrolle zu verlieren. Dann schiebe ich es immer auf Leute und werde unglaublich frustriert. Es ist schwer, weil ich meine Arbeit als Künstler nur gut machen kann, wenn ich den Kopf frei habe.

Perfektionisten, ich merke schon.
Beide: Ja, schlimm.

Ihr seid euch wirklich krass ähnlich. 
Ja. (lachen)

Wie unterscheidet ihr euch denn? Nicht mal im Frauengeschmack!
Bill: Nur optisch würde ich sagen, aber sonst… Ich finde das schwierig zu sagen, andere könnten das vielleicht besser beurteilen. Ich bin vielleicht noch mehr ein Bauchmensch und Tom ist manchmal überlegter als ich.
Tom: Du hast ein bisschen mehr Disziplin als ich. Du bist ein bisschen verbissener.
Bill: Aber ich mache Sachen auch schnell und unüberlegt, weil ich so unglaublich ungeduldig bin. Das unterscheidet uns. Du hast mehr Geduld, deswegen spielst du auch Instrumente. Ich spiele keine Instrumente, weil ich mich nicht hinsetzen und was lernen kann.
Tom: Bill ist ein bisschen emotionaler und dadurch kommen auch die Bauchsachen.
Bill: Bei mir muss immer alles schnell gehen. Ich rede schnell, ich rede viel und ich kann nie lange auf was warten. Deswegen ist es auch total die falsche Branche für mich, weil Sachen ja auch mal dauern. Ich habe das ganz extrem. Ich kann auch nie eine Email oder eine SMS unbeantwortet lassen. Wenn mir jemand schreibt, kriegt er innerhalb von fünf Minuten eine Nachricht zurück. Ich habe auch noch nie in meinem Leben jemandem Geld geschuldet, ich kriege nie eine Mahnung. Ich kann Sachen nicht liegen lassen. Tom ist manchmal so, dass er sagt „Entspann dich, ist doch scheißegal“. Ich muss immer alles sofort abhaken und ich habe ganz wenig Verständnis für Leute, die schluderig sind.

Vielleicht solltest du doch BWL studieren. 
Bill: Ja, ich bin auch so, dass ich immer einen Notizblock habe und sehr organisiert bin (lacht). Ich weiß immer genau, was ich als Nächstes mache.

Eine sehr wichtige Erste Date-Frage ist noch: Hört ihr Drake?
Bill: Nein, ich nicht.
Tom: Ist das gut, wenn man das hört oder nicht (Unwissende Leute im Raum schütteln den Kopf). Ich würde mir kein ganzes Drake-Album anhören, aber einzelne Lieder fand ich sehr gut, „Hold On, We’re Going Home“.
Bill: Ja, der war gut.
Tom: Ich habe grundsätzlich Respekt vor Hits. Da ist mir auch egal, ob das totaler Pop, HipHop oder Rock ist. Wenn das gut gemacht hat und eine eingängige Melodie hat, ist das Mindeste, was ich davor habe, Respekt. Und manchmal höre ich es auch.

Interview by Viola Funk
Source: Noisey
Photos by Aljoscha Redenius

Cropped Magazine : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Berlin, Germany 24.02.2015

(Eng. Subtitles)

Kaltblut Magazine : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Berlin, Germany 24.02.2015

TOKIO HOTEL: CULT KIDS, ALL-GROWN-UP – AN INTERVIEW

“Love has no gender or religion, no borders” – Tokio Hotel told KALTBLUT as we chatted about their new album “Kings of Suburbia” [Island Records] and their upcoming world tour–“Feel It All: The Club Experience”–due to kick off in London next week. Inspired by the wanton debauchery of their newfound home in downtown L.A, Germany’s favourite lost boys Bill & Tom are finally all grown up–as are their teenage cult following–but do they still feel like aliens?

If the latest visual offering for “Love Who Loves You Back” is anything to go by, they’re now 25-years-young, frequently dark corners in Berghain-esque nightclubs where the rules to which they could never succumb do not matter, in fact do not exist at all. As they encourage fans worldwide to revel in this delicious boundary-free sphere, will they finally plug the void which MySpace friends once used to fill?

KALTBLUT: How did you record the new album?

Bill: So Georg and Gustav were still living in our home town, they still live in Germany now. Me and Tom moved to L.A. so we weren’t working together all the time, but we got to meet in the studio together for band recordings and live recordings. They came to L.A. once in a while, other times we would go to meet them in Germany.
Tom: We’ve been in Germany too. We recorded in a lot of different studios. This record took us four years of work I think, and constantly being in the studio producing, songwriting. So at the end of the day it was a collection of four years of songwriting – we ended up recording in a lot of different places.

KALTBLUT: Four years is a really long time!

Bill: Yeah I know, but we were constantly working on it. We wrote a lot of songs. There were so many songs that didn’t end up on the record, and we’d rather put less songs on there so we could form the perfect album. We decided to put eleven tracks on in order to do that. We also wrote a lot of songs that we wrote for ourselves that we will save to offer to other artists as well. That’s something we wanted to do anyway, produce for other people too.

KALTBLUT: What kind of other artists are you thinking of?

Tom: Oh I don’t know, it’s like in general we enjoy good music, so at the end of the day I’m not thinking in any specific genre or anything like that. For me it’s like I can enjoy that it’s good production, no matter what type of music it is – I can enjoy a good pop song, a good rock song, I like every kind of music as long as it’s well made. I’m 100% open to new ideas.


KALTBLUT: It must be important to find a new direction after being together for so many years?

Bill: Oh yeah, definitely. Especially after the last album we needed a break and a change to get new inspiration because we didn’t know what we wanted to do music-wise. We’ve said it all, we’ve done it all, we were kind of like tired and didn’t know what to do. We didn’t just want to make another album that sounds the same. So we just thought we need to live our lives a little bit to get inspired.

KALTBLUT: Is that why you you decided to move over to L.A.?

Tom: Uh huh, yeah. At the time for me it was super hard to live here in Germany because of privacy reasons. We always had fans and people following us, we weren’t able to go out without having security. So each time we came off from a tour or wanted to get a break we were heavily guarded, it was like a prison. We couldn’t go out and get inspired! We really needed that change. We realised we have to have a life too. I guess when you’re young you don’t really realise. I remember we were coming home after three years of constant touring and I didn’t really know what to do because I had no life. When you’re constantly on the road you don’t realise it, but when you come home it hits you and then you can fall into a black hole. So the reason we went to L.A. was for personal reasons, and then we started to feel like we wanted to work on the record and take our time, be creative, not feel pressure from the label. We just wanted to write and work as producers.

KALTBLUT: Do you think that moving to L.A. and your experiences there shaped the new album?

Bill: For sure, we started a whole new life.
Tom: It totally worked out for us.
Bill: It was the best decision we could have made. I mean, we’re still psychos! But I think on a personal level, I don’t know what would have happened if we had stayed in Europe. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.

KALTBLUT: We were really surprised when we watched the video for “Love Who Loves You Back” – it almost feels like a typical Friday night out in Berlin! Were your new videos purposely intended to be provocative?

Bill: People asked us, because we released all three videos before the album came out and we got confronted with “Ah everything is so sexual!” and we didn’t even realise! Every time we make decisions it’s super spontaneous and out of pure instinct, so when we wrote those songs I already have a concept for the video in my mind. I always have a pretty keen idea of what I want to do and for “Love Who Loves You Back” I wanted to make that video for a long time, even when we were making the last album, but it just wasn’t the right director and it wasn’t the right song. I always had that idea, so when I wrote that song I just knew that the video was meant for that. The idea inspired by a movie called “Perfume” directed by Tom Tykwer. I wanted to take the idea into the video, but instead of perfume, we used music – because I feel that’s the message of the song. It’s like love has no gender or religion, no borders – and I just wanted to bring that across, also in a fun way. I feel like so many people are watching our videos so I wanted to do something like that.

KALTBLUT: So you guys are going on tour?

Bill: We have until the 5th and then we go to London. We are really excited, it’s going to be a great show. It’s a little nerve wracking because when you’ve worked on something for so long, you just want it to sound as good as it can be. Plus we’re a nervous band! We get like super nervous before each show, even after years!
Tom: Yeah I think it’s getting worse!
Bill: I don’t think we’re ever going to lose that. I think that’s maybe part of it, but especially if you have a new album and everything, you’re super nervous.
Tom: I wish it would be a little less.
Bill: Yeah but I’m good at working under pressure, most of the time I’m better.

KALTBLUT: So we mentioned on our Twitter page that we would interview you guys, and have some questions from your fans!

Question #1 from Sandrine Tan: Which language is the most beautiful for you guys?

Tokio Hotel: Italian!
Bill: I love Italian people, I think they’re all beautiful inside and outside. They’re so pretty! It’s a super nice country, I love the whole culture, I love the food, the architecture. The language especially!

Question #2 from Devyn: What music are you listening to lately?

Bill: Right now I love the song by Lenny called “Because I Love You”. It’s a cool song.
Tom: There’s another great song called “Shadow of the Sun” by Taped Rai. Like somebody will come across a cool song and then everybody goes and buys it!
Bill: We have to admit that we don’t really listen to that much music when we are so into our own stuff. When you are making music the whole time, like right now we are running a set or two sets every day which means we play almost 42 songs. By the end of a session like that you are so tired of listening to music because you are concentrating on your own for so long. I also think the new Ellie Goulding song is very good.

Question #3 from Elizabeth Joseph: How long did Georg and Gustav know each other before meeting the twins?

Georg: It was not too long, it was like a year or something. We just clicked.
Tom: And it clicked especially when they saw us together in the club, like they wanted to join our band so bad! [Laughs]

Question #4 from Whitney: Which of your new songs are you most excited to perform live?

Bill: I think now that we are into rehearsals, the opening of the show is going to be great. I don’t want to give away which song that is! [Laughs] I really think “Stormy Weather” will be great live.
Gustav: I think “Masquerade” will be really good to play live.
Bill: “The Heart Get No Sleep” is going to be cool too.

Question #5 from @TokioHotelFans: What can the fans expect from the new live show and tour?

Bill: Now that we are in the process we are excited to finally share the record with people. It’s like performing it in front of people, you can see them and see how much they enjoy it.
Tom: They can expect a lot! We tried to fit a great production into small venues and we are going to bring a lot of new stuff to the tour. It’s going to be a really special show. We wanted to create something that’s not been done before.
Bill: So we tried a lot of things, we tried using a lot of different instruments that we are not used to playing; keys and piano. There is so much programming and processing and new technique that goes into the show that we have never done before. I don’t think anyone has done before! We have great lighting and video production, just a completely new concept that we’re really excited to share with our fans.
Tom: It’s a real project, it’s a project for us as well you know. Especially putting the music together and transporting that onto stage and using the different sounds in a fresh way. There are a lot of technical aspects in there and we have to rely on it as well, so we will have to see how it goes!

Question #6 from Shabnam Zareen: I am an ‘Alien’ from Bangladesh, would you ever come to my country?

Tom: I want to go there for sure!
Bill: I would love to! This year we are going to travel the whole world, we want to play everywhere so maybe we will go to Bangladesh!


The ‘Feel It All’ World Tour kicks off next week, 6th March, in London UK, tickets are limited but you could still grab some for London, Paris, Barcelona and Germany!

Interview by Amy Heaton
Source: KALTBLUT Magazine
Photos by www.the-impossible-project.com
Lauren Raaijmakers  www.laurenraaijmakers.nl

Superior Magazine : Interview with Tokio Hotel - Berlin, Germany 24.02.2015

"Exclusive Interview with Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz, Georg Listing and Gustav Schäfer of Tokio Hotel. Read the interview in our SUPERIOR DIGITAL March 2015 issue HERE"

 

MAGAZINE - READ ONLINE:

wiwo.de : Die Marke Bill Kaulitz "Zu jung und zu uncool" - Interview with Bill Kaulitz (12.02.2015)

Tokio-Hotel-Sänger Bill Kaulitz spricht im Interview über den Mut zur Veränderung, Jungs als neue Fangruppe, sein Leben in Los Angeles. Und die Sehnsucht nach deutschem Schwarzbrot.

WirtschaftsWoche: Herr Kaulitz, Ihr Haar ist platinblond und kurz geschnitten. Sie tragen schwarze Jeans, Lackschuhe und Strickponcho – im Vergleich zu früher sehen Sie geradezu spießig aus.

Bill Kaulitz: Ich trage oft hohe Schuhe, das sorgt zumindest in Deutschland immer noch für Aufregung. Aber klar, ich sehe heute anders aus als vor fünf Jahren. Ich liebe Mode und könnte niemals jahrelang die gleiche Frisur tragen. Ich brauche die Veränderung.

Die schwarzen, langen Haare waren jahrelang Ihr Markenzeichen. Sind solche Veränderungen nicht gefährlich?

Bill: Klar, immer wenn ich eine neue Frisur oder ein neues Tattoo habe, gibt es einen Aufschrei. Als Fan findet man eine Band schließlich wegen ihrer Musik und ihres Looks toll – wenn sich das ändert, sorgt das für Unmut. Aber ich werde mich immer weiterentwickeln und verändern, und das wird immer auch einigen Fans nicht gefallen. Als Künstler muss man dieses Risiko auf sich nehmen.

Schämen Sie sich für Ihren früheren Look?

Bill: Nein, ich würde zwar heute nicht mehr so rumlaufen, aber damals wollte ich genau so aussehen und deshalb war das zu dem Zeitpunkt auch authentisch und richtig.

Sie waren früher der Außenseiter, der Musik für Außenseiter gemacht hat. Eine kleine Zielgruppe – warum hat es trotzdem funktioniert?

Bill: Unseren ersten Hit „Durch den Monsun“ habe ich in unserem Proberaum in Magdeburg geschrieben, weil ich das damals genauso gefühlt habe. Und dass viele Leute genauso gefühlt haben, das wusste ich nicht. Genauso wenig wie die Plattenfirmen, die uns erst abgelehnt haben. Und auch beim neuen Album Kings of Suburbia habe ich nicht gedacht: Mh, für welche Zielgruppe schreibe ich denn nun? Ich habe mich daran orientiert, was ich selbst gerade hören will. Ich muss mich erst selbst glücklich machen und kann dann nur hoffen, damit auch andere glücklich zu machen.

Wer hört Tokio Hotel heute?

Bill: Als wir mit 15 unsere erste Platte rausgebracht haben, waren unsere Fans im gleichen Alter oder jünger. Viele von denen sind mit uns mitgewachsen, weil sie sich auch verändert haben. Aber es kommen natürlich auch neue dazu. Wir haben gerade in LA in einem Klub gespielt, für den man über 21 Jahre alt sein musste. Da hatten wir schon ein bisschen Angst, dass manche Fans nicht reinkommen. Völlig unberechtigt. Die meisten unserer Fans sind jetzt auch Mitte 20. Und es kommen erstmals auch Jungs zu unseren Konzerten.

Woran liegt das?

Bill: Zum einen liegt es natürlich an der Musik, die wir jetzt machen. Unser Sound hat sich sehr verändert über die Jahre. Mein Zwillingsbruder Tom und ich sind 25 Jahre alt, unser Bandkollege Gustav hat gerade geheiratet – unser Geschmack und unsere Interessen haben sich in den letzten zehn Jahren geändert. Und gerade bei den Jungs ist der Coolness-Faktor einer Band ganz entscheidend. Früher haben uns keine Jungs gehört, weil wir denen zu jung und zu uncool waren.

Kings of Suburbia ist das erste Album nach fünf Jahren und klingt nach Großstadt und Klub – eine so lange Pause und ein völlig neuer Musikstil ist eigentlich das klassische Karriere-Aus für eine Teenie-Band.

Bill: Absolut – alle haben uns davor gewarnt, uns eine so lange Auszeit zu gönnen, weil das gegen jede Regel des Musikbusiness verstoßen würde. Aber wir hatten einfach keine Lust mehr und haben es riskiert. Ich wusste damals nicht mehr, welche Musik ich überhaupt machen wollte. Und wenn man ein Album nur macht, um die Zielgruppe bei Laune zu halten, kann das nicht gut gehen.

Tokio Hotel ist eine deutsche Marke, die aber international oft besser funktioniert hat als in der Heimat. Warum?

Bill: In Deutschland waren wir immer nur Nische. „Durch den Monsun“ war wochenlang in den Charts und trotzdem hat es kein Radiosender gespielt. Die hatten Angst zu polarisieren oder dass jemand abschaltet. In anderen Ländern fand uns eine breitere Masse gut – da wurden wir auch im Radio gespielt. Außerdem ist alles, was mit Bühnenshow zu tun hat, in Deutschland schwierig. Hier funktioniert reduziertes Singer-Songwriter-Zeugs mit Gitarre, aber nicht die große Show. Wenn man hier in seinem Musikvideo einen Lamborghini fährt, finden das alle dumm und prollig. In den USA hingegen finden das alle geil.

Sie leben seit fünf Jahren in Los Angeles. Welche deutschen Produkte fehlen Ihnen?

Bill: Die Maggie-Fertigmischungen und Ritter-Sport-Schokolade. Und deutsche Backwaren. Vor allem Schwarzbrot und Pflaumenkuchen.

Interview by Lin Freitag

Source: WirtschaftsWoche 

JustJared.com : Exclusive Interview with Tokio Hotel!

Bill and Tom Kaulitz of the German rock band Tokio Hotel suit up for these new JustJared.com exclusive portrait session photos.

Tokio Hotel is currently promoting their latest album, Kings of Suburbia, in stores now. The video for their lead single “Love Who Loves You Back” has already racked up more than five million views!

Tom and Bill will be kicking off their “Feel It All World Tour 2015. Part 1: The Club Experience” on March 6th in London, England. In our exclusive interview with them, they talk about what to expect from the tour, their plans to write a book, and their celebrity crushes. Click inside for the full interview!


Below is the worldwide exclusive premiere of the new Tokio Hotel Vs Pionear “Love Who Loves You Back” remix. Check it out! (here)

Interview

Just Jared: LA nightlife inspired your new album, Kings of Suburbia. Are there certain places in LA that you love and go to often?

Bill Kaulitz: I feel like we have phases, where we go somewhere a lot, and then we don’t go there anymore. The only place we always go, like Tom, you are just not that into nightclubs…
Tom Kaulitz: I am, I’m just not so much into dancing.
Bill: Yeah, but we kind of always like to drink a lot and talk afterwards, and listen to some music. Soho House is just a classic where we always go. And then it changes. I liked Sound for awhile.
Tom: And Hyde, once a week, at least.
Bill: I love Warwick. And nightclubs, I don’t know. There were those pop up parties downtown, they were cool. We went out so much, I don’t remember!

JJ: What are your favorite lyrics from your single, “Love Who Loves You Back”?

Bill: “Love who loves you back,” probably. (laughs) Because that is what it really is. I feel like we all shouldn’t think about who we love, because we can’t control it anyway. And I feel like so many people try that, but I feel like it’s beautiful that we can’t control it. We all tend to try to have control of our heart but I feel like in the end, we really can’t. And that’s for me, what the song is about also. Just love who loves you back, just enjoy love.

JJ: Do you guys feel like you fall in and out of love lots of times? Can you love multiple people at the same time?

Bill: I mean, yeah. Tom loved a lot of girls every other night when he was younger. (laughs) He was, you were pretty wild. Now he kind of settled. I feel like that was when he was 16, 17.
Tom: Everybody does at that age.
Bill: I didn’t.
Tom: Yeah you did.
Bill: I didn’t. I feel like I’m the opposite. When I fall in love, I fall hard. And then I’m sure about that. But it takes a while ’til that happens. So yeah, I’m not like that, I’m not the one night stand kind of guy.

JJ: Do you think there’s one person in the world that you’re meant to be with? Or do you think there’s multiple people in the world you could be happy with?

Tom: Oh yeah, I think there’s multiple people. That’s what I think.
Bill: I don’t know. I feel like it’s very hard to find someone you love in and out, your soul mate, and someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. I feel like you should be, you have to be very heavy because there are billions of people out there and I just feel like, to find that person, that’s super hard. And I feel like you have to be lucky. I feel like people think they might find the right person, and then they think they are so in love, until they really meet their love. So, I feel like you’re not.
Tom: I feel like it could happen to you a bunch of times. So many people are in serious relationships and are really in love…
Bill: But I’m saying you’re one person.
Tom: Yeah, I don’t know. This is just a dream scenario…
Bill: That’s not a dream scenario, it exists. I feel like it exists. I believe in that.
Tom: Well, no. Of course it’s possible to find the person you love and you may spend the rest of your life together, but you never know.

JJ: Do you know what your next single is going to be?

Bill: Yeah, in Europe it’s going to be “Feel It All”, and in America, we are still undecided, because we are still working with “Love Who Loves You Back.” But in Europe and the rest of the world, it’s going to be “Feel It All”.

JJ: Outside of music, would you guys ever act? Have you ever been offered any acting projects?

Bill: Yes, actually Tom and I were offered a movie awhile ago. But then the whole movie industry was so slow.
Tom: I thought music is slow, but movies, that’s crazy. No, but we got an offer for a movie…
Bill: To play brothers.
Tom: To play brothers. And I liked the concept.
Bill: We’re still trying to make that work.
Tom: It’s just so weird because I hate when musicians try to act, and when actors try to do music. Most of the time it’s just stupid.
Bill: But we want to try that. (both laugh)
Tom: But maybe we can make an exception. Maybe it’s good when we do it. I don’t know. I’m still not sure about it. We had a lot of test shoots already.
Bill: Yeah, we had that a while ago.
Tom: That was awkward.
Bill: They said I am a natural talent. (laughs)

JJ: Is there a scripted American television show that you guys would want to guest star on?

Bill: Breaking Bad, but that’s not on anymore. House of Cards!
Tom: House of Cards would be amazing.
Bill: I love House of Cards. I would do anything to be on that show. I love that show.

JJ: You guys are obviously very into fashion. Are there any new designers on the scene that you have been wearing?

Bill: Not new. I’m totally into Givenchy. I love everything they do. I think everything is amazing.
Tom: We really like KTZ.
Bill: I really like KTZ, yeah they are kind of big now. Yeah, these are my favorites at the moment.

JJ: What is your favorite place to shop in LA?

Bill: All the stores on Fairfax now. They are all the new stores I like.
Tom: Church is cool.
Bill: Church I like. I like Oak. I like all these small little stores. And then of course, I always love Barney’s.
Tom: Barney’s yeah! I love Barney’s. (both laugh)

JJ: Would you guys ever start your own clothing line?

Bill: Oh yeah! It’s my dream. I want to do that so bad. Ever since, like I started when I was super young too, like make my own t-shirts and stuff. Because I had no money, so I just bought like cheap stuff and then made like a new piece out of it. My mom was into that too, so she kind of always helped me out. And I started to sketch when I was young, it was always my dream to do that. I have, I already have everything ready. I have a concept and almost like a first collection. I’m just kind of waiting for the right moment. I feel like when I do it, I want to do it properly, and not being a celebrity that just puts their name on something. I want to do the real thing.
Tom: You can do it when I do my DJ project.

JJ: What kind of aesthetic do you think that clothing line would have?

Bill: I like all the old stuff. Like, baroque, combined with modern, new fabrics and styles.

JJ: What songs are you guys singing in the shower?

Tom: Believe it or not, I don’t sing at all. I don’t sing at all.
Bill: It’s so hard for me to believe that. You sing with me in the car sometimes, when I sing.
Tom: Yeah because, when he sings…
Bill: But he always only sings when I’m singing.
Tom: Yeah. And the funny thing is, I can really hit the right notes when I just sing with Bill. If I would sing by myself, it would sound horrible. Because I never sing, so I think I have an amazing voice, (Bill laughs), I’m just not practicing.

JJ: You have a good singing voice, everything looks perfect on you…

Tom: I’m just a perfect human being. (laughs)

JJ: Do you have any celebrity crushes?

Bill: Okay, there is one, everyone else thinks it’s awkward, but I love Kate Winslet a lot. She’s kind of old for me, but there’s something about her, I just think she’s sexy. And she’s an amazing actress.
Tom: And then you got Rachel McAdams.
Bill: Rachel McAdams. Rachel McAdams is always going to be my favorite.
Tom: She’s great.

JJ: What is your ethnic background?

Bill: Uh, we don’t have one. (laughs)
Tom: We actually don’t know.
Bill: I have no idea, actually!
Tom: I would like to find out.
Bill: I would like to find out because people always tell us, like there needs to be something. Something needs to be in there.
Tom: I think Bill looks a little Turkish.
Bill: But I don’t think so! A lot of people say that sometimes, but I don’t think so. I don’t know. I only know that we, like the whole family is German, so I don’t know. But maybe way back somewhere there’s something, I have no idea.

JJ: Do you have any favorite books? Or books you’re reading right now?

Tom: No.
Bill: I never had a favorite book.
Tom: I always want to convince myself to read. I have so many books because people keep giving me so many books, like, “Oh you have to read that.” And I don’t have the time for it. Like when I have a free minute, I always go to the studio. I wish, I always want to read something good, but I just can’t convince myself.
Bill: I like “Kill Your Friends”, I like it a lot, but I wouldn’t consider it my favorite. But I wouldn’t say that’s my favorite book, I would just say it’s a good book.
Tom: It’s a great book.

JJ: Would you ever write your own book?

Bill: Yeah! I mean, we’re going to do that this year. So maybe that’s going to be our favorite book then. It’s going to be a biography, just like our first 25 years. We are going to write it together. I hope we have the time for it, because we really want to write it.
Tom: We want to try to bring it up obviously.

JJ: Do you think you would have your own individual voices in the book or would you write it together to create one voice?

Tom: I think individual.
Bill: Yeah, individual. I think there are some stories you can tell better than me, and the other way around.

JJ: Part one of your world tour, what can people expect?

Bill: So this is going to be way different than anything we’ve ever done so far. It’s going to be like super small, special, nightclubs or clubs, like life clubs. But sometimes we play in like a church, so it’s either in a special location or a legendary club. And we actually want to put on, like not a normal live show. We want to try turn this into a nightclub. We really want to take our fans to a party. So I think it’s going to be great.
Tom: We’re in the middle of putting everything down right now. There’s going to be a crazy light show.
Bill: It’s going to be a good light show, and it’s going to be small, just up to like two thousand people, I think. And then we’re going to continue, like later on this year, we’re going to do the arena shows, the bigger shows. But we’re going to start with that, it’s exciting. We announced the first fifteen dates, I think? And then we are just going to continue.
Tom: It’s going to be really intimate, and super hot. It’s little venues, and sweating people.

JJ: Do you style yourselves, or do you work with costumers? How does the look come together for all your concerts?

Bill: I always try to work with someone on tour. For the last two, I worked with Dan and Dean from DSquared. And we made the costumes together, they turned out amazing. I love to work with them, they’re so much fun. So I always like to work with someone for tour. This time, I, it looks like we’re going to work with Marco Marco. He’s going to do the costumes. I just had my first meeting, so it’s still very fresh, but I think we’re going to work together.

JJ: Do you have any rituals before you go out on stage?

Bill: Yeah, we activate our (together) Power Ranger power. (laughs) It’s a stupid thing, we all stand together and activate our powers. It’s super cheesy but we do that every time.

[Editor's note: we asked Bill and Tom the below questions at separate times, so one couldn't hear the other's answers.]

JJ: Quick: Vanilla or chocolate?

Bill: Vanilla.
Tom: Vanilla.

JJ: Hugs or kisses?

Bill: Kisses.
Tom: Hugs.

JJ: Silver or gold?

Bill: Gold.
Tom: Gold.

JJ: Lights on or lights off?

Bill: Lights off.
Tom: Off.

JJ: Truth or dare?

Bill: Um, truth.
Tom: Truth.

JJ: Facial hair or clean shaven?

Bill: Facial hair.
Tom: Facial Hair.

JJ: Sunrise or sunset?

Bill: Sunset.
Tom: Sunrise.

JJ: Shower or bath?

Bill: Shower.
Tom: Shower.

JJ: Boxers or briefs?

Bill: Boxers.
Tom: Briefs.

JJ: Jay Z or Kanye?

Bill: Jay Z.
Tom: Jay Z.

JJ: Tattoos or piercings?

Bill: Tattoos.
Tom: Tattoos.

JJ: Los Angeles or Hamburg?

Bill: Los Angeles.
Tom: Los Angeles.

JJ: Karl Lagerfeld or Hedi Slimane?

Bill: Oh my god. These questions are hard. Hedi Slimane.
Tom: Uhh… It’s tough. Karl Lagerfeld.

Interview by Jared Eng
Source: Just Jared

bullettmedia.com : A Conversation with Tokio Hotel (09.02.2015)

After a five-year hiatus since their last album Humanoid, Tokio Hotel is back and better than ever with a new masterpiece titled, Kings of Suburbia. A rapid departure from the band’s carefully crafted emo-punk signature that made them a breakout sensation throughout Germany (before they even hit puberty), Kings of Suburbia kicks off like a rave from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, transporting the listener through a colorful world of Los Angeles-inspired glamour, vanity, and romance. Kings of Suburbia took five years to record, and is also the first album the band produced independent of a major record label, allowing the members to let loose with an entire arsenal of electro-pop, alternative rock, and EDM. Set to tour Europe later in March, we called up the international princes of punk to discuss making their latest album and the role technology has had on contemporary music.

You guys have a tour coming up fairly soon. What’s been the process of preparing for it?

Bill: Actually, it takes a while. We have a big rehearsal space in Germany where we usually go – we just got a brand new one – we go there and start out by putting together a set list that makes sense and the content for the show, visually that fits what songs we want to play. All the visual stuff comes first, and then we go in and see what we want to do with the songs, and then we arrange the songs with the band. Usually we think about which instruments each of us can play and what we can do, and then we go through the set list and really take it song to song. We would do that for four weeks, and by the end of those four weeks we start dress rehearsal with the whole crew and hit the road.
Tom: (Laughs) The only problem is that we’re really lazy as a band because sometimes on rehearsal days we’ll come in, eat, take a break, sing a song, eat, and take a break again. And then the day’s over!

How does your new album, Kings of Suburbia, differ from your previous work?

Bill: Kings of Suburbia turned out to be way more electronic than the stuff we’ve done before. We kind of took a break after we put out our last album. It turned out to be a longer break than we thought, because we were kind of burnt out and didn’t know what music we wanted to make. We had no inspiration anymore so we kind of had to step back from the career a little bit just to live life and find inspiration for new music. For a year, we didn’t really do anything, and I think that was good because for the first time we had time to produce and write and think. We had no pressure from the record company, which was great, so we really got creative and tried new things. With the time out, our personal tastes also changed and we parties a lot so there was a lot inspired by the LA nightlife and the DJ scene. We started to lay down synths and stuff like that. The turnout was way more electronic, and it was the first time we produced the entire record.

Which gave you a lot more control. What’s the difference once you have all these artistic liberties now at your disposal?

Tom: We really dived in the whole production aspect of it, from pre-production, creating the demo, to the final master. That was really the first time we did that. Once you really dive into the whole process, it takes you a while because once you’re there, you’re searching for samples, you’re creating drums, you’re always in search for the perfect sound. It’s a lot of freedom and it takes a while. In the meantime, we didn’t even have instruments because we just wanted to be on our own in the studio; we did everything. It was really great to do the whole production and decide when you want to work with people and when you don’t.
Bill: And we just took the time this time. The truth is, we never really had time because we were on the road and had to make an album in two weeks.

So the year off was spent songwriting and getting back into the groove of redefining your sound?

Bill: Exactly. We were just living life. We thought we missed out on so much because we had been on the road for so long. Tom and me were living in Europe, that’s why we moved to America… to find that freedom. In Germany, we couldn’t go out to the street because we were so locked up in our house and everything had to do with security. We were so over it and needed that change to be with people and party and go out. Personally, and music wise, it was a good move for us to move to America.

Kings of Suburbia has more of an electronic feel to it. You guys first got together in the early 2000s; how would you describe the evolution of Tokio Hotel’s sound alongside technological advances in the music industry?

Tom: First of all, when we started in the early 2000s, we couldn’t really play our instruments. (Laughs) We were like 12 years old or whatever. When we first started writing songs, we just wanted to go out and perform them. We didn’t care how bad it was, we just wanted to be on stage. It was really fun. The good thing about that is we were on stage and performing live, and that’s what we’ve kept on doing up till today. We played hundreds and thousands of concerts and really enjoyed that. Also finding the right things to transport the electronic sound through the venues isn’t always easy, but something we enjoy.
Bill: We definitely started out with simple instruments, and nowadays we’re trying so many more things. Everyone’s trying something new and even plays different instruments on stage; synths, pianos, and stuff like that.
Tom: The recording has also changed a lot. We started to record on a whole different basis on the last record we put out in 2009, Humanoid. We would have changes in the studio where we would Skype and do recordings over the Internet with our producers sitting in Germany, while we were in L.A. Weird stuff! It was crazy to us that this was possible. All the new techniques and all the new technologies out there give you way more opportunities. I can’t even remember… I think our first record, which we started recording in 2003, we were using Logic 7 or something even earlier than that. It’s crazy how far all these music programs have come.

Bill this question is for you… I’m on the Internet right now looking at this fan site devoted to you. What goes through your head when you see something like that?

Bill: What is it? I want to check it out!

It’s this Wikihow titled, “How to Become a True Bill Kaulitz fan.” It has these steps on how to be just like you, while noting that you don’t have a MySpace or Facebook. It also mentions your tattoos.

Bill: I feel like with our fans it’s crazy how intense they are, and I mean that in a good way. They are just so supportive. That we were even able to take a break as a band for four or five years and that they are still there waiting for our music– that shit’s crazy!
Tom: The ones who tattoo Kings of Suburbia on their arm and stuff like that… I feel like that’s the biggest type of success you can have, if you have people and fans like that who stick with you and like you all these years and go to your shows and buy your music. We appreciate that a lot and are super happy we have it.
Bill: I feel great about it. It can also be hard for a person sometimes, but for the band it’s great.

What’s been your favorite country to play in?

Tom: Whenever we play in South America is great. Mexico’s definitely a lot of fun.

Any specific reason?

Bill: Just because the people are going crazier there! I love that. We were just there for a standing session, and the last time we played our tour there we had to take a break because it was just out of control. Security told us to leave the stage so we had to turn the lights on and we had to leave because there were these huge hoards falling on top of each other. It was absolute craziness! They appreciate the music so much. For an artist, that type of energy is insane.

Interview by David Richardson
Source: Bullett Media 

schonmagazine.com : The band sits down with Schön! to talk about their dreams, their advice and parents. (29.01.2015)

After the worldwide success of their last albums, German pop phenomenon Tokio Hotel moved to Los Angeles and took a year off. Now, Bill and Tom Kaulitz, Georg Listing and Gustav Schäfer are back to music scene with their new album Kings Of Suburbia. The band sits down with Schön! to talk about their dreams, their advice and parents.

What do you love most about Los Angeles?

Tom: For me, it’s the freedom we have in California. When we left Germany, it was the very first time that we were able to live a regular life. Suddenly, we were able to do whatever we wanted to do. That was a great feeling, it was completely different from our life in Europe.
Bill: I love the weather so much. It’s sunny everyday and it feels like we’re constantly on holidays. But there’s is also a negative aspect about the weather in Los Angeles – people become a bit lazy with fashion. Their outfits can be a bit boring. That´s hard for me, because I´m really interested in fashion.

Do you remember your very first costume on stage?

Bill: I do. When we started performing, we had a concert in our hometown Magdeburg. For this concert, I was wearing a skirt. I still remember that I was wearing this extraordinary garment in combination with a homemade t-shirt and Dr. Martens. We had no money left, so I often created my own costumes.

Tell me about your biggest dream that became true?

Bill: We always wanted to be successful with our music. My brother and I were seven when we started writing our own songs. Back in the days, we didn’t have any producer or record company supporting us in our hometown. Together with Georg and Gustav, we have been a band for such a long time – more than fourteen years now.

So you never thought it would be possible?

Bill: Definitely not. It was just a dream and we are so blessed that it became true some years later. Now, we are living this dream and we are more than happy about it.

What does your family think about your career?

Tom: They hate us. No, I´m just joking.
Bill: They are really happy for us, actually. Our mum is really creative and our stepfather plays the guitar in a band. It sounds funny, but we are living their dream as well. They are really supportive and we have got a strong connection to our family. We have always been focused on creativity; music was an important part of us from an early age.

If you didn’t have this enormous success with Tokio Hotel, where do you think you’d be right now?

Tom: Probably at home without any plans what to do. No, I´m just joking again. Hopefully, I would have started something creative? I can´t imagine sitting in an office the whole day. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a lawyer or a porn star.

A career as a porn star?

Tom: Probably working as a lawyer and a porn star as spare-time work. Great idea, isn´t it?

Back to reality: can you describe the process of preparing a new album?

Bill: We started very slowly after taking a year off. We just needed some time for our creative side, as well as taking time to move to the United States. After a while, we wanted to create a new album: we flew to our studio in New York to start working on the record. For the first time, we produced absolutely everything on our own. Every song was written by us.

Why?

Bill: Nearly no one understood what we wanted to do with our new album. Normally, we record new songs by playing the guitar. This time it was different – Tom was more interested in synthesizers. In the end, the album sounded more electronic than Tokio Hotel has ever sounded previously. It sounds like the nightlife of Los Angeles.

Is there any piece of advice you would have liked to hear at the beginning of your career?

Bill: Read every contract carefully. Retrospectively, I wouldn´t have changed anything. For sure, we were also making lots of mistakes during the last couple of years. I think we are still making mistakes, aren’t we?
Tom: Generally speaking, we were extremely lucky.
Bill: But there is a process that we have learned: keeping the balance between career and privacy. We’ve always wanted to keep it this way, but it hasn´t always been easy.

Because of your fan base? Has it changed during the last couple of years?

Bill: Lots of guys listen to our music now. Our management just told us that there are a lot of boys who watch our videos on YouTube. Back in the days, we almost felt as if there were only teenage girls at our concerts.

Are there any differences between American and European Fans? 

Bill: Not really. It feels like a huge family for us. They are connected online from all over the world, it´s so nice to see that.
Tom: Unfortunately, we haven´t met our American fans for a while. That´s the reason why we would like to start a tour in the United States.

Have you ever thought about coming home to Europe?

Tom: Georg and Gustav still live in Germany. Bill and I, we love life in Los Angeles. At the moment, there is no reason for us to move back to Europe. We spend so much time in airplanes – it almost feels as if we are living on the road. Maybe one day, we´ll move back to Germany. Italy or Mexico would be nice as well.

Is there anything in show business you are afraid of?

Bill: We have seen a lot during the last couple of years and we do have an idea of how to manage show business – I feel like we’ve figured it out. The most important thing is just that we are always together. We are a family. As long as my brother and my band are next to me, I feel like if I can deal with everything.

What moment of your career are you most proud of?

Bill: It´s really hard to choose: I´m proud that we won a VMA in 2008. It still feels so unreal.
Tom: I felt proud when we finished our new album.

What´s next for Tokio Hotel?

Bill: We will start the first part of our world tour in March. London will be our first stop. Our world tour will be more intimate than before, we want to play in smaller clubs this time. We will just go everywhere to see our fans. It will be great.

Interview by Julian Gadatsch
Source: Schön Magazine