Launch of the sustainable "Pop-Up Store Tour" at the DRIVE

You are launching your new album “Irgendwo ankommen” here at the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. How did you come up with this title?

Wincent Weiss It’s actually the last album from the “Irgendwie/Irgendwas/Irgendwann” [lit. “Somehow/Something/Some time”] series and fundamentally deals with the issues of “arriving” and putting down roots. I moved back to the north some time ago, and that will always be my base.

But to arrive somewhere (irgendwo ankommen) you also have to set off from somewhere. From where do you most like to set off? And what mode of transport do you prefer?

Wincent Weiss I prefer to set off from home, and also like arriving back home as well. And I prefer driving rather than taking the train or plane, as that’s how I can switch off best of all. I can turn the music up and am totally flexible.

You’re 30 years old but have already had so much success. Do you feel that you have already arrived? Does arriving also mean having your own family sometime?

Wincent Weiss I hope that I will never arrive somewhere properly and for ever, and that I will always be on the move somewhere. For me, home is not a place as such. It tends to mean friends and family, people I am close to. And, of course, I wish I had a family. I’m 30 years old and so you start thinking about that kind of thing.

The tour and the new album are all about sustainability, as a tree will be planted in the Crewwald Forest for every “Deluxe Box” sold. How did you come up with this idea and what was the background to it?

Wincent Weiss The idea of putting down roots and arriving naturally brought me back to my home town. That’s where I met with the Schleswig-Holstein state forest service, and we thought about what we could do for the forest. In no time at all, we came up with the idea of ‘renovating’ trees that are broken and making a new forest from them. My grandchildren will probably be the ones to see this.

How do you think electric mobility can contribute to sustainability?

Wincent Weiss I have been driving an electric car for some time and I realise that this is becoming increasingly normal. You simply charge your car, you no longer have to pay for expensive petrol, and are simply doing something for the environment. I find that both amazing and necessary at one and the same time.

Today’s event is the prelude to your Pop-Up Store series through four German cities. What do you think makes these events special?

Wincent Weiss I wanted to do something for my fans that had not been done previously by a German pop artist. The store gives fans a unique experience with exclusive products, special CD covers for each city, and I’m thrilled that this special series is being launched in Berlin at the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum.

You arrived here in your ID. Buzz, the electric successor to the well-known “Bulli” camper van. What does it mean to you to be driving such an iconic vehicle? And what car are you currently driving?

Wincent Weiss I still have the ID.4 at home, but I’m getting my own ID. Buzz in a few days and I’m really looking forward to it. Two years ago I test drove a VW California. Now driving the ID. Buzz is a total honour and very exciting for me as a car enthusiast. I took it to Copenhagen last autumn and now it is finally time for the ID. Buzz to move in with me now.

Today’s the kick-off event for your tour. Do you enjoy touring? And what do you most like doing when you’re on the road?

Wincent Weiss Yes, I love being on the road and also like to be alone. I like listening to metal music and can make my phone calls in peace that have been piling up all day. Sometimes I just enjoy the silence and can come back down to earth after long days.

You’re here at the DRIVE today. What do you associate with this place? What is the significance of places related to mobility for you?

Wincent Weiss I find the DRIVE extremely exciting and could look at cars all day.

What does it mean to you to drive an electric car? And how has electric mobility changed over the years?

Wincent Weiss I really like it, particularly up north in my home town because I have my own charging point at home. But you also see more and more charging stations elsewhere. A few years ago, you saw very few, something that has now changed.

What features do you need a car to have nowadays?

Wincent Weiss Oh, I’m easy to please. Many people need an automatic car, but I’m fine with a classic car with manual gears.

What else is on the agenda in terms of sustainability – both privately at home and on tour?

Wincent Weiss At home, I clearly try to be sustainable with simple measures, such as separating waste and increasingly avoiding plastic. Of course, this doesn’t always work out completely, but I’m doing my best. We’ve also improved things on tour in recent years. My entire team tries to be as sustainable as possible. When we’re on tour, we no longer use paper cups and instead take our own cups with us. We’ve been doing that for years.

You travel a lot and the pop-up Store series will take you to Berlin and also to Munich, Cologne and Hamburg. In which city do you feel most at home? Where do you currently live?

Wincent Weiss I live in the north and work in Berlin. It’s a perfect mix, although I really always feel at home in the north.

What else does spring hold for you?

Wincent Weiss Apart from a few days, spring is totally booked up. I’m on the pop-up Store trip for the next few days, after which the “Voice Kids” - final week starts, and then we go straight to tour rehearsals and my arena tour starts.

Do you prefer to live in the countryside or in the city?

Wincent Weiss Currently both. I commute between my home in the north and Berlin.