“The most important thing in life are human relationships” – interview with Future Palace

We had the pleasure of chatting with Future Palace about life on tour, performing at Wacken Open Air and more. After their performance at the festival, Maria, Johannes and Manuel shared some of their thoughts with Chaoszine.

I’m here with the spectacular Future Palace. How are you doing, guys?

Maria Lessing: Thank you very much. We’re doing good. We’re doing many interviews now, which is good because we have our album release today, which is so exciting. We’ve never had a real party event with our album release, so later on we will have to cheers on that. Yeah, happy and relieved, I would say.

Johannes Früchtenicht: Relieved is a true adjective. Which is also a cool thing.

Manuel Kohlert: Yeah, true, yeah.

Absolutely. So how does it feel to play on such an anniversary edition? 35 years of Wacken.

Maria Lessing: Was it last time also an anniversary?

Johannes Früchtenicht: No, no, but you actually did a shout-out where you said in the beginning when the announcement was about the anniversary…

Maria Lessing: My memory is horrible. It’s amazing to play anniversary.

Johannes Früchtenicht: No, it’s cool to play Wacken because it’s, I think, the only festival my grandparents know.

Maria Lessing: Yeah, it’s crazy. I was born in 1997 and I think the festival is older than me by my mom, so that is crazy to know that I stand on the ground that has been worked for, especially women in this industry, who have to shout out at this point, who made it possible for me to now have a more comfortable space and room. Then we are even able to play here. It’s just such a blessing. It’s great and I hope in the future it will become even more diverse and colorful and everything.

You have a lot of experience in playing live shows, but you also have experience, of course, in making music and being in the studio. Do you think that the life of an artist is a lonely life? 

Maria Lessing: Deep question. I think it’s way more lonely than you would think. Because when I was younger, I thought this is the life, the extroverted fun life. You meet so many people and you’re always on the road and it looks like fun all the time. But very quickly I realized that this is way more work than it is fun a lot of times. The fun is usually only the show, really. I mean, this right now is also fun. But especially on headline tours and stuff, we still do work besides that. We’ve been working on Future Palace for eight years now. And it’s been hard work, body-wise and also mentally and time-wise, everything.

There are many sacrifices that maybe the public people don’t see, that go on behind the scenes, that you have to make to make this a career. It’s not an easy path. That’s something people don’t talk often about. Because, of course, we are grateful. But many jobs, I think, are easier to reach and to sustain also. Because not only you have to become maybe more relevant, you have to sustain it to make it your living. Lonely in a way of not many people can relate to the job we do. There’s also not much time for us to really connect to people. I think I have an extra lonely bonus. Because I’m not allowed to talk on tour, because I have to rest my voice. And I’m a very big talker.

If I don’t talk, I already get depressed on tour. And if I talk, I cannot express how I feel. I become even more like that. So I have to find my ways to make touring easy for me. So maybe go to a cafe. It’s fucking expensive. But go to a cafe and have a little bit of sightseeing. Try to get little minutes of enjoyment. I think that’s important. So I would say it depends on what role you have in the band. And also how big you are. Because I think the bigger we get, the more time we will have.

Johannes Früchtenicht: For me, the lonely part is because I leave my family and my kids at home. And that’s weird because… For example, next week we’re going to Spain, to France, play another show in Germany, and they are going on vacation. That’s weird. So yeah, there’s a lonely side to it. Of course, it’s all fun. But it’s hard sometimes.

Maria Lessing: That’s true. Family is a big point. And also your friends. It’s something I mentioned in another interview recently. That you kind of get sucked out of the normal life out of normal routines. And I’ve kind of lived from tour to tour. It’s 8 years, but it feels like 3 to me. I don’t even know my age anymore. Because it feels so fast.

Johannes Früchtenicht: And because we leave out the song where you say it.

Maria Lessing: Yeah, now I have to remember. And all my friends, they live their lives. Some got children, or engaged, or married. I don’t know. What is my private life? What is even happening? When I come back, I’m like, “Hey guys, I’m back. What’s happened?” “Oh, you’re going on tour again. We won’t invite you“. But I try to use my time that I’m off tour. I think that’s what we all do. That’s why we don’t see each other privately. Because we really want to try to build strong connections to our close people. Because I think the balance is so important of this.

Johannes Früchtenicht: But I think friends stop asking at some point.

Maria Lessing: Yeah, some do.

Johannes Früchtenicht: Because you always know I’m not there for your birthday.

Maria Lessing: Or I have no energy. Yeah, I can’t.

Johannes Früchtenicht: I’m on tour. I’m very sorry for you.

Manuel Kohlert: Really, I always get asked.

Johannes Früchtenicht: Or my boys from school because every time I’m not there.

Maria Lessing: To be fair, I get that you don’t have much time. Even if you have free time. I have to really work on my social connections and let them know that when I have time, when I’m available. I’m like, “You know guys, let’s meet these next weeks. I’m here, let’s find time.” And it’s important. Because sometimes I’m also isolated. “Deep Blue” on the album is exactly about this. Especially it pushes more if you get depressed and stuff. You isolate more. Because you also feel like you’re a burden. You’re not really enhancing the life of the people around you. Because you’re like stressed out and sad. What should I talk about when we meet? I don’t feel good right now.

But still, I think it’s important. Even in these bad moments, reach out to your friends. Because it could also help you. That’s something that I also learned these past years. Even if I feel like I have no power, try to meet the people. Because they’re so important. And I also learned one thing. The most important thing in life are human relationships.

Manuel Kohlert: I think one big thing is also the digital age. Because everything is virtual, digital. And when I’m at home and I see the numbers, I see the music, I see the career. But I’m alone. Everything happens somewhere. Everybody feels like they’re connecting. Because they’re writing comments and messages.

Maria Lessing: And WhatsApp. Reacting to your stories.

Manuel Kohlert: But that’s nothing real.

Maria Lessing: And that’s why I think it’s so important. Especially with this, to have real moments and real feelings. Because that’s also something I’ve realized. And also I’ve written a song about it. Sometimes you get numbness out of this because it’s so much that you have to process. With social media, you always get distracted. You always get information. I feel like it’s very important. Sometimes just lay down, put away your phone and go outside with your friends. Have maybe a week of everything. Just be. Just feel and be.

Manuel Kohlert: It’s a very virtual career. To be honest. 80-90% is virtual. Just in your head. Nothing really interactive. Even for me. To be very honest. I really have a problem with WhatsApp nowadays. It’s like 70-200 messages a day.

Maria Lessing: I have a problem with Teams. Because I think WhatsApp is easier.

Manuel Kohlert: It’s stressing me out.

Maria Lessing: The constant being ready. You have to be there. You have to accept information.

Manuel Kohlert: For me it’s a little bit different. But this is also something. I like calls.

Johannes Früchtenicht: That’s why I call you when I’m in the car.

Maria Lessing: I hate calls. I’m the opposite. That’s why I don’t call you. If someone calls me. I’m like “Fuck. How could you? You don’t know where I’m at right now“. It’s different. Maybe it’s a generation thing because I’m a little younger. And I was more raised with social media and writing. If someone calls me I get anxiety. I’m like “Oh my god.“

Johannes Früchtenicht: Thank you for joining our TED talk today…

Manuel Kohlert: …about how fun it is to be in a band. It’s actually cool. But I think every other job has their lonely moments. Yes. I think it’s the digital age which is a little bit problematic when it comes to our personal relationships. But on the other hand, situations like Wacken for example, is great. Because you meet so many people that you only know from the internet. So that’s very cool. It’s very condensed. And that’s also a nice thing to have.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this and for being such good sports. Is there anything else you want to add to our readers?

Johannes Früchtenicht: Yeah. We’re going to Finland too. Everyone likes Finland.

Maria Lessing: We’re going to actually Legend Club. And Helsinki. We love both countries.

Johannes Früchtenicht: And we love the ferry ride from Stockholm to Helsinki.