As I was going for a stroll at the Surfana Festival in the Netherlands, I could not help but stand still and listen to the captivating voices and lyrics of Amistat. Luckily they performed a second time the next day on a bigger stage, and I was lucky enough to experience the whole concert atmosphere. The following morning which sadly also was the last day of the Surfana Festival, we met for an interview in a cosy beach restaurant.
The twin brothers discuss their future plans in the below interview.
Annabel: Hi, guys! So happy that I got to meet you yesterday!
Your wonderful lyrics absolutely caught my attention straight away. Do you write them together or do you sometimes write them separately and then you chip in?
Jan: We really got into writing eight years ago. Josef was always better with English, so I would write lyrics, and he would make them perfect. But then living in Australia for such a long time helped me to become good at writing myself.
We both write in a very different way. Josef is rather cryptic with his writing verse, I am a bit more of a straight-forward writer. I guess our style of writing changed along the years and we are trying to write a little less cryptic in a way. Josef has been swaying into my style of writing a bit lately.
We write separately, but we always do sing-off on lyrics together.
Annabel: I assume you write a lot about your own experiences?
Are your songs telling stories about emotions like love and friendship and similar topics?
Jan: We met many inspiring and spiritual people in Australia. That's where we got introduced to the spiritual world first, and then that's how we started writing about spiritual topics and life experiences.
Annabel: Sounds Wonderful. That's even deeper than just writing about love because you are connecting it with the spiritual world.
'You gotta make people feel...'
Jan: I think everybody loves writing about love and that's awesome. We started to write about love recently. I went through a few things and think the right combination is very important: it's not enough to get a message out there.
You gotta make people feel.
Annabel: I think you are really good at that because many people stopped by totally absorbing your music and hopefully reflecting on their own lives.
So how does being twin-brothers influence your Music when you're touring together or when you are writing lyrics?
Do you feel that special connection all the time?
Josef: I think it is helping us a lot in terms of being on the same level, especially when on stage. We basically spend every day together. To be honest, we actually DO spend EVERY day together. There just is this mutual understanding even though we don't necessarily have to do anything.
Just being in each other's proximity is enough to stay connected.
And so when you sit down and write music, you are already on that level.
That helps a lot, especially with writing and performing music. When you perform and sing, it's gotta be in sync.
Jan: I think the lifestyle that we have is extreme. We are together 24/7. We have shared beds and rooms for a long time at stages. We have little to no privacy. I think that's something that you only tolerate with your sibling.
Annabel: Yes or with a very close friend.
Jan: Well, with a very good friend, it will probably be even harder. Josef and I are so different in many ways. So completely different.
Annabel: Are you really that different?
Jan: Totally! We do have the same views on life tho, not about life but on life. And when we make music, that's when we entwine. Otherwise, we are as black and white.
We are just so different.
'It's music that brings us together'
Josef: Good and bad. Well, good and bad is a bad example, haha. It's like heaven and earth. It's the music that brings us together like no other!
Annabel: Oh, that's very sweet!
Jan: I probably could not do what I do with anyone else. Cause even when we fight, we can be one hundred per cent honest.
Annabel: You know each other inside out I assume?
Jan: Yes.
Europe Tour 2019
Annabel: Cool. So what are your plans now? You are touring through Europe including a show in Munich at the Folks Club, correct?
Josef: Yeah. We are playing in Munich on the 15th of November. We are releasing our new EP on the 4th of October and will be taking it on tour.
The tour starts on the 6th of November, and it will take us to the middle of December. We are touring all over Europe.
Jan: And then we will spend Christmas at home in Rosenheim.
Annabel: In Rosenheim?
Jan: Afterwards we will fly to Australia for a few months.
Annabel: Ok lovely. Wow. That's a good plan because that's when it is really getting cold here.
Josef: Yes, we have to escape the winter!
Annabel: Whereabouts in Australia?
Jan: Everywhere!
Josef: Mainly, Melbourne.
Annabel: Nice. So how can people keep up to date with you? I guess they can follow you on Spotify, Facebook and Instagram?
Josef: That's it.
Jan: Our homepage has all the details on touring. The most active we are on Instagram.
Annabel: One more last question since we are here at the Surfana Festival.
Josef: Do we surf?
Annabel: Online? (laughing)
Jan: Good one, haha.
Josef: Yeah, we do surf. Poorly. But we used to surf in Australia. There hasn't been much time for surfing over the past few years.
Annabel: Since you are into water sports and I assume other outdoor sports and activities: What do you think about the environment and sea-life protection?
Josef: Some of our friends are big Sea Shepard supporters, and we have volunteered for them a few times as well. We wrote a song about the environment, actually. It's called „Love and Light“. That is our latest single we released four weeks ago. It's also the title of the upcoming EP called „Love and Light.“ It was initially written about the environment and the oceans and how we should protect them.
Annabel: Oh, wonderful! So that will be on the new record as well.
Jan: Yes. It opens your eyes to what's really going on and to live more aware of what you do and all the things you use, the garbage that you produce. One day I'd love to live by the sea. It just makes you feel differently.
Annabel: Exactly! Me too. Thanks so much for the Interview.
