photography by David Syouf

We talked to Vincent Kottkamp aka who is vince and he reveals that he is an emotional guy, what music he grew up with and where to meet him on a Friday night in Berlin.

Your debut single “Boys Don’t Cry” is about stereotypes and classic role models, that state, among other things, that real boys and especially men don’t cry. Actually, you’ve been reading and hearing about this topic for a very long time. Are there any personal experiences why this topic is important to you?

I’ve always been a kinda emotional guy, I get tears in my eyes when I’ve had a couple drinks and miss our dog, or when I listen to music that moves me. If anything I hope the song pokes fun at the stereotype because we all know it’s not true. I think if we were more in touch with our emotions, and didn’t have the sense that they were a weakness maybe the world would be a better place. It’s cool to open up the dialogue about it, but in a simple way it’s also about falling in love and the vulnerability of that.

How did the cooperation with ELI come about?

I met Eli through working in the music scene in Berlin. We got together for a few summer days at our home studio, some our first sessions after lock down and this was one of the songs that came out of it.

You have – if I have done my research correctly – not finished your music studies? Would you like to tell us about that?

Well I’m very happy I started them, because I met a lot of my current collaborators and learned a lot, but there was a time where I had to choose to focus my time on production and songwriting, – so grateful for the bass lessons though, was a highlight of my time studying and contributes to my sound now.

What music did you grow up with? And who do you consider an influence on your music?

I had a wide array of inspirations growing up, I started off listening to mainly grunge and indie music as a young teenager, I loved Nirvana and bands like The Arctic Monkeys and exclusively wore skinny jeans and grew my hair out. As I got older I started to appreciate the sonics and songwriting of Max Martin, Benny Blanco and wanted to dive into the craft of pop music. In school I played in some funk bands and loved that too, so I guess there’s a wide array of things that I draw inspiration from.

You also write songs together with your girlfriend. How do you complement each other?

We’ve definitely found a synergy that has been super special. Creatively our strengths really balance each other and we’re able to be super honest but still give each other space to try stuff and experiment. We’ve been developing both of our projects over the last couple years and we’re really excited to start sharing it.

What kind of music do you like to listen to when you go out?

I love live music, and always prefer that over any club situation but when I have the aux at a party right now I’m probably playing Fred again or the new Drake album.

“I’ve always been a kinda emotional guy, I get tears in my eyes when I’ve had a couple drinks and miss our dog, or when I listen to music that moves me.”

And where can we find you on a Friday night in Berlin?

Probably in my studio honestly but if I do venture out I’ll generally go to a bar with my friends or meet in their studio for drinks and talks. I also love discovering new food places and walking around the city.

If you could wish for something that would no longer exist tomorrow, what would it be?

I mean where do I start it depends on what level we’re talking, world hunger or war, sexism or racism.. the list is endless and there are many things I would love to change in an instance, but if it’s on a more micro level about something that just annoys me rather than an injustice I would like to never drink a cup of bad coffee again.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

It depends on the day you ask me, but right now I feel like on an island somewhere warm making music sounds pretty nice.

who is vince
Instagram: www.instagram.com/whoisvincemusic
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCwZfor6sqU3_0wJc8kd6kUA

ELI
Instagram: www.instagram.com/isthiseli
Facebook: www.facebook.com/isthisel
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkN4cNw2kH4NDAwlahiBhg