Name: I WANT POETRY
Members: Tine von Bergen, Till Moritz Moll
Nationality: German
Current release: I WANT POETRY's new album Solace + Light is out now.

If you enjoyed this I WANT POETRY interview and would like to find out more about the band and their music, visit their official homepage. The duo are also on Instagram, and Facebook.  

For an even deeper look into their thoughts, read our earlier I WANT POETRY interview.
 


Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

We have a very intuitive approach to making music, so it’s not a conscious thing for the most part. We kind of go with the flow when writing the songs, but of course this means that all of our thoughts and experiences shape this process.

Right now, we’re at a point in our lives where many things are still beginning, but we’re also becoming more aware of the finiteness of existence. SOLACE + LIGHT is heavily influenced by this feeling and the need to make sense of it all.

When we part ways, what do we leave behind, what do we take with us? Where do we find solace and the strength to go on? It’s as much nostalgic as it is exploration of hopes and dreams.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

The first spark – the first few notes, chords or words of a new song almost always brings livid images to mind – scenes, people, feelings. These can feel super life-like, and we immediately know what the song is about.

When we’re working on an album – and we’re always working on an album, to be honest – it’s the same thing. Not really a concept or a plan as such, but we know what we want it to feel like, and then we let these emotions guide us. “Souvenirs”, for example, started out with that peculiar layered synthesizer riff, vocals and a beat – and the first jam already contains the idea of “we are the souvenirs”.



It’s often the immaterial or overlooked things that endure: having listened, having found the right words at the right time. Having been there for one another.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

It’s a very organic process, the songs steadily grow from idea to finished production. Sometimes this is very straightforward, other times it seems like the song is waiting for its moment.

For instance, one of our favorite tracks on SOLACE + LIGHT is “People at Parties”. This one has been with us, unfinished, for years. But suddenly, submerged in the making of the record, surrounded by all these retro sounds and nostalgic feelings – that was when we knew what the song wanted to be.



Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

There’s no stimulant like an idea for a new song.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

All it takes is to open yourself up and let the melodies flow through you. It's hard to describe ... surrendering yourself to the moment. Listening to the universe and what it wants to float through you.

It's kind of like “Solace”, the first song on the album - be still for a moment and you will find consolation. You will find answers. In our case, these songs are the answers to our unasked questions.



What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

We see song lyrics as poetry in motion.

There are so many ways lyrics can resonate with you and touch you deeply. From the psychoanalytical and very honest style of a Fiona Apple song that can almost make you feel like you’re in a therapy session, to Phoebe Bridgers’ unbelievable precision and humor in depicting everyday life events, to the philosophical way Half Waif addresses feelings of loneliness and belonging - we love artists with a distinct style of writing.

[Read our Half Waif interview]

Lyrics that ring true and that make you feel connected to the artist. Connecting with someone you haven’t even met through a song lyric is such a beautiful experience.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

We listen carefully to what the song is trying to tell us. A sound may lead to a melody, to the first lyrics which will then inspire the next chord progression. We also love bringing in other people to work on the songs, because it sometimes forces you to get out of the comfort zone – and then amazing things can happen!

For instance, "Golden Hour" was written basically in an instant, but we had this notion that it could be so much more than just the piano-and-vocals track it was at this stage. So we asked our friend Michael Vajna to come over and have a listen.



After a bit of fiddling around with different instruments, plugins and such, he suddenly pointed towards one of the synthesizers and said: Is this real? Now this was an original Ensoniq ESQ-1, indeed real vintage from the 80s that used to belong to Moritz's dad. We had just had it repaired, and lucky we did, because that's what gave "Golden Hour" its very special character.
 
Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

In essence, this is one of the core ideas behind SOLACE + LIGHT: Everything that ends makes room for something new. Nothing is set in stone.

“Mother”, for example, was written for rhodes, and we still play it like that at our live shows. When Thomas Eifert, who produced it with us, heard the demo, he immediately said: Let's do this on electric guitar instead. So we tried it out - and we loved it.



There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

It definitely feels like channeling some universal energy. That's not meant esoterically - but we believe that everyone of us, every being on this earth carries a light inside their soul.

That's what this album is about: How we all shine, for ourselves and for others.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

Some songs are written and recorded almost instantaneously. “Superman” was like that, we basically wrote and recorded in one session. The main organ you hear on the record is actually from that very first jam. The production was similarly quick - it was the first song we did with our friend and producer Roy Kerr, and the whole production was finished within two days.

Other songs need their time to evolve, and that's fine also. "Tongue" for example, started out as a very mellow, melancholic ballad - you can still hear that original feeling in the reprise ("Polaroids").



But something told us that there's another side to this, a lighter, more carefree attitude that is in these young moments that the song is referring to. A time full of new beginnings. We finished writing it while on a roadtrip in Italy, in the summer of '21. And it became just this wonderful pop song - like a mental roadtrip itself!



What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

We've been very lucky to have some fantastic people working on this record with us.

We generally have a vision of what the song should feel like, and the core sounds and ideas are usually already in the demo. But getting the right people involved makes a huge difference at all stages of the process. Everyone brings new perspectives, new takes on the piece and something of themselves into the track. We love that, because it opens you up, and can really bring the music to a new level.

For instance, Rob Rox, who mixed nearly all of the songs, has an amazing way of creating the dreamy spaces we wanted without losing the punch in the beats. We are really happy with that sound because it fits the album so well - something between vintage and futurism.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

It's a great feeling when a song is done - or an album sent to the printing press. It's so liberating, because we're always full of ideas.

Like right now, we're super excited to share SOLACE + LIGHT with the world, but at the same time we can't wait to see what's next.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

One of the greatest things being a pop musician is that your own work always connects you to other artists - both musicians and of other fields. We work with video artists, dancers (check out our videos featuring the inimitable Emphis), graphic designers - and yes, we've also had the immense pleasure to meet fantastic cooks and baristas. :-) We never take any of this for granted. Isn't it amazing what people can achieve?

But for us, one stands out: Our dear companion and photographer Elisabeth Mochner. For SOLACE + LIGHT, the three of us ventured out into the almost alien landscapes of the Teide national park. We were there for not quite a week and we returned with a world in our pockets.