Voodoo Jürgens at the SCHIRN summer party

SM: As a dialect singer, have you ever been accused of being a little fixated with your homeland?

VJ: Fortunately not yet. I think it’s pretty clear from the lyrics that my music has nothing to do with a love of my homeland. Why shouldn’t I be able to sing in the language I speak? That has nothing to do with patriotism in the slightest. I think that’s been clear from the outset. But of course it may be that music sung in dialect also appeals to an audience that would not listen if the lyrics were in a different language.

SM: You’re not the only one who sings in dialect. For some time now, Austro-Pop has been back in vogue: “Wanda”, “Bilderbuch” and “Nino aus Wien” have become known well beyond Austria. You are considered the next great up-and-coming talent. The magazine “Musikexpress” described you as “the future of Austro-Pop”, whilst “Interview” magazine called you the “up-coming Austro-Pop high-flyer”. Are you honored by this?

VJ: That is praise indeed. Of course I’m delighted that the first single was so well received, but you shouldn’t take the whole thing too seriously. It’s certainly true that this is no bad time to be making Austro-Pop, but I didn’t decide to sing in dialect simply because it’s trendy.

SM: Do you know what you’ll do when you become super-famous?

VJ: (Laughs) I would probably look for a house. At the moment I’m still living in a room in a house-share.

SM: How would you describe your own style of drawing?

VJ: I always call it “one-line drawing”, because I never put the pencil down until the drawing is finished. This creates its own dynamic. Once you’ve seen a couple of pictures by me then you’ll recognize my work.

SM: Back to the music: In Vienna you often give concerts in the Beisln, the traditional Viennese drinking houses. Are pub gigs like this common in Austria?

VJ: No, but it’s something that emerged from the Voodoo Jürgens project and it works well. The funny thing about the project is that it works well in numerous contexts – in an art gallery as much as in a rustic local pub.

SM: And on the stage of the Wiener Stadthalle. It was there that you were the support act for the “Libertines”, Pete Doherty’s band. How did that come about?

VJ: I met Pete years ago in Vienna, where he played a solo gig. Somehow we got chatting and hung out together the whole evening. At the end of the evening we exchanged e-mail addresses. Pete knew someone in Graz and whenever he has been there he’s gotten in touch with me. So we’ve met up four or five times. At some point I read that the “Libertines” were playing in the Stadthalle – and I thought: I’ll just ask, because we had already talked about playing together. He liked the idea right from the beginning.

SM: On July 5 you’ll appear on the stage of the SCHIRN summer festival. What can the public expect from your appearance?

VJ: I’m excited myself because it’s the first concert outside of Austria, so I can be pretty sure that people won’t understand me very well. I’ve thought about that and decided that it would be good to explain a little bit what each song is about before I sing it. I find it fun to revitalize this Viennese dialect. It’s starting to die out a bit, but it’s something I grew up with and the core of it is still within me. In Vienna it works pretty well; people still know the dialect even though it’s not really around anymore. But it can be equally interesting for people from elsewhere. On top of this, music can move people simply through its mood – the Eros Ramazzotti effect.