Whether you’re in the mood to dance or feeling melancholic, pop duo Neue Deutsche Wahrheit (NDW) is sure to impress. Composed of V and P, the band offers a unique blend of dramatic German lyrics, 80s synth-pop, and decadent visuals.
In this interview, NDW shares how they work together, their musical influences, and their icons. They also discuss why they perform in German, where they find inspiration, and what true identity means to them.
Despite the challenges of the current situation, NDW has managed to stay productive and release two singles and videos, “Exzess” and “Don’t Leave Me.” They recommend that musicians and artists reach out to local support communities for help.
In the music video for “Don’t Leave Me,” NDW explores themes of sexuality, intimacy, and romance. They describe the experience of creating the video as a wild fantasy made possible by their amazing friends.
TITLE: How and when did you start your band?
NDW: A little bit over two years ago, when we attended a friend’s release show together and started dreaming of becoming popstars and decided to just make it happen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3eeOHBoi2n/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
TITLE: How do you work together?
P: We’re calling each other like 20 times a day, discussing new ideas, presenting new pieces of lyrics which we both write, and, of course, talking about what we’ve been eating all day. And then we both have our main departments: I sometimes lock myself into my room for 12 hours to write new music and Vivi keeps coming up with all these brilliant ideas for video and photo shootings, which she also directs. When she said let’s have some twinkling shiny kick scooters for the “Don’t Leave Me” video and drive them around a gigantic Jenga tower I thought she was nuts. Turns out it was a stroke of genius.
TITLE: How would you describe your musical style? Which influences can be found in your musical and visual style?
NDW: Our music is drama-pop: we take influences from 80s synth-pop, French chansons, German travesty artists and many more.
TITLE: Talking about visuals: How important is fashion and expression for you?
NDW: Fashion IS expression to us. Clothing and make up allows you to influence the way other people see you and feel about you and we love to experiment with that.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuRncESH80v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
TITLE: Who are your icons?
P: Grace Jones’ heavily aestheticized and ever changing appearance in terms of both music and fashion has left a mark on us. She’s a goddess. The way Gorillaz shift through all kinds of genres and collaborations has also been very important for the way I write music.
V: I feel drawn towards high-energy, extremely confident female popstars like Lady Gaga, Madonna and Lizzo. Their glitz and glam is irresistible to me. We’re also still mourning the deaths of George Michael, David Bowie and Prince who have always stepped outside boundaries and all created art that felt wonderfully true.
TITLE: Why did you decide to perform in German?
NDW: We aim for a specific tone in our lyrics: We want it bitter-sweet, melancholic and romantic. For this style of lyrics, the German language has such beautiful words in store. Writing songs in English is mostly the first option for bands. But we feel our native language allows us to express ourselves in a much more natural, free and precise way.
