They started small as a bunch of friends but with a passion that rivals other bands out there, Tokio Hotel has entered the Big Time! MTV picked up on these unique guys and then BOOM! Racking up the awards as they've gone along, Tokio Hotel has shaken up the music scene with their juxtaposition on goth melodies and grungy metal.
Bill: It was really based on our feelings of being an awkward teenager growing up in a small village. The title itself just came up during the studio time. It was a great name to put it all together; to describe our feelings from the past and also at the moment. Also because I think Humanoid is a good word to describe our life right now.
17: You feel like a human robot now?
Tom: No..no..not like a human robot..
Bill: I think it's more like..well strange would be a nice word to describe it. We definitely know that our life is totally crazy and not normal. I mean we first came up as a band when we were 15 and our lives were totally different as compared to average teenagers from then. So yeah, it describes our strange lives.
17: We get it now! Ok, so what do you pride yourself as a band?
Bill: Well I think especially in Germany, it's really unique first of all, you have a naturally formed band. We've known each other for about 10 years now, so it's quite a long time! We've grew up in the same city and we started things really early and next thing you know we became successful. I think that's really special.
Tom: Well, I think that Tokio Hotel has the best guitar player in the world! [Laughs]
17: With all that hard work and you ever thought, this is too much and I just want to give up?
Bill: Definitely, yeah! There are some hard days and some days you just want to be a normal person. Cuz for Tom and me, it's hard just to be able to walk on the street, people follow us everywhere.
Tom: And also we have the music business and it's not very easy to handle that.
Bill: Yeah we've grown up in the public eye and everyone's had a chance to critique us or see our mistakes but at the same time it's all kind of great. So it's definitely not easy but it is the life we want to live. We've got passion for the music and we're doing what we want to do.
17: What's been the best advice regarding the music industry?
Bill: To listen to yourself and your fans! It is important that you are happy with everything you do. We are so thankful that we get a chance to do the kind of music that we want to do and that we've got nice people around us to support us.
Tom: I think the most important thing is to not listen to the record company!
17: Oddly enough, that's the same thing Ne-Yo said in this interview! Everyone's been having a hard tome deciding what kind of genre your music is..So what is it?
Tom: It's a new genre..
Bill: I don't know! I guess in general it's rock music, but we also have a lot of pop and other styles too. We have like some really quiet songs like Zoom Into Me and then we have the guitar based songs like Noise. There are things like Dogs Unleashed which is more electronic! So it's really a mixture of everything which I really like! That way it doesn't get boring! Plus we always want to try something new but at the same time keep that Tokio Hotel style. We like make our own sound!
17: Bill, you write all the lyrics, do you feel any pressure to make songs that relate to the rest of the band?
Bill: We've worked together for seven years now,even with our producers. So it REALLY is a bog family and we've pretty relaxed. There is some pressure sometimes, when you know you have to write a new song or come with a new album but I've always got some ideas. Also, we have enough people around and everyone's so creative! It's only the third record, we still have lots to go around.
17: Tom, we noticed that you have a lot of videos on your blog? Are you as involved with making your own videos too?
Tom: It's more like when you write a song and you already have a picture in your mind. The album cover for example, we had a clear vision how we wanted it to look. So it;s always like that, we have the ideas for the video and for people we'd like to work with.
Bill: Yeah and I think as an artist you always visualise things behind it. Tom and me, we want to do everything and sometimes it's hard with the time constraints but I think the best thing is to do everything. Most of the time we have the ideas and we write everything down; then we search for the right people. I think the challenge is to find people; who share the same vision.
17: Awesome! What about mental blocks?
Bill: Yeah, I get that sometimes. The best thing you can do, s to stop everything and go out and hang out with your friends or sleep or just do whatever you want to do..
Tom: Yeah because you can't force it.
Bill: You just have to let it happen.
Tom: Definitely. You can't force yourself to be creative.
Bill: So when we have no ideas..it's a sign! Then we just go back home!
17: Ok on to lighter things; Bill you've been nominated as one of our hotties to look out for 2010!
Tom: Hottie [laughs]
Bill: Oh? I'm a hottie of 2010???!!! Wow that's really nice [Laughs] Thanks! It's cool..a little bit strange to me but COOL!
17: Have you both ever liked the same girl?
Bill: Definitely! Tom and me, we're identical twins so we have the same tastes when it comes to girls too..
17: Ok..we also have to ask you this Bill, how long does it take to do your hair?
Bill: Actually I think it doesn't take me that long. I do it in the morning when I take a shower and brush my teeth and stuff. The whole process..I think takes maybe one hour?
17: ONE HOUR?!
Bill: No, no..that's everything the makeup, the hair the shower..everything! Why?! Do you think it's too much?! I think one hour's ok! [Laughs]
