He'll be in Linz on Saturday

Tim Bendzko: “I knew it was utopian”

His name stands for hits, melancholy and dance numbers: Tim Bendzko will be demonstrating his versatility at the "Krone" festival in Linz.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/picturedesk.com, Markus Wenzel)

From AUT of ORDA to Juli and Münchener Freiheit: at the "Krone" festival in Linz from August 16 to 18, many stars will be shaking up the stages. One of them: Tim Bendzko! The German singer-songwriter spoke to us in advance about rituals, his passion for art and how he plays with artificial intelligence.

Spending time with the family, enjoying the mountain panorama and eating Kaiserschmarrn! Before his performance at the "Krone" festival in Linz, Tim Bendzko recharged his batteries in Leogang this week. "Even as a child, I was often on vacation in Austria with my parents," he reveals.

"Krone": When you think of Tim Bendzko, many hits immediately spring to mind: "Wenn Worte meine Sprache wären" ("If words were my language") or "Nur noch kurz die Welt retten" ("Just a moment to save the world"), for example. What do you want fans to remember about the "Krone" festival in Linz?
Tim Bendzko: We play songs that you want to dance to and some that might make you think a bit more. First and foremost, we want people to have fun.

I'm currently writing songs intensively, but I don't know yet whether it will end up as an album.

Tim Bendzko tritt am 17. August beim „Krone“-Fest in Linz auf

Do you have any rituals?
I've resolved not to have any - for fear of making myself dependent on them. But there are a few routines that always happen - for example, I do a circle with my band and we swear ourselves in again.

The music star became a nerd for Timski (pictured left), who says he is the most motivated avatar in the world. New passion: Bendzko runs marathons (r.).

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Tim Bendzko, Screenshots (2))

It was clear to you as a child that you wanted to be a musician. Did little Tim imagine it would be like it is today?
By and large, yes. All the things I have to do are related to music. I pinch myself regularly and can't really grasp the fact that it's like this every day.

You also paint, you exhibit pictures as "Zim Artin".
I would also like to turn songs into abstract art, but I'm still a long way from that.

As a painter, the 39-year-old becomes "Zim Artin". His paintings were on display at the NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf, for example.

(Bild: Andreas Endermann)

Photography and filming are also typical for you.
I like visualizing things. I can also imagine making a movie one day. I have a lot of cameras at home, probably more than musical instruments. There is a strong competition between the two.

This is Tim Bendzko

Tim Bendzko has sold well over a million records to date and immortalized his music on five albums. He is currently writing songs intensively, but the 39-year-old has not yet decided whether album number six will be released. In spring 2024, he was part of the line-up for the eleventh season of the VOX show "Sing meinen Song - Das Tauschkonzert". The singer-songwriter, who will be performing at the "Krone" festival in Linz on August 17, has won many awards - such as the Echo, Bambi, Golden Camera and at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

With Timski, you have created a nerdy counterpart on social media. What's the deal with him?
I saw that you can create an avatar of yourself and then experimented. I made a three-minute video of myself, combed my wet hair back, put on glasses and a suit and spoke a bit. The rest is now done by artificial intelligence. Timski is a bit of a know-it-all, but I just love him.

Does artificial intelligence also help you write new songs?
It helps with brainstorming and food for thought. But I try to turn my inner self outwards in songs - it's difficult for the AI.

In your new song "Come on!" it says "nobody will take your dreams away". What about your dreams?
This line is very autobiographical. I decided as a child that I wanted to be a singer. I knew it was utopian, but I had a gut feeling the whole time that it would work out. Luckily, I somehow managed to stick with it, although there were so many moments when it was very obvious to say: "Come on, do something else now."