"Krone" interview

Ivo Martin: “I was at a crossroads at 16”

Pop star instead of professional footballer: just a short time ago, Ivo Martin had several career options open to him.

(Bild: Nik Müller)

With his soulful and musically very colorful pop songs, the German Ivo Martin is currently conquering the hearts of his streaming fans. Before he plays the completely sold-out Flex in Vienna in a few days, we asked the 21-year-old high-flyer about Berlin, his second love soccer and the heaviness of an inner emptiness.

"Krone": Ivo, just a few weeks ago you gave a celebrated performance at the Frequency Festival in St. Pölten ...
 IvoMartin: If you look at the line-up, it's one of the most colorful festivals in the German-speaking world. But you don't usually notice much of what's going on around you because you're very focused, waiting for your performance and then have to move on again. But the names on the poster sometimes make you gulp because there are so many top acts. I took to the stage on the same day as RAF Camora, which is crazy. And it was also a first for me.

In a few days you'll be playing at the packed Flex in Vienna, which also holds around 700 people. Isn't there a lot more room for improvement?
That's actually unbelievable and great to see. I'm incredibly happy about how many people seem to want to see me live. Of course, it's not great about the tickets now, but it won't be my last tour either. I really hope that I'll be coming back to see you again next year. My new album "Puls" definitely gives me plenty of reasons to be on the road more often and perform the songs.

Does "Puls" stand for a certain concept? Perhaps for the musical pulse that you are currently experiencing and that is bringing you so much success? 
Funny, but you've actually described the album pretty well with that. There's also a song called "Puls", but it doesn't have much to do with the overall context of the album. The album pulsates in a special way because it goes up and down emotionally and covers all facets of life. Sometimes it's very emotional and quiet, then louder and rockier, then poppy again. It's also important to have your finger on the pulse of the times. With the music, the underlying message and everything that you radiate as an artist. There are currently so many trends on social media that it's quite difficult to catch the pulse of the times. Ultimately, the title sums up the fact that we experimented a lot and dared to do a lot. It sounds a bit different and I'm really pleased about that.

What form of Ivo Martin are you making accessible to your listeners with the album? Are you showing new facets of yourself and your music?
Some parts of my music certainly sound a bit more urban than the old singles suggested. Above all, it was important to me to try out new things and to become a bit more rocky, monumental and pompous at times.

Are you still in your musical discovery phase? Can you imagine moving much further away from the familiar in the future?
I think so. In the last two years, a kind of discovery process has taken place that has led me to my style. When I released my first three singles and had just arrived in Berlin, I still had a lot of problems committing to them. But with the singles "Weit weg" and "Hallo" in 2023, I found a direction that I really liked. I discovered that an acoustic guitar would fit very well in my songs. That was a conscious decision that was important for my sound. But the process is far from over and Berlin as a home can be both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, there are so many opportunities to present yourself, learn new things and network. On the other hand, there is also a lot of competition because there are so many talented musicians.

At least it seems as if you see this competition as a positive thing.
I don't think too much about it. You can measure the streaming numbers, but in the end it says little about the quality of music. I've certainly made some good decisions, but I've also been very lucky. Personally, Berlin is very good for me and I've made a lot of friends here. That's anything but a given, because I see and know how many other artists are struggling and have their problems here. Thanks to the digital age, we also have the advantage that we don't all have to live in Berlin. However, there is a different kind of inspiration when you are somewhere where life and the scene are pulsating and cross-fertilizing. I was previously in Bonn. It's also a beautiful city, but you can't compare it to Berlin - it's the epicenter of culture. Even if people don't live here, they come here regularly. Everything that happens musically, in the media and politically happens here. History really does happen here.

Is the environment in which you find yourself important for songwriting?
Of course, it's different whether you're walking around in a city steeped in history, where history is actually always happening, or just sitting in your living room somewhere. I'm not consciously aware of my surroundings when I'm being creative, because sometimes I close my eyes and just strum my guitar. A fundamental difference is whether I'm at a songwriting camp, for example, or working away on my own in my apartment. At a camp, you're only there to write songs, you have no other obligations and can fully focus on that. I really appreciate that and enjoy taking part in such events.

Was there ever a decisive moment in your life when you knew that from now on it was all about music and nothing else?
That's a good question. When I was 16, I was at a crossroads because I was a very good and ambitious sportsman, but I decided to go for music. I didn't realize that I wanted to make a living from it, but it was a very clear decision for me. Via TikTok, the numbers went up and I made my first deals and realized that you can really build something from it. The first time I was able to pay the rent from my music was certainly a moment that changed a lot in me.

What sport did you play and how far did you get?
I played soccer for the first time when I was six and also had guitar lessons - from that age onwards, these two passions have been equally important in my life. I had soccer training five times a week, guitar lessons once and practiced at home. I was in the national league and concentrated totally on soccer for three or four years. I didn't just play myself, I was a real fan - a real freak. I knew all the tables and statistics inside out. When I was 16, I had a setback when I wasn't picked for a team that played in the Bundesliga. I lost my passion overnight, which was very hard because soccer had been my biggest passion up until then. I had to make a decision and went through with it - luckily I also had music, which immediately pulled me out of my slump.

Losing such an important and time-consuming hobby is still a pretty tough thing. Was the temporary void necessary for a new direction?
Exactly, but I'm sure something similar happens to many people. Like when you play soccer intensively six times a week and then tear your cruciate ligament and are out of action for six months. Then you can no longer do what you've always done. I was lucky. I could play guitar and I've always written songs. I quickly found someone in Bonn who was interested in producing my ideas. My first song came out when I was 17. Music was an immensely important reservoir.

Were you really close to making it into the German Bundesliga?
I don't know if "on the verge" is the right way to describe it, but there were definitely two trial days where a few talented players were allowed to present themselves at the club - I was then rejected - but that was rightly the case. Others were simply better. When I was 14, I had a trial training session at Bayer Leverkusen. I auditioned four times and they were quite happy, but it wasn't quite enough there either. In the end, I'm glad because I don't think I would have made it much further than the regional league. That would have been nice, but not everything. But the music will stay forever, it's always been there. I don't have a Sky subscription, but I'm still interested in soccer. I like to watch games and have an opinion on them, but the music has had more staying power.

You're also much more self-directed in music than in soccer. There's more room for your own ideas and implementations.
A bit more, let's put it that way. (laughs) Of course, nobody can tell me how and which songs I should write, but teamwork is also very important here. Let's see where the journey takes us here.

Live at Flex in Vienna
As part of his "Sunset" tour, Ivo Martin is coming to Vienna's Flex on September 22. The concert has already been moved up from Flucc and is completely sold out. Anyone who would like to hear the high-flyer and the songs from his album "Puls" live outside of this will probably have to wait until 2025.