“Wolke 4” singer Philipp Dittberner starts again. In the interview he looks back on his breakthrough and the time in a metal band.
Philipp Dittberner (32) is best known for his hit “Wolke 4”, which catapulted him into the charts together with his colleague Marv. He remembers 2014 as a “crazy year”. “I more or less produced the song with Marv’s remote support in my one-room apartment,” he says in an interview with spot on news. “I still think it’s crazy that it was then heard on the radio nationwide.”
During this time, Dittberner also showed courage, because “I quit from one day to the next”. He also said to his parents: “If that doesn’t work out, I may have to move back into my old children’s room temporarily.” Although they “immediately agreed” to this, Dittberner “fortunately” did not have to return to his children’s room. Has success changed the 32-year-old? “I think I’m actually still the same guy as I used to be, still have the same friends who have been there since hour one,” he says. “Maybe I’ve gotten a bit more experienced.”
Philipp Dittberner’s time in a metal band was “wild”
Today Philipp Dittberner is known for his soulful German pop songs, but he can also do things differently – at least in the past. Because – hard to believe – in his life there was once a “wild time” in a metal band, as the singer says. “I joined a band called Inventive Suicide when I was 16, and later we were called Out of my Element,” says Dittberner. “I was actually too young, I couldn’t even drive the band bus. But since I could play the electric guitar so well, I was allowed to stay.”
It was a “great time with long hair”. As a fan, he once visited the Wacken Festival at the age of 18. “I also listen to old records from time to time. But I’ve always been interested in writing lyrics in German, so at some point I came to my music, which I make today.” Looking back, Dittberner explains: “I think that time has made me more self-confident. Playing as a 16-year-old in a band where everyone is in their early 20s was definitely a challenge.”
What has he been up to since 2020?
After his EP “Nothing is missing” and the hit single “I ask myself” in 2020, things have calmed down for the 32-year-old. However, Dittberner was not idle during this time, as he emphasizes in the interview. “What a lot of people don’t know or what I haven’t talked about much so far is that I’ve been in the studio a lot for and with others since 2017,” reveals the singer-songwriter. He has worked with the music project VIZE and the Hamburg rapper Disarstar (28), among others.
“By writing for others, I gather a lot of inspiration for myself,” says Dittberner. In the time since 2020 he has been “quite busy in the studio”, “I have written and selected a lot, what is for me and my album as a solo artist and what could possibly be suitable for collaborations”. Now he’s ready to take off again this year: Philipp Dittberner released the new singles “Marie” and “Something in between” in May and June. A new album has also been announced for 2022.
In September the singer and his band will go on tour. “Four musicians who are all extremely talented and who I’m also friends with,” enthuses Dittberner. “I’ve been playing with Chris on bass for many years. He plays with Revolverheld and Zoe Wees, among others. I’m looking forward to showing old and new songs live.” And what about private life? “I definitely want to go on vacation again. I don’t know where to go yet. But my closest friends will definitely be there.”
