Wincent Weiss
Life as a Soundtrack

In 2015, the 25-year-old singer Wincent Weiss from the tranquil town of Eutin in Schleswig-Holstein achieved what countless young people dream of: a musical breakthrough. 
 

By Kerstin Lison

In 2013 he uploaded a vocal recording of himself on YouTube, whereupon a well-known DJ duo discovered him two years later. Today, his German-language songs can be heard in continuous loop on the radio. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the PASCH initiative, Wincent accepted the invitation of the Goethe-Institut Montreal to North America.

WINCENT WEISS WITH A W

Contrary to the usual spelling, the first name of the newcomer is not written with V but with W. This is neither a spelling mistake nor an artistic expression. In this way, Wincent's parents wanted to prevent the initials of their son from resembling those of a well-known German car manufacturer (Volkswagen). In the meantime, the young singer has become accustomed to presenting himself as "Wincent Weiss with a W".

Attentive TV viewers have already noticed Wincent Weiss before his breakthrough, namely in the tenth season of the casting show Deutschland sucht den Superstar. But even though he was among the best 29 candidates, this experience was nothing more than a holiday in the Caribbean for him. The days in the casting show are long behind him - meanwhile the candidates of the following seasons compete with his songs.

So how did Wincent get into music? When his parents moved to another city, Wincent, who was only 16 at the time, decided to move into his own apartment so that he could continue to go to his old school. This turned the teenager's life upside down: in order to pay the rent, he took two different jobs, went to school at the same time, and from one day to the next he had to learn how to run his own household. "It was as bad as you imagine, and maybe a little worse," the singer remembers.
 
During this time, Wincent mainly fed on cornflakes and had round-the-clock visits from friends and friends of friends. At the age of 17 he finally sold his Playstation and bought his first guitar from the proceeds. He then taught himself how to play using YouTube tutorials.

On the road with a skateboard

After his Matura he shared an apartment with the German singer Max Giesinger. The management of the two musicians had introduced the two, which eventually led to a close friendship.

In September 2015 he released his first single Regenbogen. In the following years followed the singles Musik sein (2016) and Feuerwerk (2017).
 

In 2017 Wincent won the MTV Europe Music Award in the category Best German Artist. In 2018 he was awarded the Echo as Artist Pop National and Newcomer National, performing on stage with his friends Max Giesinger and Tim Bendzko.

Despite his success, Wincent is considered to be very down-to-earth, likes to forgo his fee when it comes to a good cause and sometimes takes the wheel of the tour bus on his way to appearances. This, however, represents a certain risk for his band members - the 25-year-old already lost his driver's license due to speeding.

In contrast to his own, rather sensitive and melodic music, he likes to listen to Heavy Metal in his private life and is on the road with his skateboard.

Life as a soundtrack

Although Wincent moved out of his home very early, he has a very close relationship with his family. He originally gave the song Nur ein Herzschlag entfernt to his little sister. He wants to make it clear that a special connection to a person can remain despite physical distance.

 

According to Wincent, there's a song for everything. In his single Musik Sein (2016) he describes the power of music, one of the most important aspects of his life. It is the best way for the young musician to describe beautiful but also painful moments and to find an expression for even the most complex feelings.          
 
The song Feuerwerk (2017) is about enjoying life to the full. Wincent tells us that he sang against a wall of smartphones at a concert. The audience couldn't perceive the atmosphere of the concert because they just stared at their smartphones and recorded the concert instead of enjoying it. The song is a call to celebrate the special moments of each day. Music brings people together and helps build bridges. According to Wincent, it's a shame to just let the moments that make life worth living pass by.
 
In December 2018 Wincent Weiss came to the American continent for a short tour and presented his songs to a non-German speaking audience for the first time. Willkommen, Wincent Weiss!