EDINBURGH 2023: Otto & Astrid Q&A

BWW caught up with Otto & Astrid to chat about bringing Otto & Astrid’s Joint Solo Project to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Otto and Astrid’s Joint Solo Project.

This Joint Solo Project will be a chance for my brother Otto and I to express ourselves WITHOUT interference from the other. Otto will play all of his songs first, hopefully the audience can cope with sitting through songs about kittens and emotions (bring your ear plugs) and then I will burst onto the stage and tear through my set with explosively mind-blowing songs like Shush Now, My Future and Tasty Snak! We have been touring and performing together since we were kids and our parents were tragically killed by a train when we were on the way to the zoo for my twelfth birthday (Otto insists they were eaten by a lion, but that is ridiculous). We ran away to Berlin and grew up in a squat surrounded by musicians and artists. Our first concert in the squat was shut down after 15 minutes because Otto rang the police… he was worried the neighbours would complain about the noise.

Having performed at the festival before do you think you know what to expect from the Fringe?

We are both definitely expecting to see amazing performances from around the world and fill ourselves up with music, theatre, cabaret, circus and comedy acts until we are so full, we are bursting with inspiration and excitement! I’m also looking forward to seeing a stack of friends who will be there who I often only get to see when performing at festivals, it’s like a meeting point for so many people. I’ll be heading to see Party Ghost at Checkpoint – one of the performers’, Jarred Dewey is starring in my new music video Tasty Snak! I also can’t wait to see Lou Wall in their first ever Edinburgh Fringe show Lou Wall vs The Internet, and Jonny Hawkins in Maureen at House of Oz. I’ll also be trying to find the best bar/pub to make my second home during the festival (besides my venue – Assembly’s, Piccolo).

What circumstances drove the band apart?

Our band, Die Roten Punkte is still together, we’re just doing Joint Solo Projects at the moment. It’s been so great for me to be able to express myself exactly as I want without having my little brother nearby wanting us to write songs about lions, kittens or dead parents eating sandwiches. We’re not mad at each other, we’ve just been brother and sister for a VERY long time, like our whole lives and so that can be a little frustrating when one of us has no sense of boundaries, is suffocating and co-dependent. So, we’ll be playing our songs separately. Next to each other. But not touching.

…and then what brought you back together?

Well actually I’m not able to get public liability insurance because of some past ‘incidents’ so I told Otto we had to play on the same night as each other. I don’t think Otto wanted to play by himself so he seemed very happy we were playing on the same bill, but I didn’t have any choice, it was either play with otto or not play at all. Otto will do all his songs first (he’s my opening act) and then I will do all my AMAZING songs as the headliner. Straight after Edinburgh we head to the Freedom Festival in Hull and then we’re touring in Australia. Having Otto around is quite handy as he’s very good at packing down my drums, I’ve been giving him that job for years. As well as making my breakfast. And making sure my favourite snacks are always close by.

What would you like audiences to take away from the experience?

I’d like them to be taking away the memory of having had an amazing rock ‘n’ roll explosion in their pants, and shivers and shakes for months afterwards, small aftershocks rippling through their bodies whenever they think of my songs, which will be stuck like sticky ear worms in their brains for ever more. Otto says he’d like everyone to remember to always be kind to each other and eat your fruits and greens. I’d of course also like everyone to take home at least three t-shirts they’ve bought post-show so they can wear my face on their chest to bed every night. It really helps with lucid dreaming.

Otto & Astrid’s Joint Solo Project will be performed at 7.25pm in Assembly George Square Gardens (Piccolo) from 2nd – 27th August (Not 9th or 16th)

Booking link: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/otto-and-astrids-joint-solo-project

Photo credit: Matt Duboff

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