Jónsi: "Ich bin ein grosser Fan von Bäumen"

You're back in Switzerland. Is there anything special you remember about Switzerland?
Oh yes, I remember the concert we did with Sigur Rós in Fribourg. I really like that city. There are lots of white and old houses, it's very picturesque. And the landscape is very beautiful.

But you live in Iceland which is also very beautiful.
Yes, but in a different way. Iceland is very brutal and young. It's evolving and volcanoes are erupting. We don't have any forests and I love forests. I'm a big fan of trees, you know.

How's the tour going so far?
It's amazing. We played a hell of a show last night in Paris. It was so sweaty. I don't think that I've ever been this hot before.

Jónsi springt plötzlich auf und durchsucht zwei Boxen, die mit Kostümen gefüllt sind.

Are these all your costumes for the shows?
Yes, it's smells quite bad. I have to find my pants from yesterday. They are totally sweaty and they need some air.

You have a big production on this tour. It seems as if visuals are quite important for you.
Absolutely. It's not only the visuals, it's the whole creating thing. I think I've always been creating. When I was young, I drew and painted and then when I was about 13 I started playing in bands. I think it's the only way in Iceland not to get depressed. That's the reason why everyone's making weird music over there. There's a lot of energy in Iceland, it's brutal and the weather is schizophrenic. And we are so detached so you have to create something.

In what way is your new project different to Sigur Rós?
Well, it's quite different. With Sigur Rós we're four people in a rehearsal space and we work on the songs. Everyone comes up with their line and in the end we go to the studio and record the songs. With this project I had already written the songs alone in my apartment. Then I looked for some musicians to go on tour with.

Do your band mates from Sigur Rós like your record?
I don't know really. Our keyboarder said to me that he really liked it but he was really drunk when he said that. Icelanders are not talking so much.

What are your plans for the future?
We'll be on tour for quite a long time. We have breaks inbetween where I will meet the Sigur Rós guys and we'll write some more songs. And then we're gonna put out an album again. And for the Jónsi project I think that there might be another album in a few years or so.

Aktuelle CD: Go
Konzertbericht
Jónsi Online