Der Starmacher

Talent, hart work or luck - what does it take to become really successful? Tokio-Hotel-Producer David Jost has the answer!

He is producer, songwriter and manager of Tokio Hotel. David Jost discovered the band from Magdeburg, built them up and led them to international success. The creative Hamburger is a workaholic always on a tight schedule. Nevertheless the 35-year-old found time for an exclusive yam!-interview and revealed what it takes to be successful as a star over the long run and why will can be more important than talent ...

What does it take to become a star?
DAVID: Potential! Most of all a person has to have emotional potential and also enormous will power. If an artist has to offer a lot of both it is very likely that he will succeed.

Does one also succeed having only one of those two?
DAVID: Yes, if this one is highly developed. If one has only talent but not will power he needs to be lucky and find the right people to push him to success. It also works the other way round. Someone with moderate talent but enournous will power and intelligence can be successful as well.

Any examples for that?
DAVID: Madonna! She is not really an extraordinary singer, but she is intelligent. For over 20 years now, she has been one of the top artists worldwide. This is not luck, nobody can be lucky for such a long period. She does not leave anything to chance. Although she performs on stage, she is one of the big players in the music business, one of those people who pull the strings.

What else does it take to become successful and to stay it?
DAVID: One attribute which is also closely connected to willl power is the readiness to make sacrifices to reach one's goals. For big and long-term success you almost always have to make sacrifices. This does not only apply for the music business. One has to be very lucky and talented to be successful without sacrifieces.

How do you spot a talent?
DAVID: There is no overall rule to this. Most of the time you can feel talent. I generally trust my gut instinct.

And what did your gut feeling tell you, when you saw Tokio Hotel for the first time?
DAVID: I totally went nuts (laughs). It hit me unexpected. At that time I was willing to do anything but work exclusively with one single band. But all my other plans were forgotten when I heard and saw the boys for the first time. Bill was 13 and showed me and my partners the Band-demos, which they had recorded in their tiny studio in Magdeburg. After the boys left I could not stopp screaming „Yes" and „strike" (grins)

Did you already know, that TH would be internationally successful?
DAVID: No, of course not. I was 100 percent sure, that they would be mega-successful in Germany. I bet the whole music business everything on that. But it would have been very arrogant to assume that there was such an international hype.

What is Tokio Hotel's recipe for success?
DAVID: The whole music business is full of artists who only succeed because somebody constantly tells them what to do and how to avoid mistakes. One of the reasons why TH are so successful is that they are exactly the contrary.

In how far?
DAVID: To tell Bill what to do against his will - which would be impossible by the way - would make him lose large parts of himself. Bill has to be totally convinced of what he does - to be able to be as good as he can be. Already at very young age he knew exactly what he wants, and even more what he does not want. People can feel this. Bill comprises very large emotional extremes. You rarly find a frontman like this in germany. The star potential of the band is hugh. Even if I had no brain, it would have been impossible to blow it (laughs)

Songwriter or Manager - which is more fun?
DAVID: Writing songs is of course more fun. But managing is also a creative and diverse job. I am very lucky that I am able to work for a band I believe in and who blows my mind every day anew. I could not do the job without this.

Are you and Tokio Hotel already working on the third album?
DAVID: We already begun with the songwriting. Bill is very creative at the moment and constantly comes up with new song ideas.

What is the best song that you ever wrote?
DAVID: I have not written that one yet. My best song ist still to come (laughs)!