December 2001 - Nr. 13
German Boy Band Grows Up
TWIG - The five teenaged heartthrobs that make up the pop group Echt are leaving their teen years behind, and music critics are eager to see what the future holds for Germany’s most popular boy band. Kim, Kai, Flo, Puffi and Gunnar grew up together in the north German city of Flensburg, where they made their debut covering hits by The Beatles and The Police at school dances. Their music teacher and principal were so impressed they gave the band its own practice room.
From there the group took off like a rocket. In 1998, they produced their first single, "Alles wird sich aendern (wenn wir groß sind)" ("Everything will change [when we’re grown]"), which climbed to spot 58 on the German pop charts. Their first album reached number five, and their second was a number-one hit. The members of Echt, the German word for "real," have been accused of pushing youthful sincerity to the extreme. During a recent tour, keyboardist Gunnar was the only band member who didn’t join in on the hit number "Wir haben’s getan" ("We’ve done it"). The reason? He hadn’t "done it" yet.
But critics also say Echt’s mix of dreamy Brit-pop and grunge embraces the pop sensibility like no German band before. Now the boys are housemates in Hamburg, where they are writing new songs for the college market. Echt toured Germany, Austria and Switzerland in November promoting their latest album, Recorder.
