Restless spirit

There's nothing brash about Philipp Poisel. He sings over simple guitar arrangements, trailing off and mumbling words along the way. Not exactly star qualities - but the 28-year-old singer makes it work by laying his soul bare in his songs.

And that’s just what his fans are after - young women in particular seem to have a weakness for his lovelorn, sensitive songs.

"Really I just write about what I've felt or experienced personally, otherwise it’s no fun for me," Poisel told Deutsche Welle. "I need it to be that way if I'm going to embody it on stage."

Damsels, dragons and love

It's no surprise that Poisel doesn't command attention like your typical swaggering rock star. He seems more like the shy kid from next door. And that's what makes him so authentic and likeable to his fans.

For his song entitled "Ich & Du" ("Me & You"), he put out a charming music video all about the perils of love. He plays a knight in the clip, trying to impress a damsel in distress, even taking on a dragon at one point to defend her.

But the tale doesn't exactly have a happy ending. The damsel ends up in the arms of a rather macho figure dressed as a bee, while "Sir Philipp" has no choice but to make friends with the dragon.

Mission… not accomplished

Growing up, making music was a way for Poisel to get past his shyness, and eventually he realized he wanted to turn his hobby into a profession.

"I was pretty enthusiastic and wanted to give music lessons but do it in a way that young people would really enjoy," Poisel said, noting that the music lessons he received were never that great.

"So, I had this mission, but I completely bombed the entry audition for the school," he added.

The music academy officials told Poisel that he should first get proper instruction on the guitar. Frustrated, he started attending lectures as a guest auditor, but he knew all along he would still end up in music.

The price of freedom

Rather than continuing with education, the young singer grabbed his guitar and headed up to the Baltic Sea area, working as a street musician in Scandinavia.

"You're just right there on the street, so it's up to you to decide what you do every second - whether you play and get a few bucks or head to the beach or whatever," Poisel recalled.

 

"It's an amazing feeling to be free like that, but on the other hand, you're completely limited. You don't have a bed, so there's always stress. You have to figure out where you're going to spend the night and how you'll get to the next place."

'Where does your sky begin?'

Once he returned to Germany, the talented pop-poet got a big break. In a cafe in Stuttgart, he happened to get to know his future producer Frank Pilsl. Together they put together a demo that drew the interest of a number of labels.

German pop legend Herbert Grönemeyer took notice, too, quickly putting him on his own label called Grönland Records. Poisel's first album came out in 2008, entitled "Wo fängt dein Himmel an?" or "Where does your sky begin?"

Grönemeyer took the one-time street musician under his wing, putting him on stage alongside big name acts.

"Philipp Poisel sings with a lot of heart and has a capable voice that's all his own; he sets life to song in the old tradition of troubadours," Grönemeyer said of the newcomer.

"His songs grow on you as you listen to them, pulling you in with their warmth and gentleness," the singer added.

Heading south

Nobody has been more surprised by Poisel's success than the singer himself. His concerts are sold out, and his songs stay in the charts for weeks. He was even nominated for Germany's ECHO prize in 2011 as the best German pop artist.

After the success of his first album, the singing poet headed to France to enjoy some downtime. There is indeed something of the wandering troubadour in his blood. It's no surprise that the subject of travel inspired his new album, called "Bis nach Toulouse" ("To Toulouse").

"For me, that's one of the best feelings, when you're sitting in the car and heading south," he said with a grin. "Everything just falls away, and I feel free."

Author: Suzanne Cords / gsw
Editor: Louisa Schaefer