Times are changing: in the past, you needed a lot of luck and "vitamin B" to become famous. Today, luck is still an advantage, but with YouTube, anyone can prove their skills and build up a fan base. The best example: the 17-year-old twin brothers Heiko and Roman Lochmann - better known as "Die Lochis".
In August 2011, the two opened their YouTube channel and uploaded their first video as instructions on how to pour milk (!). However, the Lochis became popular through their song parodies, in which they changed the lyrics of famous songs and sang them anew.
Music has always been a big topic for the Lochis
"We were making music even before YouTube," says Roman Lochmann. This went so far that the two of them had their own band early on and Roman won the ORF Kiddy Contest at the age of ten. The pair were also able to demonstrate their musical talent on their YouTube channel, particularly through their music parodies. Even today, the Lochi parody of the will.i.am and Britney Spears song "Scream & Shout" is the second most clicked video on their channel, while their own song "Durchgehend Online" is at number 1.
Today, the Lochis' channel has over 2.1 million subscribers and over 650 million video views. Of course, this fame also has an impact on the 17-year-old's private life: "It's totally crazy at the moment. We're in a different city every day, our sleeping patterns are totally mixed up. It's very exciting!" says Heiko Lochmann. "That's why we even have to hand over certain jobs, for example, and we can't always edit videos ourselves." Producing for YouTube is now so professionalized that the big names are under contract with various agencies, the Lochis with the company Mediakraft in Munich.
Everyone does what they do best
There are no fixed rules as to who does what work for the Lochis: "We always look at it flexibly. Depending on who has time and what their strengths are," says Roman. "For example, I'm better at graphic design." And if one of the two is ill, that's no problem: "That's the nice thing, that the twin brother is there and can take over."
But the Lochis want to be much more than just Youtubers. Last year's film ("Bruder vor Luder") was followed this year by their debut album "#Zwilling". "It's always been a dream of ours," says Heiko. For the album, the two of them went to California for two weeks to gather inspiration. "Then we wrote the songs together with our producers." It's difficult to say how long it actually took them to write the album: "The inspiration comes from our 17 years of life experience," says Roman. "But the whole project, from planning to delivery, took about a year."
"How is the audience split? 70 percent girls, 30 percent guys."
"And we're happy to see our fans again. They always go crazy. It's nice to see people celebrating us for what we do."
The album will be followed by a big tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland: "It's going to be great! We'll be performing with a live band and have a completely new stage," says Roman, beaming. "And we're looking forward to seeing our fans again. They always go crazy. It's great to see people celebrating us for what we do." According to her, the majority of the audience at a Lochis concert are - as you would expect - teenagers: "70 percent girls, 30 percent boys." There are also a few exceptions: "Everyone who celebrates us comes," says Roman.
This was also the case this summer, when the Lochis went on a week-long selfie tour. To mark the album release, the two traveled through German-speaking countries and gave a short performance, took selfies with fans and handed out autographs. The Austrian news site Heute.at ran the headline "Teenies storm Lochis show" when an unexpected 5,000 people came to the twins' autograph session.
They also visited Switzerland in August: "It's often a bit harder to get Swiss fans excited at first, but once they're convinced, they really go for it!" says Roman. And what do they love most about Switzerland? The food! "Birchermüesli, raclette and rösti are absolutely delicious!"
But fame also has its downsides: "Our privacy is very limited at the moment," admits Heiko. "So if we have to run onto the train, we protect ourselves with sunglasses and hoods so that people don't recognize us." They put up with that, as it's also a side effect of show business. "Basically, we like to take time for our fans and get to know them."
Driving license to follow next year
The Lochis can relax at home. They live in a small village in Hesse. There's no time for parties, says Roman: "That would be silly if we were already exhausted from work and then went out partying." Nevertheless, there will be a reason to toast next year: The twins will come of age on May 13. "Maybe we'll give a concert, like Drake does, for example," says Heiko. They already know one thing: "The very first thing we want to do is get our driving license. Then we'll be a bit more independent."
THE LOCHIS
17.12.16, Volkshaus Zurich
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