I caught up with Josef, who along with his twin brother Jan, makes up the German duo Amistat. I caught them performing a regular busking slot on Bourke Street Mall over the weekend, drawing impressive crowds with their uplifting acoustic tunes (a sound not too dissimilar to Kings of Convenience).
Surrounded by onlookers of all ages, the duo were completely in their element showing off their tight, pure harmonies (confound twins and their ability to blend their voices to perfection!) and providing a pleasant atmosphere to the busy open-air shopping mall. I was lucky enough to have a busking Q & A session with Josef.
C: So firstly! Tell me a bit about you as a duo. How long have you been playing for?
J: I started singing at the age of 13. My twin brother Jan always used to play guitar..I just one day sat down and started singing along to it, and ever since we were doing music together, just for fun. When I finished studying at nineteen I sort of didn’t know what to do further. Somehow it was clear for me to follow my dream of being a musician.
I can remember my first ever song was Paul McCartney’s ‘Yesterday’. Thinking back it sounded awful, but my parents and family said it sounded great and I am very thankful they lied to me that day, because without them I wouldn’t be living my dream of being a musician!
C: How would you describe the music you play?
J: We basically do acoustic rock pop/singer songwriter music. We both love acoustic music so thats what we focus on, (but we) keep it simple; guitar, piano and our harmonies (old school I guess!)
C: How did you first get involved with busking in Melbourne?
J: I saw Passenger busk in Melbourne and decided to apply for the license. I’ve been busking on my own for couple months, and now that Jan is here we busk together which is so much better!
C: So where’s your favourite place to play in Melbourne City?
J: I guess our favourite place is The State Library. It’s always packed with young people who listen to our music and really appreciate what we are doing, which is an amazing feeling.
C: Do you feel that the people of Melbourne are appreciative of street performance, compared to other cities you may have busked in? (Did you busk in Germany? Is Melbourne much different?)
J: People in Melbourne appreciate busking much more than in Germany (where it’s sort of frowned upon). We did a bit of busking in Germany but it isn’t very popular and you aren’t allowed to busk with an amplifier.
C: What do you feel is the most valuable thing you’ve gained through busking?
J: The best thing about busking is that you’re able to practice in front of different people every day. You have to perform and give it your best, or you wont sell any CD’s (if you’re bad, then people won’t even stop and listen!). It is the most honest music there is.
C: How is busking different from playing a show in a music venue? Does busking give an artist more freedom?
J: If you’re doing a show, people mostly know you and are there because of you. On the street people don’t normally know you, so you have to sort of earn their respect (which is challenging!).
Of course it gives you more freedom; you come and go when you want. With a show you mostly have a strict set-list and time.
C: Would you recommend busking as a first step for musicians who are not used to performing? Is it less intimidating than stepping onto a stage?
J: Busking is definitely the best way to start doing music. You gain more confidence with every day and you can sort of judge how good you are by watching people’s reactions. With a gig you are under a lot more pressure then just going for a busk.
With busking, you have to show people how much you love doing what you are doing and attract them with your music. When they see you really love what you are doing, that’s when they tip you or stop and listen!
C: What kind of songs do people want to hear on the street? Do covers attract more attention than original songs?
J: People mostly like to hear covers, because that’s what they can relate to. We personally don’t do many covers as we are our own musicians and you will never get as much recognition covering as you do with your own music. I mean at the end of the day it doesn’t matter (if it’s a) cover or not; if you’re good then people will stop and listen.
C: I noticed you were selling CD’s; Do you think all buskers should have recordings available to encourage listeners to stay connected?
J: It is definitely good to put some CD’s out there to show people that you are serious about what you are doing (and not just there to earn a couple of bucks).
C: How do you power and transport your equipment?
J: We bought a battery powered amp which sounds great, but for bigger crowds it isn’t enough anymore, so we’re going to buy a new amp and a battery to power the whole setup.
We used to carry everything ourselves at the start, but as we have more equipment now we bought some trolleys and they made it a lot easier.
C: How long, typically, are your busking ‘shifts’?
J: It really depends. It can be anything from one to five hours. You see how you feel and decide spontaneously.
C: How many songs do you think musicians would need in order to have enough for a good busking set?
J: I would say anything between five and ten songs is good, not too many or too few, otherwise people won’t remember your songs (On the flip side, ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis get’s annoying after awhile!)
C: Have you met other musicians through busking?
J: We have met a lot of other musicians through busking. It’s great because you learn so much from watching other musicians.
C: What would you recommend for new musicians who may not know where to begin when it comes to busking? Is it literally a case of just going for it?
J: You will find out which spot suites you the best, just go and try some different places and you will find the best spot for you. Southbank is a great spot to start; It’s quiet and has a great atmosphere.
C: Finally, where can readers catch your next busking set?
J: We are busking pretty much every day, so if we aren’t on Bourke Street, then we are probably in front of The State Library!
Amistat are also playing a couple of shows at Revolver in May, as well as The Empress Hotel on April 28th. Check out their Facebook page for full details! You can also stream their songs from Reverb Nation. They’re selling copies of their self-produced EP, ‘It’s Not Words’.
The Artist Orchard 