Ennio: "What do I actually want to share?"

German Singer-Songwriter Ennio from Munich entered the music world in 2021 with his debut single ‘Blaulicht’. He quickly amassed millions of streams and was regularly played on the radio with songs such as ‘Kippe’ and ‘Unendlichkeit’.

In 2022, he received the ‘New Music Award’ and released his first album Nirvana. His first tour sold out immediately. The second, sold-out tour followed in autumn 2023, on which he presented the first songs from his second album Schlaraffenland. This was released in summer 2024, accompanied by the tour of the same name in November.

Ahead of his performance at Campus Festival Konstanz, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ennio for a quick chat right at the Lake Constance. We talked about his new song Isar, the love for Munich and how he manages to share his most personal work with the world.

An Interview with Ennio

Janne: You've travelled a lot in your career, but you still stick to Munich. What exactly keeps you so attached to this city? 

Ennio: I have to say, everyone has this attachment to their home somehow, at least it's very strong for me. For me, it's a haven of peace compared to life on tour - when you're on the road a lot, it's mentally incredibly exhausting and you just need a place where you can chill out. That's Munich for me.

Janne: Would you say that has also changed over time since you've been travelling a lot?

Ennio: Definitely, yes. Home has become even more important than before.

Janne: You've wanted to write a song about Munich for ages, but you managed it when you were in Bali. Was it perhaps the great distance from Munich that helped you to clearly define what you love about the city?

Ennio: In a way, yes. It was funny because I was talking about it with Dennis - the guy I did the song with - and he said ‘now you had to come to Bali just to write the song about the Isar, didn't you?’ Yes, in a way I did. I don't think it would have been written otherwise. 

Janne: Can you pinpoint what you might have been missing before?

Ennio: I can't describe it exactly. You can always try to make songs about a certain subject, but sometimes you realise that it's just too contrived. I can go into the studio and set out to write a song about my home or how I feel at home and then it just doesn't work out the way I want it to. You just realise that it's not authentic or you just don't hit the right vein.

Janne: What was it like with Isar?

Ennio: With Isar, I really hit the nail on the head. I wrote this song within half an hour, the lyrics really flowed and it was kind of cool. It happens quickly, but to get that moment you have to wait a really long time and be patient enough to let it happen. That's why I'm happy that it worked out.

Janne: You built your song around this river. Was that the first thing you had as a concept for the song?

Ennio: The guitar riff came first. We just jammed on it. And then in the writing process I usually come up with the melody, which I hum, without words or with made-up words. Just to try things out. I came up with the idea of Isar relatively quickly because it just sounds good to shout the word out like that. This long I and then the long A, that sounds so good too. The rest of the song was written around that.

Janne: This song is one of your most personal. How do you deal with sharing these personal feelings with the whole world?

Ennio: This is an issue that I never thought would be a thing in my life at some point. I lived my life normally, like any other person. When you share it with the public, you suddenly have a completely different relationship to it and realise, oh, where are my boundaries? What do I actually want to share? But what do I perhaps not want to share at all?

At the same time, of course, it's the most authentic things that mean something to me that I use to write my songs. Those are always the best tracks and that's why it's a challenge every time.

I think writing songs like that is one thing, it's like therapy. Promoting and releasing these songs so that other people hear them is another big step.

Janne: How do you deal with it when a whole crowd sings these songs back to you?

Ennio: The live concerts are where I get the most energy because I get direct feedback. Nowadays, of course, you can see how many streams a song gets, but you can't really feel it. It's a number that I hope is as high as possible because I want to reach as many people as possible.

Live, however, you get the emotion back directly and immediately realise what goes down well and what perhaps doesn't go down so well. Then I can keep adapting the live show over the years because I already know what works.

Janne: When you perform these personal songs live, does it throw you back into the emotion that created them?

Ennio: Well, I have to say yes, definitely. But it's still a bit different because, firstly, I've heard the song myself an incredible number of times and, secondly, I'm totally focussed. I usually play the guitar and of course try to hit the right notes when I sing.

We also play an incredible number of songs, all of which have completely different emotions, one after the other. It's a bit like a rollercoaster. I don't think it's possible to feel every song 100 per cent.

Ennio live at Campus Festival Konstanz

Janne: SWR wrote in October that you are considered an ‘indie wonder and voice of your generation’. How do you deal with such phrases?

Ennio: To be honest, I'm happy about it. But it always means the most to me when I have a direct connection to those who listen to my music. Whether it's a quick chat on Instagram via direct message or meeting someone in the car park on my own tour, that makes me very happy. If people write something like that, why not? I'll take it, I'm grateful for it.

Janne: Do phrases such as ‘voice of the generation’ also bring a certain amount of pressure for you?

Ennio: Yes, they are big words. But I also believe that it's not entirely true. If that's the case at some point, then I'll have to work hard for it and I think I'll need a bit more time.

Janne: How do you connect the successful musician Ennio with the private Ennio from Munich in you?

Ennio: Hm, I think it's closer than some people might think.  After all, you can't change your character at the push of a button.

Janne: Do you sometimes wish you hadn't chosen your first name as your stage name?

Ennio: Sometimes I do think that. But then I have some colleagues who have come up with a new name. I think to myself that it's kind of confusing when some people only address you with fake names, isn't it? I think it has advantages and disadvantages. Many people still think that Ennio isn't my real name. Then it kind of doesn't matter anyway.

Janne: It‘s your first performance of Isar today. Are you already looking forward to it?

Ennio:Yes, definitely. It's always exciting because we rehearse it with the band and this is the first time there are five people on stage including me. I've never had such a big band behind me to back me up. That means it's another new step for all of us. But it's exciting and very nice. And I think it's going to be awesome.

Janne: So you're also getting bigger as a band?

Ennio: Yes, I mean, It's kind of obvious. When you've been around longer, you can afford to bring in more people at some point. The crew grows and it's really nice.

Janne: Will you only be on stage with the microphone at some point?

Ennio: No, the guitar will definitely stay, I need it. It's my anchor. And the piano too. But I prefer the guitar even more.

As our conversation wrapped up by the lakeside, it became clear that Ennio is not only a rising star in the German music scene, but also someone deeply grounded in his roots and values. His honest reflections, emotional songwriting, and evolving live performances show an artist who is still growing, both personally and musically. With Isar, Ennio has taken another step in sharing his inner world — and judging by the excitement surrounding his new music and growing live shows, he’s only just getting started.

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