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We will soon close an unusual year. As a performer, how have you lived the last few months, the confinement, the slowdown and the fact that many concerts and events were missed this year?
I can’t just watch this year for myself. He missed an Olympics; in the middle of the center I see the closed shops, the catering units. In March, my partner and Peti Puskás and I decided to move to Győr. My parents already live there, and we also moved Peti’s family there because we felt we could better survive the quarantine situation in the countryside.
He always makes sure to separate his private life from his professions. Still, it’s as if X-Factor and Puskás have shown a little more of their personal world since their relationship with Peti.
Before the X-Factor, the audience didn’t really know my personality, but there they could see a big part of me. This interacted with my social platforms. There, too, I became more and more open, showing myself more and more. And that would be hypocritical if I didn’t share anything about Pet, as it is part of my daily life. Of course, this also means that Peti and I are public figures. Regardless, we try to maintain a healthy balance, consciously filtering what we allow information and what we do not. The winning couple is so far the only show where viewers have had a little more insight into our privacy for three weeks.
When asked to be one of X-Factor’s mentors, he received many attacks for being too young for the role. How did you use it?
My name may have sounded familiar to a more limited medium, as I have been playing music since I was fifteen. However, I have only managed to gain national fame in the last year and a half – since they have been able to tie my songs to my face. I got used to receiving comments from people about my work since my teens, so when they asked me for guidance, I was able to think about all that this could entail, what attacks could I receive. So I was able to prepare for this in advance. And the X-Factor was the greatest opportunity and experience of my life so far. I feel like I made the right decision in doing so.
Compared to this, everything has slowed down this year. It can be said that almost everything that can be related to the performing arts has stopped.
I have spent this period filling in the gaps that I have not had time for in recent years. I am thinking of writing my thesis here and also started the course to finally have my rights. And I try to dedicate an important part of my energies to creation. Television appearances and my collaborations on social platforms are a source of income for me, which makes my situation incomparable to that of my fellow musicians and background musicians whose concerts determine their salaries. But the slowdown also gave me time to reassess what I consider to be a public figure.
What have you changed
Obviously, the production and creation of content are paramount, but I also consider that it is equally important to talk about important public issues. This year has taught us a lot about social responsibility. Peti and I founded the Füri Music Association. Through this, we bring musical instruments and sports equipment to underprivileged schools. We were involved in the renovation of an orphanage, I accompanied Petit to liquidate a dog breeding farm. There have been many impulses this year that have made me pay much more attention to what surrounds us, to what defines everyone’s life.
Where was the orphanage renovated?
In the summer, a local company in Győr decided to renovate the entire upper level of an orphanage with its own resources. We went with Peti, we met the children, we talked, we sang with them and we followed the workflows, which were also recorded on video.
I saw on Instagram that he also helped two dogs find a host by becoming a temporary host. Wasn’t it hard to get rid of the puppies after a few weeks?
Of course … Before that, we also talked a lot about responsible animal husbandry, and we decided that we would like to adopt it permanently once we could create all the conditions for it. Until that is possible, we will help by becoming temporary adopters. Cute puppies come to us, we raise, teach and love them all. Then those who live their lives will come for them. It’s a really good, very good thing, but it’s still sad about the separation. Still, it is worth it, because with this we can also draw attention to the importance of adoption, castration and that people should not buy from breeders.
How do they find time for all this, since in today’s world few artists can survive without being in contact with their followers and fans? Fame is a bit like a day and night shift.
Today, no artist can exist without a well structured social site where there is constant activity, creative content. I always try to be nice to people who follow me. Last year Anna Daubner, a Hungarian designer, came up with a limited edition Christmas collection, which my fans could attend the presentation and we were able to speak live there. Face-to-face meetings are very important, which this year have unfortunately been reduced to communications on social networks.
Isn’t that attention and everything that comes with it?
We Hungarian speakers have no idea how onerous it is to be known. And this level is not as embarrassing as Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift are experiencing. We don’t live an isolated life anywhere, we don’t live in a villa, we don’t leave the garage with our fancy cars. When I started making music, I was especially proud that someone clicked on a video clip of mine. Now that I’ve gotten to the point where someone comes down the street asking for a photo to share, it’s more of a joy than a burden.
His new clip, Debut at Index, has just been released. Performs the song Living in You with Manuel. Why did you choose it?
Thanks to the X-Factor, I was there the moment Manuel took the stage for the first time and performed his song I Came From Far. If I may say so, I already supported him throughout the program, although he was not my mentor. I really liked what he represented and the way he interpreted it. Then the song Living in You was completed, the birth of which was greatly influenced by my experiences at the summer orphanage. With the song’s producers, Dani Puskás and Dani Gerendás, as well as my songwriting partner, Emil Wagner, we felt that something was still missing. We think we might be looking for a collaborator for the song, someone who can read the lyrics. Then we contacted Manuel. He liked it, he was glad to be able to show a slightly different side with this song.
His mother also appeared in the clip. What was it like to shoot with him?
Special experience. We had never filmed together before, we’ve been on a photo shoot or two together so far. It seems very important to me that my family life is private, my parents are not public figures. However, I felt that this video clip and the song were so special that it was worth asking my mom a question. And he promised to play my older, fictional self in him. Hence the idea of what it would be like if Tivadar Puskás, the father of actor Peti, were the other character. Dani Puskás also participated in the orchestration, so in the end the atmosphere was quite familiar.
He is only 23 years old. Are you not afraid that the opportunities offered by our small country will be found too soon and after a while the goals will be over?
Probably all artists can have an inherited fear of what will happen if they no longer search for them, if they do not pick them up, if they are no longer interesting. It is independent of age. That is why I am trying to put this aside, because the purpose and basis of the work cannot be the coercion of conformity and proof. Last year he taught me that too; I want to enjoy music and television, as well as the joy of small moments.
(Cover image: Dallos Bogi. Photo: Puskás Peti)
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