Stars of Die Roten Punkte, Otto & Astrid, are sharing a stage as solo artists

The self-proclaimed "Best Band in the World" returns to the UK for their first full show since 2017. Since then - Otto & Astrid - who together have won a host of awards and accolades from all over the world as Die Roten Punkte - spent the next few years writing new songs and arguing over whose work should appear on their hotly anticipated fifth album. But, try as they might, they could not agree.

So now, Berlin's prince and princess of art rock and Europop, Otto & Astrid, are pursuing solo careers, returning to Edinburgh together separately in their very first Joint Solo Project. You can expect deft slapstick, choreography, and pathos to mirror the challenges faced by society. Part theatre, part comedy, part live rock concert, 100% defective siblings.

We spoke to Astrid ahead of the Fringe to get the lowdown on having your brother as your opening act and back up musician, her dream to support Lizzo and a peek at some of the duo's latest song titles...

You've decided to go your own separate ways after being in a band together for so long. Are you mad at each other?

Our band, Die Roten Punkte, is still together, we're just doing Joint Solo Projects at the moment. It's been so great for me to be able to express myself exactly as I want without having my little brother nearby wanting us to write songs about lions, kittens or dead parents eating sandwiches.

We're not mad at each other, we've just been brother and sister for a VERY long time, like our whole lives and so that can be a little frustrating when one of us has no sense of boundaries, is suffocating and co-dependent. So, we'll be playing our songs separately. Next to each other. But not touching.

Can you give us a sneak peek of some song titles from this year's show?

My new album is called The Better Half and some of my song titles are; Shoosh Now, Tasty Snak and My Future.

Otto's solo album is called Solo Release, some of his song titles are Sandwiches in Heaven, I Wanna Be Your Kitten and Being Myself.

We also both have music videos out. Mine is for Tasty Snak and Otto's is for I Wanna Be Your Kitten and we're having a competition who can get the most views by the end of Edinburgh Fringe - so please all watch Tasty Snak right now!

Who would mum and dad be most proud of? Otto or Astrid?

Hard to tell because both our parents were tragically killed on my twelfth birthday. We were on our way to the zoo, and they were carrying a picnic basket filled with sandwiches when they were suddenly run over by a train. Otto tells everyone they were eaten by a lion (because he was looking forward to seeing them at the zoo), but of course that is not true!

I think both parents would be proud of me looking after Otto for all these years, especially when he was a kid. I only put him in a cupboard once when I went out (he brings this up a lot more than is necessary).

Who is the dream person to be in a duo with, because clearly, it's not each other.
SO many people! We've toured before a few times with Amanda Palmer, so I definitely would love to actually duet with her (rather than as a trio with Otto). Also, I can play flute (as well as drums) so I'd love to be Lizzo's drummer AND back up flute player on one of her tours. I just have to meet her first.

I'd also like to do a duet with Peaches where we have a big dirty food fight together and roll around on the floor. Otto would probably want to duet with Iggy Pop doing a mash up of Iggy's I Wanna Be Your Dog, and his song I Wanna Be Your Kitten - and I'd love to see that!!

What will happen after this if Edinburgh is a success? Will you go on tour with each other?

Well unfortunately, as neither of us could find backing bands to play with us now we have to be each other's backing bands... so we'll have to do that on tour after Edinburgh as well. So I'll be playing drums as Otto's backing band, and Otto will play guitar and key-tar as my backing band. Otto will do all his songs first (he's my opening act) and then I will do all my AMAZING songs as the headliner. Straight after Edinburgh we head to the Freedom Festival in Hull and then we're touring in Australia!