Image: Philip Gladsome
The interview was conducted by Friederike Schröter.
Political correctness doesn't matter. When the band from Chemnitz addresses interpersonal battles and social problem areas in their songs, they do so with a lot of exaggeration and irony. This is also the case on their new album “No Night for Nobody”. An interview with the three band members Felix, Steffen and Max.
Trucks crash into crowds, millions drown in the Mediterranean, narcissistic rulers lead powerful countries - how difficult is it to make music in these times as a band from which fans also expect a political stance?
Felix: We don't feel like we have to accommodate all political issues so that we can fulfill some kind of educational mandate. In the end, we're just a pop band - albeit a pop band that has a stance on certain topics. For example, while we were making this record, we woke up one day - and Donald Trump was president. But we can only reflect on current political phenomena with hindsight. That's why a song like "Window" almost has a dead fate because it simply comes too late. But maybe you'll hear from this record later that it was created at exactly that time.
The song “Window” is about someone who is angry at the state of society. You recommend that he jump out the window.
The song is inspired by the comment columns at Spiegel Online. It's about those people who think they have very simple solutions to very complex problems and long for the big, strong man to implement them for them.
Do you have any particular political groups in mind?
Well, we live in the east of the Republic, where every day you come across a colorful spectrum of groups to which you could attribute this behavior. Some saw the song as a concrete criticism of Reich citizens or angry citizens. And the Pegida people in particular would like to have particularly simple solutions to all problems. And that's what it's all about.
Angry citizens, Pegida – people certainly seem to be more politicized again. Are there good and bad political engagement?
We wouldn't stand up and say: Their worldview is wrong and ours is right. The arrogance of claiming that one knows the truth and can speak for the people is part of our criticism. The so-called angry citizens are just as convinced that they are right as we are. Nevertheless, we can of course make a song about this phenomenon that breaks down the topic. But in a discussion we wouldn't say to someone: Well, jump out the window, you idiot.
Are Germany's youth becoming more political again, as the saying goes?
Yes, maybe it's actually the only positive thing you can take away from this whole shitty time: that you can at least no longer stand up and say, oh, it doesn't matter anyway, because everything is fine the way it is. For several years now, interesting forms of political protest have emerged in which people take a stand - whether about refugees, Trump or Erdogan. That's really exciting. We too were suddenly shaken out of a kind of political lethargy when 30,000 people suddenly stood on the streets in Dresden with German flags. We stood there and rubbed our eyes.
However, most of your songs are about a completely different topic: women, love, heartache - including your new song “Your Song”. Whose (ex) relationships are constantly being processed?
The beauty of love is that it is so incredibly ambivalent. There are so many positive sides to her, but also some very terrible ones: pain and suffering and anger and hatred. We could fill another 20 albums with the topic of love. In general, however, I find it easier to write about negative things than positive ones. And the character of the broken ex-boyfriend like in “Your Song” has always interested me. The abandoned person who tells himself: Well, life is falling apart, the apartment, the circle of friends, everything is going down the drain, but hey, life goes on, that doesn't really bother me at all. And suddenly he finds himself in a revenge fantasy like in “Your Song”, in a total outburst, and everyone notices: There is nothing reflected or processed at all, there is only pure hatred, anger, pain, despair. And of course this character is not politically correct at the moment, but she is very emotional and authentic.
What about you and the women: Do you have a lot of groupies or can you still get to know women normally?
Some people can't imagine it: But it would be entirely possible that some of us have been with certain women for a very, very long time and that this backstage groupie harem might not even exist...
Another topic: Have any of you actually studied?
Felix: Steffen!
Steffen: Yes, media technology, almost five years, but then stopped. I don't regret that either. But my parents might have been happy about the graduation.
Max: If you really want to be a doctor, then of course you should study medicine conscientiously. But if you start something and don't really know why, it's not a waste of time to stop and orientate yourself differently.
Felix: Knowing exactly what I wanted to study at the age of 19 – that would have been completely illusory for me back then. I don't think studying something just because everyone else is doing it is a good plan.
Max: Yes, maybe you should take another year off, think about it, figure it out.
The Chemnitz band about political protest, love and why dropping out of your studies isn't a problem.
