1. First and foremost, thank you for taking your time and accepting to do this interview. We'll take it the old fashion way, so please introduce yourself and the rest of the band.
First of all we have to thank you for your interest in "Fuck, Wolves!" We think it's great to get a response from a country like Serbia which is not really known for its screamo scene. At this point in time, "Fuck, Wolves!" consists of four members: Sven – vocals; Tobi – guitar; Jens – bass and Chris (me) – drums.
2. Screamo is pretty much alive in Germany, so what are your thoughts on the local "scene"?
It may seem to you that Germany is just one huge screamo scene because there are many screamo bands around, but all in all there are not more than two hands full of bands that are really into it. What I think is pretty cool is that screamo has been playing a role in our hardcore scene for more than 10 years now and it's still not over. Of course a lot of people who were really active back at the beginnings are gone now and a lot of great bands split up or many great venues where you could set up shows had to close. But all these facts didn't stop our motivation to get active and play music which comes from the heart.
Something like a “local” scene doesn't really exist. We have to travel through whole Germany to play cool shows and meet active people. Since I joined the band we only played a few shows in the region where we come from. I think this motivation to get into the car and drive 500 km just to hang out with friends and make music are the ties which connect the German screamo scene close together.
3. And what about the rest of the world?
Puh... difficult question. We've never been out there.
We‘ve played once in France and Belgium which is not really far away from Germany. Our plan was to go to Spain for one week this summer but since we are not really good in organizing things, nothing happened and we stayed at home. But at least we have some friends in Europe, e.g. Adorno from Portugal, Morning Wood from Italy and in Chaos Is from France.
4. Being a screamo band and having diy attitude, what have been your biggest experiences both good and bad? What do you think is the biggest challenge for diy bands?
Diy is a really important topic for us because it's the foundation of realizing our ideas, in terms of our musical life. As I said above, our music comes straight from the heart and when you put effort in your work as a band, the best thing what can happen to it is when it's 100% true. One big challenge as a diy band is the always empty moneybag. Often we play shows without getting money, if you do this more than twice, normal people would say you are crazy but we say money can't buy the feeling of playing a show and having a good time with old and new friends.
5. You guys were featured on the "Dreams Come True" compilation as well as a split with "Chaos is..." from France. How did those happen, are they your friends or did it just come out of the blue?
Before I joined the band the others played already with Chaos Is in Strasbourg. Since then we have been closely connected to these French guys. This is also the story how we got the song “Kopf küsst Asphalt” on the Dream Comes True compilation, with many great bands from Europe. As I said already, after the release of our split LP with Chaos Is and the following tour we were even closer connected than before. In July we both have played a cool show with Morning Wood from Italy in Darmstadt and had tons of fun together. We hope to hit the road with them again soon, maybe next year.
6. As much as I know, you weren't among the founding members of "Fuck,Wolves!". How did you get on board?
I joined the band at the end of 2008. At this time the other guys were together since about one year. At the end of the year 2008 I played bass in a hardcore band called Nihil Obstat. Somehow this band lost it's origin and it's spirit so that we broke up. Sven, our singer, visited our last show of Nihil Obstat and told me about Fuck, Wolves! First I was sceptical because I just finished my studies and started to work, I didn't know how to handle it being at work and play in a band. But two things made me forgot my doubts: 1. since 1996 I always played in hardcore shows and couldn't imagine a life without and 2. I listened to the song of Fuck, Wolves! on myspace and within seconds I had known that I love this kind of screamo. We rehearsed two times together as a kind of test phase and within this rehearsals we made (I guess) one and a half song. When you work with people you really like and get along really well, work can be so productive. In fact we don't play these songs anymore but development is always an important step to improve your ideas.
7. I am aware of your other music project under the name of "Lobo's Son". Do the other members of "Fuck,Wolves!" have some side projects of their own?
Yes, Lobo's Son was a kind of escape when my other bands Katyn or Seven Bowls Of Wrath were at it's end. I‘ve always liked those hardcore bands which combined loud and fast music with silent and emotional acoustic parts, like Suicide Nation for example. I decided to make also music on my own because you can put so many emotions together in one song. You can express yourself much more than writing a personal song in a band, where the other members maybe don't feel the same as you do. Tobi, our guitar player, makes also songs on the acoustic guitar but more for himself. He hasn't released anything yet. Sven, our singer, always dreams of other projects he wants to join but in the end none of them are turning out as a band :-). I'm doing a fun project with two friends which is called The TOC Ensemble. The three of us play old school hardcore songs on our acoustic guitars and play sometimes at parties, which is great fun.
8. Speaking of "Lobo's Son", any chance of you resurrecting that project? You had some amazing tunes written under that name.
At the moment I don't feel like writing new songs under the name of Lobo's Son. I did this over a period of some years and also played with some screamo bands like Danse Macabre, The People Listening Wonder or Jr. Ewing but somehow I was missing the feedback of the people. I released two diy CD's which I never really sold. They are just flying around here at home. I have to confess that I was too lazy to ask distributions to sell the CD. But I don't say that Lobo's Son is 100% dead. I keep this solo project open to start writing songs when ever I have the mood and the necessary inspiration.
9. One of the things I am always wondering is what do band members listen in their free time. Care to share?
There was a time between my old band Katyn (2000-2004) and Fuck, Wolves! when I still loved screamo but not really listened to my Orchid or Funeral Diner records. Currently I listen to a big mixture between hardcore, from old school (Negative Approach, Black Flag) to screamo (La Quiete, Funeral Diner, Orchid, Louise Cyphre...), punk (Leatherface, Turbostaat, Turbonegro...), acoustic (Julie Doiron, Sophie Hunger...), pop & rock (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Milow, Richard Chesse...). It always depends on the mood you are in to which kind of music you listen to. Ten years ago I couldn't imagine listening to other music than hardcore, what was really strange and narrow minded. You should listen to this kind of music which makes you feel good. But to be true, I feel the best when I'm listening to heartbreaking screamo with great melodies and screamed vocals.
10. Do you find yourself, as well as the band in general, being under influence of the said bands? And do you find a specific band to be a major influence on your work?
Many bands make this mistake and start writing songs in the manner of their most favourite bands. As I mentioned already, our music comes from the heart. You can't just make a screamo song without first putting on your feelings. Since we are four individuals which really well fit together, also in context of our musical background, we make songs in our own way. Of course might there be an influence of really old screamo bands like Spirit Of Versailles or newer ones like Louise Cyphre but after all we don't try to copy something.
11. What are your plans for the future as a band, some new releases, splits, compilations?
In the near future one song will be released on a tape sampler of a local record label called Gueldenes Haar. On this sampler there will be some great bands like Comadre or Tackleberry. Just last week we went to our friend Leander of Fargo and recorded three new songs and a special cover song. Those songs will appear in winter 2010/2011 on our new split release with Fargo.
12. Do you plan on doing a tour in the near future?
Maybe we can play some shows together with Fargo when the split record is out, as a kind of a record release tour. We‘ve just talked about it, there are no fix plans yet. As well as the idea of touring Spain and France within one week with our friends Chaos Is. One goal for the future could also be coming to Serbia once. We are always looking for shows, just contact us and we see how we can find the way to you.
13. Do you guys have some other hobbies beside music?
I do some sports when I find the time. But currently it's hard for me because since one and a half year I'm working as a teacher and this is quite a lot to do. Even though I work in school already I have to do some exams. In January 2011 I will be finished and never have to do any exams for the rest of my life, hopefully
From time to time I visit the football stadium to watch my local football club 1. FC Saarbrücken, which made the jump from the 4th to the 3rd German football league.
14. Once again, thank you so much Chris for doing this interview. Any final words for the blog, "fans", friends, bands?
Every time when we play a show and meet people who cook for us, let us sleep in their beds, try to give us their last pennies just to have us at their place, this shows me again and again that hardcore is much more than just music. I want to use this space to say thanks again for all the people who are involved, especially you Stefan.
Nice interview! Thank you.
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