A LONG WAY TO FALL: "On the one hand, we are coming from different genres, and everybody's past and background is playing a role. On the other hand, it's more like we want to create and transfer a feeling than just sound like bands we know."
April 28, 2019
A LONG WAY TO FALLis a Heavy Metal band from Germany. They recently released their new album "Faces,"and Metal Temple writerCrisstopher Robyncaught up with the band to discuss their style, the recording process, and their new album.
How did the band form?Were you all friends before the band became a band or was it just random meetings with each other?
Daniel and Thiemo started the band. They met while they were both searching for a new band in Stuttgart Germany. Kevin, Pascal and Bastian joined later independently. They were all found by online announcements.
When you started back in 2016, what was the music scene in Germany like?
The music industry was really about to change to these online platforms we know today. Musically we think that it didn't change much. At least locally.
What inspired each of you to pick up an instrument and begin a journey into the music realm?
We all started our instruments for different reasons and in different genres. But what we all wanted and what we are doing now is to gather inspiration and create our own songs.
What equipment do you all use and why do you use it?
The brand of each instrument and piece of equipment is a personal choice (and sometimes also a money choice:) and everyone has his own favorites. But in the last year we grew and totally love our digital equipment. It is handy for writing songs and also allows us to program pretty crazy stuff for our live shows. We don't need all these foot switches and effect boards anymore because everything is set up with the click track. This gives us more space on stage and it's easy to travel with. Everything but the acoustic drum set is built inside just one rack system.
What bands played the biggest part of influence in your music, and how are they a part of your music?
It's hard for us to name some specific bands. On the one hand, we as are band are coming from different genres, so we think everybody's past and background is playing a role. On the other hand it's more like we want to create and transfer a feeling than just sound like bands we know.
I would like to ask about your 2016 release, "Hatemoshpere." What were your goals and ambitions for your debut album?
We wanted to try this whole recording thing and also we wanted to share our first set of songs with you guys. The goal was mainly to become a part of the music community in our hometown and to have a press kit so we can have more live gigs.
What tracks are your favorite and what message is meant to be heard?
There is no "the one favorite song" for us and the songs are very different. This actually mirrors the message of our album Faces. It's about the different faces and emotions one person can have.
Switching focus to your new album "Faces," there seems to be a change, not in style, but more in the production. What were your focal points in making the new album?
For us it is important to live up to our growing expectations. With every production we are trying to get the best possible result within our current range. We think we need a decent sound so we have a chance to get noticed next to all these great productions on the market. Otherwise you will not be notices regardless how well written the songs might be.
With such a short time between albums, did you find anything in the process feel intimidating or was it a natural feeling to just go back in the studio?
For us, writing and recording new material gives us joy even though it takes a lot of time. We can't wait for the next recording, so you can say yes, it was a "natural feeling" to go right back to "work".
Was the writing process relatively easy or were there moments of writer's block? What was the hardest part of creating this album?
We had some highs and also some lows but we were never blocked or out of ideas. The hardest time was the actual recording of our instruments and vocals. We did that at home on our own and we needed a lot of time and energy.
"Verloren" is one of my favorite tracks from "Faces." Why did you decide to sing in German instead of English, like the rest of the album?
Bastian just showed us his first idea with German lyrics and we instantly liked it. We decided that this song will stay as it is.
"Betrayer" and "Last Attempt" are also two more of my favorite tracks, although the entire album rocks. What are your favorites from the album and which do you enjoy performing live the most?
Thank you very much. We are happy that you like the album. Every song is fun to play live and has its special moments. So again, we cannot define specific songs as favorites.
The videos for "Verloren" and "Driven by Greed" were released relatively close back in December of 2018. Were there any difficulties creating two different videos and having them released so close together?
Not at all. Each video had a relative short shooting time. We didn't take a big part in the post production.
Both videos are beautifully crafted, "Driven By Greed" by Michael Winkler and "Verloren" by Max Gunter. What was the experience of working with two different directors and do you feel they captured your imagery of the music?
Working with both was really fun and also very professional. They always knew what they did and had everything under control. From Michael, we learned a lot for our future. With Max, we found a young and very talented artist who brought his own vision and ideas into the song. We liked his shots from the very first second.
Is there a tour or any festivals that you will be playing this year? What goals does the band have for touring and are there any bands that you would love to share the stage with?
We would really love to play more festivals and also to have a tour as a support band. We are working on it. Yes, There are a lot of bands we would love to meet and support 🙂
What is the future for the band? Will you repeat the same pattern and return to the studio quickly or will you take some time for the follow-up?
At the moment we are constantly writing new material and plans have already been made. We don't know what will happen exactly, but you will definitely hear and see something new quite soon.
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