Künstler-Spotlight #18: Im Gespräch mit Pause Applause aus Neuseeland

Pause Applause erzählen uns im Interview über den Umzug von Neuseeland nach Deutschland, die Liebe zum deutschen Wetter und warum ihnen das Geben und Nehmen in die Wiege gelegt wurde. Here you go...

Pause Applause erzählen uns im Interview über den Umzug von Neuseeland nach Deutschland, die Liebe zum deutschen Wetter und warum ihnen das Geben und Nehmen in die Wiege gelegt wurde. Here you go...

1. Three years ago you packed your suitcases and moved from beautiful New Zealand to the end of the world - Berlin, Germany. What was the reason?

This is a common question from the Germans, it’s difficult to explain why we could leave such a beautiful country behind! But unfortunately it’s also a small and isolated country which makes it difficult for a band to grow and survive. We all had big dreams to pursue music and to create music which could be heard by the world which is why we decided that Germany was a much better place to connect with more of an audience. After playing in previous bands for a long period of time back home in New Zealand, we knew moving to the other side of the world and starting again would be the perfect opportunity to start fresh !

2. You say that your new EP “Revive” was significantly influencend by this change of scenery as well as from other adventures. Which exciting moments were particularly those which expressed your music?

Often the weather boring to talk about, but since moving to Germany it’s become a source of inspiration for us! In Auckland New Zealand where we came from, the weather is pretty similar all year round. I remember the first winter in Germany was probably one of the most difficult periods of time. Dark, cold, no sunlight and the whole city of Berlin seems empty! But when that first sunshine of Spring arrived, i’ve never felt so much gratitude for sunlight! Since that experience, we’ve come to appreciate the different seasons, it's a chance to immerse yourself in the experience. This has definitely influenced and inspired our music. Whether it’s the vibe of summer, vibrant and alive, social, or autumn so rich in colour and textures, winter so cosy and bare at the same time and spring such a welcome burst of new life after that long winter!

3. What do you miss mostly when you think of New Zealand? Do you even feel homesick sometimes ?

We miss that relaxed ‘She’ll be right’ attitude that the kiwis are known for. Not a worry in the world. But mostly we miss old friends, beaches and the beautiful nature at your doorstep. Although we miss these things though, we all feel like we’ve found another home in Germany and there’s no place we’d rather be right now!

4. You say that in New Zealand there is a tradition which says that you have to pass on a gift before you take anything from another person. So this perfectly fits to the main thought of crowdfunding. Is this also the reason why you decided to finance your EP via Crowdfunding?

Yes. For our first EP release we felt like it was important for us especially as an unknown band in a foreign country to introduce ourselves in the easiest way possible. Now after spending the last few years playing around Germany and connecting with different friends and fans, we realised this is the perfect platform for us to gather supporters of our music to actively be apart of our journey.

5. Was it clear from the start that you wanted to become a musician? Or did you also had a plan B?

A big reason why we also decided to move to Germany, was to pursue music as a career. Although we’ve all done the "normal" 9-to-5-jobs in the past, we’ve always felt committed to the path of being musicians. Of course we’ve all shared our doubts at times and been tempted to try an easier career, but as Will Smith says plan B only distracts you from Plan A :)

6. You are three band members and two of you are brothers. Which pros and cons does it include, when two brothers are spending most of their time together? And what does the third member feels about that? ;-)

It's great! When writing together, we are able to be completely honest with each other and even if we disagree, at the end of day we are still brothers. All three of us in the band are really close, even more so after moving to Germany together. I think the difficult part in the beginning was separating work from play, but now we just do a lot more playing most of the time :)

7. Which artists are your biggest source of inspiration and with whom would you like to perform on stage one day?

Dave Grohl has always been a personal hero of mine, it would be a major dream to share a stage with Foo Fighters in this lifetime! We are always finding new sources of inspiration, bands like Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats und M83 are also some favourites.

8. Which are your favorite songs that you can’t get out of your mind at the moment? 

Simon Hughes - Josef Salvat - This Life
Benjamin Hughes - Multi Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Rene Corbett - Jungle by Panama for me

9. In 2014 you were already featured on NME’s music review page as “Promising emerging artist of the year”, Music Under Fire listed you in the TOP 10 of Most Notable artists and you achieved #1 spot in the Audience Charts of New Zealand with your single Punchline. If you think of the future, where do you see yourselves in 10 years?

It’s interesting because since moving a larger continent like Europe, our ambitions have simplified. We want to create music that inspires and moves people, we want to travel and share our music with the world, to have fun and most of all we want to continue to feel joy and inspiration for the music we create.

10. Last year you’ve supported Canada’s "The Arkell’s" on their European tour and you had your first German wide headling tour. Are you planning a new tour through Germany with the new EP “Revive” at the end of 2015?

We will definitely be hitting the road and playing across Germany once "Revive" is ready for release, we’re really excited to celebrate the release and hope to meet more new faces!

Fan-question: Which clubs do you guys prefer most in Berlin?

One of our favourite places to hang out in Berlin is Bohnen Gold in Kreuzberg, it's seems to have just the right mix of friendly people and music you can move your feet to. :)

Thank you very much, Pause Applause! ;-)

Anspiel-Tipp: "Bhutan"

 Und hier geht's zur Crowdfunding-Kampagne von Pause Applause!