Angel grove is a really good USHC-influenced
band from Germany. I´m so happy that I came in
contact with them and you should get in contact
with their music too. The interview was done in
June 2023.
Please tell me a little about the story of Angel
grove?
Sven:We started in 2010 with two people and had
problems to find the right missing band members.
This finally has changed in 2018 when first Tim
joined the band on drums and in 2019 Til on
guitar and vocals. Since then we are writing
more songs and playing more shows than ever.
Please tell me a little about every member, age,
work, previous bands etc?
Sven: I am 36, work in human resources. I have
only been in this band and none other. Til is
24, studies to become a teacher, have played in
a Pop-Punk “project” before joining Angel Grove
in 2019, listens to Punk, Hardcore, Metal/Deathcore
and Country.
Jan ist 38 and had some other band projects
during school day. Nothing have last for long.
He works at a candle company.
Tim is 26 and has played in so many bands. Check
out his other band „Old Moon Madness“ completly
different.
The name Angel Grove, where did it came from and
you wasn´t afraid that any other band would be
named so?
Sven: We had a paper with 50 possible band names
and just made a voting. The idea for that name
came from Jan because of a tv show. Easy to find
out which one. I searched the internet and found
out that there is more than one other band with
that name. But none of them was in our region so
we did not care
You come from Germany, how is it to live there
nowadays, racists and politics overall?
Sven: Germany still is a good place to live. We
invest too much time in tiny problems instead of
solving the big. The country always had, still
has and unfortunatly always will have too many
stupid racist idiots running around.
When you do your lyrics, what are they about,
anytime political or is politics nothing to have
in music? Only in English…never in german?
Til: Our lyrics are mostly about things that we
deal with in our lives, family, relationships
and sometimes politics. However, we are not a
political band and we don’t want to be a
one-trick pony concerning our lyrical content.
We just write about the things that are going
through our minds. I think each of the members
is influenced by different bands and, therefore,
has different approaches to lyrical content. For
me, country music has had a huge influence
concerning songs about friendship/relationships,
etc., while Hardcore Punk has had a big
influence on the way I think about politics and
self-improvement.
Sven: And always only in English.
How would you describe your own music in three
words for those who haven´t heard you? I hear a
lot of Fat Wreck Bands- in the music?
Sven: The typical Fat Wreck Sound yeah. We all
love the bands on Fat.
Til: Poppy Skate Punk
Is there any there groups you have being
compared to? Is it bad or good to be compared?
Sven: This happens often. Very different names
and often I don't know the bands. Lately I often
heard Blink 182
Til: I have heard comparisons to Blink 182 and
Lagwagon, which couldn’t be a greater compliment
for bands in our genre. I don’t think
comparisons are generally bad, as long as they
don’t become the only thing people say about
your band.
You have only released records by yourself or
how is it? Not any label which is interested?
How can I get a hold on your first records
because you have done some more…tell us about
them?
Sven: I think we are to small for labels and
there are so many other good bands out there.
The labels have a huge choice. I think a person
who helps you to book shows for you is more
important than a label. With the internet there
are so many way you can release your music
yourself. Our releases are all available on all
plattforms. If you want a classic cd you can
find it on our homepage
The new single No fun for anyone, when does it
come out and which format?
Sven: It will be out on 16. September 2023,
digital, cd and maybe for the first time vinyl.
Maybe the next song will be out in a not so far
future...
Can you feel that you have done a record if you
would release it only digitally?
Til: I think in this day and age, releasing a
record digitally is the most important way to
get your music out to people all over the world
and it steel feels like I have made a record.
However, as a vinyl collector, I still love to
release physical copies of my music.
Sven. Yeah, digital is most important, but we
will never have digital only. All our releases
will always be on cd and if possible vinyl.
When you listen to music, what is your favourite
way to listen to music, Spotify, vinyl, CD or
what do you prefer?
Til: I mostly listen to music on Spotify,
especially when I am driving in my car or doing
sports, but I also love to sit down and listen
to a vinyl from front to back.
Do you buy much records yourself?
Sven: I buy all cds from my top ten and all
vinyls from my top five bands when they release
something new. From time to time I buy second
hand cds do complete my collection. Last month I
found the missing NOFX Album.
Is there any good record shops left in your
hometown?
Sven: No, you have to drive at least one our to
the bigger cities Cologne, Koblenz, Trier or
Bonn. Our region has always had low population.
So there have never been any stores around.
Any good bands from your town and in Germany
overall?
Til: There are no other bands from my hometown,
but some of the best bands from Germany that fit
into the same genre than us include Itchy,
Donots and Montreal.
What does punk mean to you, is it only a
musicstyle, a word or is it a style of living?
Til: To me, it means being free to do whatever
to you want, as long as you do not hurt anybody
else. It also means accepting everyone as an
individual and not judging people based on
factors such as the color of their skin, the god
they choose to believe in or their sexual
orientation.
Tell me a little about the following song and
what they´re about?
Cyborgs, PMA and No fun for anyone
Cyborgs
Sven: Look out of the window. Everyone is
walking around with his eyes at his phone only,
no one is looking at each other. You go to a
show and everyone is making pictures or low
quality videos instead of enjoying the moment.
It is a world full of cyborgs
PMA
Til: PMA is an abbreviation for Positive Mental
Attitude. The song is about growing up and
accepting the changes you go through and
handling setbacks and problems by always trying
to find a way to improve yourself and see the
light at the end of the tunnel. It is inspired
by the music of a lot of hardcore bands that I
have been listening to for a long time, such as
Stick To Your Guns, Terror and H2O.
No fun for anyone?
Sven: The first song of the new EP? The name is
actually „Anyhow“. It's about our next show. 15,
50 or 500 people, we don't care, we always give
everything we got and try to have a good time.
Even if there is only one person who wants to
see us we can have a great show.
Are you selling any merch on your gigs, do
people buy it? What sells best?
Sven: Yes we do. I thought we need some special
things to sell, but no one cares. The Bestseller
still is a shirt. A lot of people as for vinyl,
so I guess it would run well, too.
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs? And which song is the people choice?
Til: It is difficult to pick just one song, but
a few of my favorites include the whole upcoming
EP, PMA, Chasing Headlights, Lying On The Floor,
Cyborgs and History. I think “fan-favorites”
could be History, PMA and Chasing Headlights,
and hopefully the songs that are on our new EP!
Sven: Most people I talk to ask for „History“
When you do songs, is it one in the group who
does them or how do you compose a song?
Sven: Totally different, sometimes one of us
comes with a completly finished song, sometimes
we work on it together. Two weeks ago we just
started playing and had a song 10 minutes later.
I sometimes sit at home and it takes years
before I show the song to the others. Everyone
is involved.
Please rank your five favorite records?
Til: Anti-Flag – For Blood and Empire; Stick To
Your Guns – Disobedient; Rise Against –
Revolutions Per Minute; No Pressure – No
Pressure; Benjamin Tod – A Heart of Gold is Hard
to Find
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
Sven: Of course we do. The only thing I just
want to take reviews serious is, that the person
really has thoughts about what he is reviewing.
We can do without a five sentence review which
is just a blue print and you only have to cange
the name of the band and the name of the songs
and the review would fit to every band. To this
day we only got very normal reviews. I am happy
that no one ever just wrote that we are shit.
If you could choose five bands from the past and
the history and nowadays and both dead and
living bands to have a concert together with
your band. Which five have you been chosen?
Til: Anti-Flag; No Pressure; Lagwagon; Strike
Anywhere; Rise Against Sven: Blink 182, Strung
Out, NoFX, Lagwagon, Millencolin
Is music a good way to get out frustration and
become a nicer person outside the music? Sven:
To me music is the best way to handle your
feelings and you behaviour. If you have a really
bad day music can alway bring you back to earth.
If your job is hell you always know there is a
song waiting after you have finished.
Have anyone of all your fans done something
really crazy when you have played live, ? Have
done any tatoos or something like that?
Sven: No, some funny with with drinking but
nothing somebady else hasn't done before. Our
focus is to make a good show and to give
everyone he feeling to be a part of it.
Any good Swedish bands you like?
Til: Millencolin, Misconduct, Refused, Amon
Amarth, At The Gates
Is it boring with interviews? Is it much
interviews? What do you prefer
Telephoneinterviews, face to face or as this one
via e-mail?
Sven: We love to talk about music and love to
meet people in general. So we always like
interviews. I still like to meet people in
person the most, so face to face is great.
Futureplans for the band?
Til: Play as many shows as possible and meet
nice people all over the world
Futureplans for yourself?
Sven: Stay healthy and make as much music as
possible and show it to other people
Wisdomword?
Sven: Respect others and do what ever you want
Something more to add?
Sven: Thank you for your nice questions, Be
yourself and explore the world. Not the one in
your smartphone.