Plastic Mars is a german punkband which sings
mostly in English but they do some songs in
german too…an interview is done now in September
2023 with group…enjoy!
Please tell me a little history of Plastic Mars,
how you met and why you did start to play
together and when ?
-We are Plastic Mars a german punk rock band
based in Limburg an der Lahn (Hessen) very close
to Frankfurt am Main.
The band was formed in December of 2017. I met
Maddin at a local Punk Rock Festival in Limburg
and we decided to make music together. Shortly
after that we found Marius via a online music
platform. So we started as a Trio (Ronny - lead
vocals & guitar, Maddin - drums & backing
vocals, Marius - bass & backing vocals) and
began to write our own material. Step by step we
bought some recording equipment and figured out
how we could produce some demo tracks on our
own. Meanwhile in 2019 we found Chris (guitar &
backing vocals) who completed the band. Shortly
after him joining Plastic Mars we booked a
professional recording studio to record 5 Tracks
(out of 10 pre-produced song sketches) for our
first EP called „Here We Go“ (released in May of
2020).
We had played some smaller gigs and one festival
before covid hit mother earth and made it
impossible to continue playing live. So, we
decided to not loosing time
and got signed by Timezone Records to record our
debut-album called „Up To Our Necks“ in 2020
(released in July of 2021). At this time we had
a lot of fun to shoot some DIY music videos, too
for our YouTube channel.
It was still impossible to play live, due to
covid. So we began to write new songs again.
In 2022 we searched and found a new professional
recording studio as we wanted to sound a little
more organic on our next record. Then in June of
2023 we released our latest EP called „Not Like
You“ including 5 brand new tracks.
Luckily the pandemic is over now and we already
played some really cool gigs and made new fans!
The Show Must Go On!
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes?
-Yep, it’s still the same lineup! No changes!
Plastic Mars is the name, where did it came from
and you wasn’t
afraid that some other group would be named so?
-Ronny, our singer, had the idea for the name of
the band. One day he sat in his home studio and
looked at a rubber on his table with the
lettering „mars plastic“. He thought: „When you
flip the words - it’s a great name for my punk
rock band!“
Of course we googled the name and luckily there
was no other band called like that.
We didn’t want a overblown, too serious name. It
should sound cool and punk rock!
Your song Drowned is about how people drowning
in their cellphones, is that something do when
they’re
on a concert with your band?
-We are very happy that it’s not the case at our
shows (at least we couldn’t spot people in the
audience drowning in their cellphones, while we
performed our set from the stage).
Is it important to give out the record as
physical releases do you think? Would it feel
like you have released a record if you only
release it digital? I think you have done it
with your latest releases? Will they come as
physical, why or why not?
-We think that physical records still matter for
the fans. At least as a piece of merchandise.
But does the majority of your fanbase listen to
your songs via CD or Vinyl?
We don’t think so.
Streaming is real! And as much as we love the
CDs and Vinyls from our favorite bands and
identify ourselves as „oldschool“ we have to
accept that most of the people consume music on
streaming services like Spotify, etc.
For our latest record „Not Like You“ (EP, 2023)
we decided to release it digital and, yes, we
feel like we have released a record.
Record Companies are not that important anymore
and the small ones can’t do anything for us
Newcomer-Bands at all. The interest in CDs isn’t
that big, too. The costs for vinyl productions
are hilarious. So, what can you do as a DIY-Band
when you already paid so much money for the
recordings in a professional studio and the
promotion campaign for the record all by
yourself? Well, we chose to release digital.
There is always an option to press the record on
CD or Vinyl later on. We would love to do that
when we have the necessary change!
Do you play any covers when you play live? If
you do, which then?
-Nope, no covers.
Please tell me a little about what your songs
are about?
a)
Coca Queen: Coca Queen is a fictional story and
first
it sounds like the “funny cocaine punk rock
lyric”. However, there is a tragic meaning
behind it. The song is about a toxic
relationship on drugs which lasted only as long
as one of both had money to buy the drugs.
b) I’m
Sorry: The song is about forgiveness. Imagine
you’re
in a serious relationship, but at
some point
you’re
beginning to
cheat
on your partner and of course, one day you
get busted.
You begin to realize that this was a big,
painful mistake and you ask for forgiveness.
c) Scherben: The song is about people who
deviate from the way (what was the case
especially during the pandemic) and crawl down
the rabbit hole to become obsessed with
conspiracy theories, but in the end to get back
on track. Leave the Bullshit behind,
people!
Is it important to get out your opinions in your
music, or do you only sing about “trivial
things”? Which is your most political song or
shouldn’t
you put politics into music?
-Every person is political, for sure. We don’t
think that a band has to be political. We try to
sing about themes that matter and even if we
sing about fun stuff, we try to leave a message
behind the song. If we think there is a need to
put out our opinion to several themes, then of
course we do and we did!
Our most political songs are IN OUR OWN HANDS,
WOHLSTAND UEBER ALLES and SCHERBEN.
Do you think that your lyrics can have effect on
other people who listens to them…any example on
it? Have you changed anyones mind?
-We don’t know if our lyrics effected other
people, but we know that music is able do that.
Music is powerful and can change people’s minds.
We feel that way as we listen to our favorite
bands and songs.
How is it to play this sort of music in Germany
and which type of bands are you having concerts
with?
-In Germany it’s hard to get the chance to play
clubs or festivals for our target audience - for
people who love Punk Rock. It depends very much
on where you live and how good you are
connected. There aren’t that many Punk Rock
Scenes anymore. But, we don’t want to complain!
Mostly we play concerts with Rock Bands in
general or Heavy Metal bands.
Do you have any footballteam that you support?
(I support Arsenal and a Swedish team which is
called GAIS)….have you ever done a song as a
tributesong to any team or something similar?
-Maddin and Ronny support the german Bundesliga
club Borussia Dortmund (BVB 09). Marius and
Chris aren’t interested in football, at all.
We try to separate being a Punk Rock band on one
hand and being football fans on the other hand.
So, never thought about that. It’s not the vibe
of our band.
How would you describe your music in three words
for people that haven’t
heard you? Say it in three words?
-Authentic - Positive - Catchy.
I like beer and also make beer.. If Plastic Mars
would do a beer ,what would it be named and
which sort of beer would it be? Or maybe you’re
straightedge?
-We like beer, too! Definitely it would be a
Pilsener and maybe we would call it „Plastic
Hops From Mars“.
And how is it to live in Germany now? Racists,
the cost of living, and is people going to
Sweden nowadays to buy things or isn’t
it so much cheaper here anymore?
-What can we say? Weather could be better -
summer could be longer! :-)
And Germans are way too serious… Costs of living
got pretty high in the last years. We don’t know
if there are more racists in Germany than in
other countries, but as long as any kind of
discrimination still exist in society, we have a
lot to do to stop the hate! Never heard about
Germans who buy stuff in Sweden because it’s
cheaper. Maybe it’s the case - we don’t know. We
always heard that alcohol is brutally expensive
in Scandinavia.
Which is your own favorite
song among your own songs? And which song is the
people choice?
-We can’t pick one song over another as our
favorite one. They are all our Babys and we love
each and everyone of them. We think the people
like SHOUT IT OUT and NOT LIKE YOU a lot!
What’s
the biggest difference when you plays live
nowadays if you compare when you first started
to play in a band?
-Many more bands than 15 years ago! But Rock
Music isn’t that popular at the moment.
And have you opinion about punk changed through
the years? What do punk mean to you, only a
musicstyle or a lifestyle?
-Hm… Not easy to answer. Maybe Punk Rock is a
little bit more „polished“ and well produced
today. Because technology got better and good
recording gear got cheaper, so bands are able to
sound better on their records now than years ago
on their raw sounding demo tapes and simply got
used to that perfect sound. Nothing against raw,
crappy sounding demo tapes. Those were great!
Punk means to us: Do what you want!
You do your song in both English and german?
-Yes, both!
Which language is best to sing in, german or
English?
-English. Mostly sounds better and people
outside from Germany are able to understand the
songs and connect with the band.
Which
is the best gig you ever have done? Are you only
playing in Germany?
-Once we played in a big sold out big top
(Circus without animals)! That was pretty cool
and very special! The people went nuts!
Until now we only played in Germany. We would
love to play concerts in other countries!
What do you know about Sweden? What is typical
Swedish? And what is typical german?
-Only stereotype stuff.
Have you ever been here? Any good bands from
Sweden that you like?
-No, but we would love to visit Sweden. We like
many kinds of music and Swedish bands always
deliver! We like The Hellacopters, Backyard
Babies, The Hives, Refused, Ghost and of course
Roxette!
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age? Much dancing? Sweaty?
-All kinds of people and ages. Mostly young
people. We like it sweaty - at the stage and in
front of the stage!
What’s
the best of playing live?
-To connect with the audience!
Which was your first record, the latest you
bought?
-Ronny: I just can speak for myself… My first
record was Manowar „Fighting The World“ on tape
and my latest record was AC/DC „Power Up“ on CD.
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?
-The Rolling Stones
The Clash
The Cure
Blink-182
Rise Against
Futureplans for the band?
-We try to play as much as we can to build a
strong fanbase. It would be very cool to build a
small fanbase in Sweden, too!
Wisdomword?
-Rock’n’Roll is dead! Long live Rock’n’Roll!