Mauritz is the guitarist of Black Gulls. It´s a really good hardcoreband from Germany. Now it´s time for them to answer some questions from me and it took place in May 2019.

Please tell me a little bit history of the group?

-We started this band in 2016. We knew each other and had other bands together, but we aimed to start something new and share our experiences. In 2017 we released our first EP “Cages”. We also started playing live in 2017. On April 19th 2019 we finally released our second EP “Stumble&Fall”

Please tell me a little about every member in the group right now, age, family, work, interests and something bad about everyone? Earlier bands? Other bands on the side?

-Oh, this could take hours...let ́s do it short. We are Mauritz, Tim, Damian, Kim and Dominik and we are something between 20 and 35. We all have normal jobs and normals interests like doing sports, going to football games and – of course – going to concerts. We all had different bands before, but at the moment we are just focusing on Black Gulls.

I can hear much different influences but mostly hardcore and some metal? Favorites from the past?

-Yes, we define us as a melodic hardcore band, but we are open to all kinds of inspiration. Espescially Damian and Dominik brought metalcore influences to the band. Every new influence can be a big chance for the musicial development.

Black Gulls are you satisfied with the name? How did it came up? And does it mean something? You weren’t afraid that some other band would be named like this? Which is the best bandname you know?

-First of all, we are satisfied. When we thought about a name for our band, we wanted to combine a dark color with a symbol of freedom and independence. We checked if there was any other band named Black Gulls before we made the final decision. In my opinion the best bandname ever is H20. It probably has no deeper sense, but it is clear, simple and easy to remember.

What ́s the best thing with playing live?

-Probably the best thing at a live show is the energy and the connection between us on the stage and the audience. Live shows translate so much more emotions than listening to a record.

And where is best to play? And the worst place?

-Based on the previous question, I would say that intimate club shows are the best due to the connection between the band and the audience. That's why we do not particularly like big stages on which one does not feel the audience.

How is to play this sort of music in Germany right now? Which types of bands do you have concerts together with?

We are from Germany and all in all it is cool to play our music here. Compared to other countries there are many opportunities to play live in Germany. Musicians are also often valued here. What bands we play together depends very much on the type of concert. There are pure scene concerts, but also festivals with many different kinds of music.

How would you describe your music in three words?
-Energy, Passion, Empathy

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle?

-For us, punk definitely means some kind of lifestyle. We do not connect punk with torn clothes, drinking alcohol or hanging around on the streets. Punk is the attitude to be interested in his fellow human beings and to stand for a just and peaceful society.

What shall a young guy do today to shock their parents as the way we did when we were young? They have already seen everything ;-)?

-Listening to punk and hardcore music instead of dirty rap music would be our recommendation. Back to the roots;)

How is it to live in Germany right now? Politically? Fascists?

-We do not want to complain. Germany is a democratic, secure and prosperous country.

As we have seen in other European countries, there has been a rise of right-wing movements during the last years, but at the moment we are hopeful that those movements have already reached their peaks.

Is there any good bands from Germany right now? Is the punkscene/metalscene/hardcorescene big? How is it in your hometown?

-We come from a city with about 70,000 inhabitants. There are other bands and a considerable cultural scene, but there is no hardcore scene. But there are many great hardcore bands nearby. To name one with whom we will soon play together: Devotion

What do you know about Sweden? Have you been here sometime?

-I myself have been to Sweden twice and I will definitely come back more often. Both the cities and the endless landscapes were breathtaking. I experienced the people as a little reserved, but very friendly. That's my style, so I felt very comfortable.

Have you heard any good bands from Sweden?

-For a country of this small size, Sweden has brought out so many great bands. We have to begin with mighty In Flames, Refused and Raised Fist but we don`t forget smaller bands like Aviana.

Your lyrics, who does them and what influences you? Why not in German(I really love that when bands sings in German)

-At the moment, three of us are responsible for the lyrics. We all are influenced by the things that happen around us and that we snap up. These can be social or personal topics. We also love German lyrics but we decided to write English lyrics to have a larger audience. Our lyrics mean so much to us and we want people to understand them everywhere.

Is there any subject that you never will write anything about?

-I would not rule anything out. We have three writers in the band and we all have our topics and interests, so there will be always a great diversity in our lyrics.

Politic and music, does it goes hand in hand? Which is your most political song?

-Politics and music can be connected, but they do not have to be connected. We have many political songs and we think that this is a great opportunity to make statements with our music. But we also deal with more personal issues and that is also fine.

Best political band/artist?

-We have to mention Refused along with Bad Religion. Bad Religion have put their fingers in the wound for 35 years and are touring tirelessly. They may die on stage while preaching to young punk rockers;)

Do you think that music(lyrics and so on) can change anyones life, I mean people who listens to music?

-I don`t know if music can change an entire life. But when I speak for ourselves, then I can say that the music has changed our lives to the positive and we still draw much strength from the music. Music is not the sole salvation but a great help

Your favorite recordcover alltime? Who does your recordcovers?

-Best Cover: Polar - No cure, no saviour.

Our record covers are designed by ourselves and our friend and tattoo artist Florian Ziebart.

Is it important to get out physical records of your stuff? Why or why not? Vinyl, CD, cassette, what do you prefer if you could choose whatever?

-We love to have CD’s of our new records to give away. Vinyl’s are nice but not a must- have, we don’t have any of our records. I think streaming is more up-to-date to reach as much people as possible, so our records are available on every streaming portal.

Please tell me a funny thing which have happened during your career and under some gig?

-At our last gig I stumbled on the stage and fell down. It was an extra effort to show the people in front of the stage what the name of our new EP “Stumble and fall” looks like in action ;)

How does your audience look like? Which people do you miss on your concerts? Which is the biggest band you ever have played together with?

-Our audience is a mixture of hardcore fans and friends and family. We miss the teenagers on our concerts, would be great to reach them as well with our messages! The biggest band we have played with was Landmarks in 2017.

Please rank your five favoriterecords, five favoriteconcerts and five most important things in life?

-1. Funeral for a Friend – Casually dressed and deep in conversation 2. Killswitch Engage . Alive or just breathing 3. Slipknot – Slipknot 4. Anti-Flag: For Blood and Empire 5. Kmpfsprt – Invertention

1. August Burns Red 2. Boysetsfire 3. H2O 4. Funeral for a Friend 5. Alexisonfire.

1. Music 2. Friends and Family 3. Football 4. CrossFit 5. Doing this interview right now

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?

-I sadly can`t remember the first and the most expensive record I bought. The last one was definitely the new Bad Religion record.

Is it boring with interviews? Is it much interviews?

-Not boring, but some questions are really tough to answer. At the moment we don`t have too much interview requests, but we appreciate every single one.

Do you care about reviews? Which is the most peculiar you ever had, with this band or any other band you have been to?

-Reviews can be cruel, but they are important to us to get to know what other people think about our music. It wasn`t a real review, but our former drummer told us his opinion of the new record and he saw everything just like me, without us having talked about the songs before. Some kind of magic:)

Which bands do people compare you to, is it boring that people compare you to other bands or is it understandable?

-First of all, it is totally understandable and it is also very interesting because we get to hear extraordinary comparisons. One guy once compared us to Turbonegro. We were also compared with melodic hardcore bands like Being as an ocean.

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?

1.Funeral for a Friend 2. Heart in Hand 3. H2O 4. Polar 5. Alexisonfire

Is music a good way to get out frustration and become a nicer person outside the music??

-As I already mentioned, music might not change your entire life. But yes, for us music definitely is a way to get out frustration and negative feelings.

Which is the question you want to have but you never get. Please ask it and answer it?

-Maybe question Nr.2. We could a whole book about it;) I can`t find any missing question right now. I think you are doing a good job

Futureplans for the band?
-Keep turning the wheel. New songs, new shows, new records and so on

For yourself?
-Very similar. Keep turning the wheel.

Wisdomword?
-Keep the PMA!

Something to add?
-Nothing more to say. Thank you very much!