The guitarist Manuel is answering the questions
for my interview with Bloodstrings in the end of
June 2023. The sing in often in English even if
they´re a german band. :
Please tell me a little history of Bloodstrings,
how you met and why you did start to play
together and when ?
-We’ve all first met when we still went to
school. Nick, Patrick and me are from the same
small town near Aachen and know each other since
we were around 14 or 15 years old which dates
back to 2003/2004. Celina is from another small
town on the opposite side of Aachen and Nick got
to know her some time earlier than the rest, but
in the end we share most of our friends and
started seeing each other more and more because
we’ve all been part of the same small Aachen
punkrock scene since we were that young.
The band itself though was founded in 2009 when
we decided to put up a Psychobilly-band.
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes? Earlier
bands?
-We started with another drummer (Maximilian
Möhring), but he left the band pretty early for
personal reasons. We’re still friends and see
each other from time to time, but he had
different plans with his life back then. Patrick
is our drummer since then and the lineup hasn’t
changed in any other way.
Patrick, Nick and me had bands previous to the
Bloodstrings.
Nick had a punkrock-band called Ashtray (later
known as Max and his drinking problem), which
was some young guys playing Social Distortion
and Rancid-like punkrock,
Patrick had a band called Crap, which I guess
can be described as American melodic
punk-influenced, and I had 3 bands before.
My first band was Saurer Regen (Sour Rain), a
german-singing rough punkrock band, then I
co-founded Einweg (Disposable/Single-Use), which
was a mixture of Swing-rhythms and hardcore
punk, also singing in german, and then I
co-founded another german punkrock-band called
Nennt uns wie ihr wollt (Call us what you want).
But all these 3 bands were nearly only playing
our local area.
Celina didn’t have any earlier bands but was
trained in piano and singing.
Bloodstrings is the name, where did it came from
and you wasn´t afraid that some other group
would be named so? What do you mean with that
name?
-No, we weren’t afraid that the name was already
taken but I guess we checked it back then. I
don’t really remember. The idea of the name was
to take something that sounds cool and relates
to the fact that in our earlier bands we all
literally played till our fingers were bleeding.
This may came from lack of technique or from
excessive passion or maybe both. You decide. 😉
Your new Heartache radio is really good, are you
satisfied with the final product? Is it only on
CD or how is it?
-Yeah, we’re really, really satisfied and lucky
how good it turned out to be. It comes on orange
and purple vinyl, CD and of course on every
known streaming platform.
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?
-Since we’re all vinyl lovers I guess we’d never
put out an album only digital. Also if you go to
a concert by any band and like their music,
you’d want to take something of that feeling to
take home with you. At least we feel that way.
Do you play any covers when you play live? If
you do, which then?
-When we’ve got enough time for the show, we
always play at least one cover song. Right now
it’s an older song by Die Toten Hosen called “Wünsch’
dir was”, but we’ve had lots of different covers
over time. For example by The Interrupters, The
Distillers, in our early years we’ve had covers
of The Creepshow and Horrorpops, Johnny Cash and
so on.
Please tell me a little about what your songs
are about? And tell me about the songs below?
-Our songs are mostly about personal stuff as
mental health and good (or bad) feelings or
personal experiences that we think everyone can
relate to, but also sociocritical/political
issues
The Bottle Talking
Having a few drinks too much, hoping that the
nonsense you talk all night won’t affect other
people’s feelings too much.
Short way down
This song’s about artists or people in certain
industries that walk over corpses, stab people
in the back to get what they want for example
fame. It is about the shallow side of the
industry, about “fake it till you make it” and
has the core message that you can climb your way
up to the top of the ladder but one false step
and you can be on the ground again.
Bottom view
This one is about the support that an individual
that feels like a down and out loser can
experience in a group of people that feels the
same way and thus “feel revived”. It’s a
shoutout to the “losers” that we all were when
we met as young people and felt connected by
that.
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?
-Yes, it became important to us over the years.
In the beginning our lyrics were mostly
horror-influenced but in a kind of metaphorical
way. Now it’s more straightforward saying what
you want to say. I guess our most political song
is German Angst, which was written during the
refugee-crises of the last years and the
lookaway- and refusal-mentality of the society.
On Heartache Radio you also can hear a song
about racism within the punk rock scene, which
sadly happens from time to time. We’ve always
been leftys, but first started to put our
political views into lyrics some years ago.
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?
-Well, at least we hope so. Like “Heavy Cross”
is hopefully something especially women or
non-binary people can relate to. “Don’t Die” is
about mental illness and we have already gotten
lots of feedback by people actually saying that
this song helped them through rough times. There
is no bigger reward than that.
How is it to play this sort of music in Germany
and which type of bands are you having concerts
with? Which is the most peculiar band you have
been playing together with?
-We’ve had shows with lots of different punk
rock bands, but also metal, hardrock, ska,
rockabilly and psychobilly bands. Most peculiar
as in strange or in extraordinary?
Maybe something between Japanische
Kampfhörspiele (german deathgrind-band we played
with at Störfaktor Festival 2019 – awesome
stuff!) and Rancid (two weeks ago on SBÄM Fest
in Austria).
Do you have any footballteam that you support?
(I support Arsenal and a Swedish team which is
called GAIS)
-I really don’t like german football. I think
there are way more interesting sports than this.
Our drummer Patrick is a fan of the sport and of
our local team.
How would you describe your music in three words
for people that haven´t heard you? Say it in
three words?
-Listen. To. It.
I like beer and also make beer.. If Bloodstrings
would do a beer , what would it be named and
which sort of beer would it be? Or maybe you´re
straightedge?;-)
-I guess it would be a very strong and dark
starköl. 😉
And how is it to live in Germany now? Racists,
the cost of living, and what about peoples
reaction to the Ukraine-war?
-Difficult question. Of course there are fucking
racists all over the planet, the living costs
are rising and the Ukraine-war is I guess the
most fucked up thing that our generation has to
deal with. Somehow you kind of just deal with
it, as hard as it sounds. When it comes to
racists you can of course stay loud and do
whatever you can do against them. About the
living costs, we all try to save money on
different things and thinking twice before we
spend money on something we don’t really need.
The Ukraine war of course frightens most of the
people in and outside of Europe. Everyone hopes
that is doesn’t escalate any further than it
already has, especially nuclear. We have
personally supported refugees that came shortly
after the war begun and can just motivate
everyone to do the same. Fuck Putin, end the
war!
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs? And which song is the people choice?
-My personal favorite on the new record is Ich
Hab’s Schonmal Gesagt because of its raw power.
I guess we’ll see which one is the people’s
favorite. 😉
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band?
-Well, we play some bigger stages, but I guess
the biggest difference for ourselves is that we
started to give more and more thoughts to how we
can put the most effort into setting up a good
show/experience for everyone involved. From the
audience to the staff and crew members.
And have you opinion about punk changed through
the years? What do punk mean to you, only a
musicstyle or a lifestyle?
-For me personally punk is mostly about the raw
energy you can put into whatever and also the
solidarity. Shows, records, demonstrations,
merch, videos, tours and whatever is part of
this whole thing. Clothing or outer appearance
not so much. My opinion on that never changed.
You do your song in english, never in german?
-By now we had one german song on every LP. “Der
Nebel Steigt” on Coal Black Heart, “Mondsüchtig”
on Born Sick and “Ich Hab’s Schonmal Gesagt” on
Heartache Radio.
Is it easier to do songs in english?
-I wouldn’t say it’s easier because we’re no
native English speakers, but we think you can
reach more people with it.
What´s your biggest livegig you have done this
far? The biggest band you have played with?
-Our biggest I guess was Wacken Open Air in
2018. Apart from festivals we had gigs with
Pascow (german punk band, they are huge here),
Mad Sin, Creepshow or Demented Are Go for
example.
What do you know about Sweden? What is typical
Swedish? And what is typical French(I meant
german of course)?
-We’ve only seen little of Sweden, because the
only Swedish city we ever played is Malmö, but
since we had the Tour with The Sensitives and
Death By Horse (if you don’t know them, check
them out – great Swedish punk rock!!!) we know a
little Swedish aside from Ikea, like hårsnodd,
upp! and tak. 😃 Typical
french… Croissants? Baguettes? Border Patrol
people that pronounce our names very funny?
Have you ever been here? Any good bands from
Sweden that you like?
-As mentioned. Also we’re big fans of Refused,
The Baboon Show, Hellacopters, Asta Kask (and
their german equivalent Rasta Knast),
Millencolin, No Fun At All, The Durango Riot,
Klamydia (no wait, they’re from Finland!),
Satanic Surfers or Arch Enemy, In Flames, Opeth
and The Haunted, to throw in some metal bands.
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age?
-We’ve played for very small children and really
old farts, but most of the people I’d guess are
between 18 and 40 years old.
What´s the best of playing live?
-Seeing people enjoy the stuff we play.
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during a livegig with your band?
-We had this gig in Leeds, UK, where this guy
had to sit on stage and hold his hands on the
power adaptor of my multi effects because it
went off all the time and the whole guitar sound
with it. Greetings to Dicky from Nosebleed at
this point! Also I fell over on stage during
this one. Very chaotic, but memorable!
Is there any good bands in Germany today? New
and young bands which is good?
-No, we’re all shit. 😃
Which is the record that you always must have in
the tourbus?
-Our own records, because otherwise we could not
sell them at our concerts. ;P
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify
and those type of things to listen to music? Is
there any good record shop in your hometown?
-Yeah from time to time I buy vinyls from the
bands we play with or when I go to concerts. The
most well-known record shop in Aachen is
Plattenbau, but there are several other shops.
Which was your first record, the latest you
bought and the most expensive you have bought?
-My first record was “Hier Kommt Die Maus”, a
single that the german comedian Stefan Raab
released when I was 8 or so. The Latest was “Heut
ist ein guter Tag” by Donots, the band that
produced our new album.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
-Well I definitely care about reviews and what
people think of our records, but I don’t take it
to heart when someone doesn’t like our stuff.
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?
-Ramones, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Hans-A-Plast,
NOFX, Donots
Kind of a wild mix. :D
And if you been paid for do a cover-record with
four songs,which four songs have you done then?
-Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You
Hans-A-Plast – Hau ab, Du stinkst
NOFX – The Separation Of Church And Skate
Futureplans for the band? And for yourself?
-Play more shows/tours, put out more records.
And for myself I hope to finally repair/renew a
wooden frame that stabilizes a grape vine in my
garden. :D
Wisdomword?
-Eat more nazis!
Anything more to add to the interview?
-Att hälsa eller frisör!