Heathcliff have done a really good new LP. Here´s an interview done with them in the beginning of April 2025.

How did the band Heathcliff come together? What was the initial inspiration behind forming the group?

Bust-E: Back in 2017, what started as a side project between friends kind of snowballed into a full-on band with a life of its own. Originally, it was supposed to be a fun little Skatepunk thing on the side – but we quickly realized we had too much love for this music to keep it casual. Once Andy joined, things really took off, and here we are… still going strong and having fun!

Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound?

Bust-E: That’s a wild mix. Everything from 90s Skatepunk like NOFX, Satanic Surfers, Millencolin, Lagwagon and Hi-Standard to bands like MUTE, Propagandhi or even Bad Brains and RATM. Also, Metal, Hardcore, Ska and Reggae are part of the brew. You’ll definitely hear that we never wanted to limit ourselves to one box.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?

Bernie: Homemade Skatecore brewed with love and some extra ingredients. 90s melodic Skatepunk of course but also some Metal riffs, Hardcore and bit of Ska/Reggae. I guess we have quite a journey thru different vibes  within one album but also at live concerts.

What is the meaning behind the name “Heathcliff”?

Bust-E:  We’re talking here about the orange cartoon cat from the 80s – the punk version of Garfield, if you will. That grumpy little dude had the right attitude.

Can you tell us a bit about your creative process when writing music? Does it usually start with lyrics or music first? Never any thought of German lyrics?

Bust-E: Usually someone brings a riff or structure, we jam it in the rehearsal room, record a raw demo, and I write lyrics based on the vibe of the song. Sometimes things even happen spontaneously in the studio.

German lyrics? Hmm… we’ve talked about it, and actually Andy has a new side project called Chairwalk with German Skatepunk lyrics. So yeah, who knows, maybe Heathcliff will someday drop a Deutsch-Banger too!

What is the most important message you hope to convey through your music?

Bust-E: Stay positive, don’t be a dick. We love the scene, and we want to give back what it gave to us. We address serious stuff too – social issues, climate, fake media – but always with a constructive or hopeful twist.

What was the inspiration behind your latest album? Were there any specific events or feelings that influenced the songwriting? And the phrase “Postcard from a ParaHell Universe” – who came up with the brilliant title?

Bernie: Life itself was the inspiration – the absurdity of social media where everything is about looks or fame and two clicks away a crumbling world. But of course an never ending inspiration is the beauty of friendship and music.

Bust-E: The main theme on the album is about what Bernie said. The coexisting of a superficial and artificial self-centered online world with a shocking news from disasters, destructing, wars and violence. Like two parallel worlds or as we called it two ParaHell Universes. Its also a combination of two song titles “Sugarcoated ParaHell Unicorn” and “Universe in a Nutshell”. I think the Postcard was an idea by out artwork wizard Marco Divertimenti. Since every selfie on a social media post or story is like a digital postcard to multiple recipients, the postcard as a symbol stuck.   

How has your sound evolved over the years? What kind of changes have you noticed in your music?

Bust-E: We got better at writing songs that still kick ass but also say something. Also, our latest album is probably the most diverse one – more melodic in some parts, more raw in others. We’ve matured, I guess. Kinda.

Punk has always had a rebellious spirit. How do you think punk music has changed in today’s scene?

Bernie:  Maybe it’s more inclusive now, at least in parts more sensitive and less raw and we love that. Punk today is not just angry young men – it’s a community of all kinds of people standing up for something. The DIY spirit is alive and well.

SBÄM Records – is it a good label?

Bust-E: Absolutely. SBÄM is like family. Stefan has believed in us from early on, and we’re stoked to call them our “Mothership.”

Bernie: Plus we’ve teamed up with Bearded Punk (Belgium), Double Helix (US), and Pee Records (Australia) – a true international skatepunk alliance. And Bjorn from Bearded Punk became a good friend over the years and his band For I Am is amazing, so you should check it out if you haven´t

Can you introduce us to the members of Heathcliff and tell us a bit about their role in the band?

Bust-E: Sure!

    •                      Bust-E (me): Drums & main vocals – yes, both. I sweat a lot.

    •                      Andy: Guitar, backing vocals, riff wizard and rum-coke enthusiast.

    •                      Bernie: Bass, booking, merch & band-dad. He keeps the ship afloat.

    •                      Stef: Second guitar, brings Ska vibes and a ton of energy. Also the nicest dude alive.

Bernie: We have a special situation at the moment. Due to a private situation Stef can´t put as much time into theband as he would love to, especially on weekends. But we are really lucky to know nice and talented people in the punk scene, so Mally joined in for guitar. Also I would like to mention Mati, who did some screams and growls on the album, does a lot of video stuff for us and lately brings the screams and growls on stage as well.

How do you handle disagreements or creative differences within the band?

Bust-E: We fight it out in a gladiator-style beer pong match. Winner decides.

Bernie: Jokes aside, we talk things through. We’re old enough to know that communication is key – and no one here’s got a rockstar ego.

Do you have a specific role or responsibility outside of your musical contributions?

Bernie: I handle most of the booking, logistics, merch stuff… Basically the boring stuff … haha

Bust-E: And I deal with lyrics, communication, and visual concepts. We divide tasks like a good punk collective.

Bernie: And Andy does a lot on the producer’s site. He is the one recording and mixing the pre-production and does the recording in the studio and helps the engineers with some editing etc.

How do you balance the demands of being in a band with your personal lives?

Bust-E: With great difficulty and a lot of love from our families. It’s a hobby that behaves like a full-time job sometimes.

Bernie: But it gives back in energy and friendship. Plus, we’ve all accepted that sleep is overrated. But yes Basti has a great wife, my girlfriend is super cool and supportive. So we are the two with kids and still pushing hard. But we also experienced, that it´s not easy and self-evidently.

How does the chemistry between band members contribute to Heathcliff’s energy?

Bernie: 100%. If we didn’t get along off-stage, we’d fall apart on stage.

Bust-E: The vibe is everything. We’re friends first, band second.

What’s the best part about performing live for you as a band?

Bust-E: The people in front of the stage, screaming our lyrics back at us. Also beer.

Bernie: Well, playing music together just feels great. It cheers me up in the rehearsal room after a long day of work but on stage it´s factor 10 more exciting.

Do you have a favorite venue or city that you’ve performed in, and why?

Bernie: Punk Rock Holiday in Slovenia was unreal – opening the main stage was pure magic.

Bust-E: Also our hometown shows in Munich – full of friends and love.

How do you prepare for a live show or tour, both mentally and physically?

Bust-E: Rehearsals of course. Otherwise, we go with the flow.

Bernie: And we try not to forget any cables… which we do anyway.

Do you have any memorable stories from past tours or shows?

Bust-E: Too many! But one highlight: friends surprising us in Manchester by flying in just to see us. Or a good friend and his freshly married wife stopping by in France on his honeymoon. We have quite a few friends who are not afraid of quite an effort to spend time with us. That’s what the song “Keep this light on” is about.

How do you interact with your fans during concerts? Do you feel there’s a special connection with them?

Bernie: Absolutely. We’re part of the crowd before and after the show.

Bust-E: Heathcliff is not just the band – it’s our extended family. Good thing about punk rock is, that the rockstar/fan concept does not exist. That would feel odd for us.

How would you say the German punk scene differs from other countries’ punk scenes, and how does Heathcliff fit into it?

Bust-E: German scene is super supportive, very DIY and tightly knit. Not sure if it differs a lot from other countries. Its small but vibrant. Munich on top has a ton of good bands like Dankeschatz, Captian Asshole, Straightline, Four Black Lungs, Manu und die drei Akkorde and many more. Check out the album inlay, we tried to capture a snip-it of the bands we are connected with. .

What role do politics play in your music and lyrics?

Bust-E: We’re not waving flags, but we take a stance – against fascism, sexism, racism. Our first album was full of political songs and Postcard From a ParaHell Universe has many songs addressing the status of society. So yes politics play a role.

What other bands or musicians would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Bust-E: We already had the pleasure to work with Étienne from MUTE – that was unreal. Next? Maybe someone from Satanic Surfers or Belvedere?

How do you keep your music fresh and exciting after all these years?

Bernie: We don’t force it. We just keep writing what feels good – if it excites us, it’ll probably excite others too.

Bust-E: Also: weird song ideas at 2am on a terrace with a beer? Works every time.

What advice would you give to young punk bands starting out today?

Bust-E: Be real. Don’t try to copy trends. DIY isn’t always easy, but it’s rewarding as hell.

Bernie: And support your local scene – what you give is what you get.

What do you know about Sweden?

Bernie: Beautiful nature, incredible bands, Vikings and dark winters.

Bust-E: Also IKEA. But mostly Satanic Surfers, Millencolin, Adhesive, Venerea… legends!

Any good Swedish bands you like?

Both: See above – plus Atlas Losing Grip, Twopointeight, Rebuke… There’s something in the water over there.

Is it boring with interviews? Is it much interviews? What do you prefer: telephone, face to face or as this one via e-mail?

Bust-E: Honestly? This one was fun! E-mail’s good because we can reflect a bit – but nothing beats talking in person after a show, with a cold one in hand.

Future plans for the band?

Bernie: Keep playing shows. Japan tour is just around the corner, and we’ve got more festivals and gigs coming up. Maybe even hit the US or Canada one day.

Bust-E: USA maybe not so much at the moment. Or maybe we should do it on purpose now. Can´t believe our song Kim Nuke´Em VS Twittler is almost 8 years old and this guy is again in the white house.

Future plans for yourself?

Bust-E: Finish building my house and maybe get that long-overdue sleep.

Bernie: Keep the family, job, sport, band balance going.

Wisdom word?

Bust-E: “Stay Posi, Not Zombi.”

Something more to add?

Both:Just a massive THANK YOU to all the people who support us, shout along, share our songs, or just smile at our shows. Without you, this would be a lonely trip.

And hey Sweden – we’d LOVE to play your beautiful country. Make it happen!

Cheers and tack så mycket!

Love from Munich

Heathcliff

(Bust-E beats & Bernie vibes included)