Überyou comes from Switzerland and plays a
really good sort of punk and punk is a varied
style so why don´t you give the group a try so
can you decide yourself what kind of music they
play…december 2022
Please tell me a little history of the group,
members and what you do when you don´t play
music, what do you work and which ages are you
in?
Überyou was formed 15 years ago, after drinking
too much beer in New York. Most of our jobs have
something to do with music, like organizing
shows, work for venues and so forth. We’re still
a very young band going slowly towards our
40ties.
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes? Please tell me
a little about every member? Earlier bands?
Tom, our other guitar player, joined the band
shortly after the band was formed. We had two
changes on drums, due to work and education
plans. But we’re still very good friends and
Luki or Lars, the former drummers, fill in if
Kajo can’t make it to a show.
Most of us did play in other bands before
Überyou and some are still doing so. Something
is always cooking, which we think is a good
thing because it prevents the band from burning
out.
Überyou is the name, where did it came from and
you wasn´t afraid that some other group would be
named so? Why a german name when you sing in
english?
Actually the name is half german and half
english…Marc our Guitar player was suggesting
“Overyou” first. This kinda felt a bit too
serious and strong, so we choose to replace
“Over” with “Über”, which sounded a bit funnier
and cooler to us. But we didn’t really thought
about a deeper meaning (no, also not about
Freud). We just thought, well, that's a good
sounding and catchy name.
You
call you record for Silver Lining….where did it
came from?
It stands for the hope and the belief in
something good to come, even in troubled times.
That's what the record is about, and what our
band stands for. Never give up and make the best
of it.
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?
All our records, and even EPs and stuff, were
always released on vinyl. We are all great vinyl
lovers and we really dig special artworks and
packaging! So yes, to us it would feel weird not
to release the record physically. We put a lot
of love and effort into this record and that
deserves a proper finish.
Do
you play any covers when you play live? If you
do, which then?
Yes sometimes, if we feel like it. It stretches
as far as “Bastards of Young” from The
Replacements to “Don’t Stop Believing” from
Journey. Actually we played a lot of covers over
the years. The best way to figure it out is to
come to our shows. Sometimes we don’t even know
ourselves if we play a cover and which one it
will be.
Please tell me a little about following songs
1989
This song is about history always repeating
itself. The learning effect of humankind is very
limited and unfortunately the battles for power
of the powerful, which are fought on the
shoulders of the poor, are also obnoxious but
nevertheless omnipresent.
Revolt
It is a call to rebellion against the bad habit
that nowadays a small loud minority determines
the political discourse and that we cannot
simply accept it when xenophobia of egoistic
idiots becomes socially acceptable and one
offers a platform to such self-absorbed and
mostly with inferiority complexes covered
"loudmouths". And all this always under the
cover of the so-called freedom of opinion. We
are clearly against censorship, but we are even
more against the fact that populist xenophobes
are given a platform to let their opinions pass
as socially acceptable.
IFWT
This is a tribute to the good nights with the
best friends and the difficult waking up the day
after.
Is
it important to get out your opinions in your
music, and is it a good way to get out
frustration too? Politics?
We think playing in a punk rock band should be a
political statement itself, meaning to stand up
for equality and to not accept people being
disrespectful to others because of their origin,
social status or sexuality.
We wouldn’t exactly call ourselves a band on a
political mission. But most of our songs are
about things that affect or bother us. And
sometimes those are political things. So yes, in
that sense it is important. And music definitely
is a good way to get out frustrations! It makes
no sense to keep those bad feelings inside if
you’ve got a mic you can shout’em into. And if
you do that for three minutes and end the song
with a smile, even better!
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?
Yeah for sure. Like other bands and their lyrics
influenced us and our lives. We’ve been told by
some people - sometimes friends, sometimes total
strangers - that our music helped them through
difficult times. This is very touching and
rewarding! But even if someone is listening to
our music, having a good time driving around or
having a shower, it means the world to us.
How
is it to play this sort of music in Switzerland
and which type of bands are you having concerts
with? Which is the most peculiar band you have
been playing together with?
We have a lot of friends still coming to our
shows, which we really appreciate and enjoy. On
the other hand, in Switzerland most of the
venues are very professional and kind of clean.
Everything is very organized. It basically
doesn’t lack anything…besides a certain edge.
That's why we love to tour and go to different
countries where you never really know what to
expect. We played with a lot of different bands.
Most peculiar or special to us…mhhh… for example
a cuban folklore band or an indonesian theater
group in the middle of the jungle.
How
would you describe your music in three words for
people that haven´t heard you?
Good times, high fives. Oh shit, that was four
words.
I like beer and also make beer.. If Überyou do a
beer , what would it be named and which sort of
beer would it be? Or maybe you´re straightedge?
Didn’t you see the word “Beer” in Übeeryou?
We actually had special beers made for us twice
by good friends that are brewers. What was the
name again? ÜPA i guess, which was an IPA for
sure. And we did a beer for the release of our
last album “Night Shifts”.
And how is it to live in Switzerland now?
Racists, covid? Have you also been in that times
there people mix up Sweden and Switzerland?
Haha…yes that happens a lot…and most of the time
people are disappointed that we’re not the ones
building the Volvos haha.
But seriously, we really can’t complain about
living in Switzerland! A lot of stuff we’ve been
able to do as a band probably wouldn’t have been
possible without knowing that we always can go
back home to a secure job etc. This absolutely
doesn’t mean that everything about Switzerland
is perfect! Like almost everywhere we’re facing
a more and more polarized society. Covid
definitely didn’t make that better. Racism and
Sexism were and still are a big problem. But
sadly, those things are rooted very deeply in
society. So unfortunately they won’t go away
overnight.
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs? And which song is the people choice?
That’s a tough one…I’d say for us, “These Walls”
is still one of our favorites, because it has a
lot of positive energy and is really fun to
play. So we usually end our set with it.
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band?
People got older, and there’s only a few young
kids coming to shows. But you never know, maybe
the next punk wave is on the way?
And have you opinion about punk changed through
the years? What do punk mean to you, only a
musicstyle or a lifestyle?
Everything is always changing. But for us Punk
means friendships around the World. A bunch of
open minded people organizing stuff and having a
good time together. This DIY Scene we’re part
of, means a lot to us, and we always tried our
best, to put our part of effort into it in
Switzerland.
What do you know about Sweden? What is typical
Swedish?
We all know Sweden as a beautiful country, with
nice cities and mind blowing countryside.
Awesome music that comes from Umeå, Malmö and
Sweden in general. Very friendly and well
dressed people and we
also heard that the Ikea-Catalog has more copies
spread over the world than the bible.
Have you ever been here? Any good bands from
Sweden that you like?
We’ve actually played one single show in Örebro
many years ago. It actually was more of a
weekend trip with friends that we could combine
with playing a show.
There are too many good bands from Sweden! Ian,
our singer, also promoted shows for a lot of
really good Swedish punk bands in the past.
Bands like Sista Sekunden, Masshysteri or
Terrible Feelings just to name a few. And of
course bands like The Hives, The Hellacopters,
The International Noise Conspiracy have always
accompanied our work.
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age?
Nowadays, it sometimes feels like the crowd is
getting older with us and it’s still the same
people that were there ten years ago…haha.
What´s the best of playing live?
The free beers and the place to crash on
someone's floor. Seriously, we love the exchange
of energy with the crowd, it's a give and a
take. We see ourselves as a live band and that's
what we live for.
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during a livegig with your band?
Uhh..there’ve been many! For example we played a
show on a beach in Cuba where local cowboys were
riding their horses into the ocean while we
played. Another Show in Cuba the wood of the
stage cracked while we played and people tried
to fix it while we were still playing. In Brazil
we played a house show in a tiny living room and
all of sudden the crowd decided to do a circle
pit around the entire house which made the crowd
run out through one of the doors and reappear
seconds later through the other door.
Is
there any good bands in Switzerland today? New
bands which is good? Old bands which is still
good?
Yes there are. There is this pretty new band
called “Ruined” which we all like a lot. And
there’s “The Peacocks” that have been around for
about 30 years. And they’re probably still the
best Swiss live band! Uh, also check out
“Capital Youth” from Geneva, great music, great
people.
Which is the record that you always must have in
the tourbus?
Since we almost have everything in our pockets,
that's a hard question. If we have to choose it
would probably be something from Iron Chic. This
band is just good times and makes you want to
drink some beers.
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?
Unfortunately, for Punk Rock there is no really
good record store in Zurich anymore (except for
maybe Jamarico). So we always like to check out
record stores (and spend too much money…) in
other cities when we’re on tour. But friends of
us have mailorders (https://www.heavyweight-music.com/)
and labels (https://inhumano.org/)
in Switzerland.
Which was your first record, the latest you
bought and the most expensive you have bought?
For me (Vico), the first was “Energy” by
“Operation Ivy”, the latest was “The best of all
possible worlds” by “Elway” and the most
expensive probably was “Separation Sunday” by
“The Hold Steady”.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
Of course it’s always very interesting to know
how a record that you’ve put a lot of time and
passion into is received by others! I don’t
really recall a good example for a peculiar
one…maybe because I tried to forget it…but I’m
sure we’ll get one or the other in the future..
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?
Fucked Up
The Hold Steady
The Ramones
Bruce Springsteen
Die Toten Hosen
Futureplans for the band?
Still trying to go out and play as much and as
far away as we can. It’s definitely not getting
easier as we grow older…
Wisdomword?
Always carry a Biberli
Anything more to add to the interview?
Not really, except for saying thank you to your
part in keeping the scene alive by having
started Skrutt Magazine almost 40 years ago and
still going strong!