Q: Congratulations on the album “Unerhört“. What has the feedback been like for the album and will you also present it live?
A: Hi and thank you very much! The response to the album has been overwhelmingly positive.
Whenever a review of the new record appears somewhere, we immediately receive orders through our info@thenoe.de address. Many reviews seem to be a good recommendation for purchase. We weren't aware of that before. So a big thank you – of course also to you – and to all the writers for the very nice lines about the album. You will be able to see and hear the whole thing live on a tour in the fall.
Q: How did it come about that you were able to release your album on Flat Daddy Records, a sublabel
of Pork Pie?
A: We have known Matzge for almost 30 years. He has supported us wonderfully as a label and publisher for the last
15 years with No Life Lost. When we founded The NØ! in 2019, 4 years after the dissolution of No Life Lost as a kind of fun cover band, Matzge was again by our side and it was immediately clear that we would eventually release an album with him again. However, it took another 4 years. But then we released 2 albums within 14 months: "Melodien für Momente" in December 2024 and "UNERHÖRT" in February 2026.
Q: You basically emerged from the ashes of No Life Lost. What is actually new about THE
NÖ? Different sound?
A: Primarily the lineup. Actually, only Mole and I (Tim) remain from the old formation. Mole has also transformed from a saxophonist to a guitarist. The others are not unknown either and have left their mark in many other famous Hamburg bands.
The sound has become a bit more "punky"... mhh, but if I think about it, that’s not entirely true! To put it differently: The sound was supposed to become more punky, but that only partially worked. Sludge Metal or Bossa Nova, etc. are not punk after all! Let's agree on:
The sound is different?
Q: How did you come up with the band name and especially the O with the slash through it, which cannot be typed on regular keyboards?
A: On the one hand, my father always said: Every good musician must have played in a "The" band at least once in his life. I was missing that... well, and "Nö" is one of my favorite answers to many questions I am asked. On the other hand... Yes, we really apologize for causing trouble for so many people with this spelling. We hadn't thought about it beforehand. We have also received quite a bit of criticism from the label and the distribution for this. Not only is the Ø hard to find on the German keyboard, but it is also practically impossible to promote The NØ! properly with conventional search engines or even to get listed with our spelling in the usual music catalogs. The idea with the Ø was actually just meant as a reminiscence to Danish Altona (Altona was the second largest Danish city after Copenhagen in 1710).
Maybe not such a good idea, but apparently we were real trendsetters in terms of advertising. The Ø is becoming increasingly popular as a stylistic element in various products (milk, skin cream, furniture (no, not the ones from Sweden)). Maybe there will soon be a dedicated key for this perfectly formed, beautiful Ø! That could be good!
Q: You come from Hamburg-Altona. Often, as an outsider, you only hear that there is a lot of subculture in St. Pauli. What is the current situation in Altona?
A: Unfortunately, developing or even just maintaining a healthy good subculture, like in any larger city, is very difficult to impossible in St. Pauli or Altona due to gentrification and the resulting changes in the resident structure and urban development. Hamburg is no longer affordable for young people who want to develop and live subcultures. I don't even know if the (music) scene we are part of can even be called a subculture today. It was certainly the case in the 80s, but today punk and ska have arrived in the mainstream. I believe that today's important subcultures and their creative makers are finding and developing more in rural areas.
Q: How is the ska scene in Hamburg?
A: I believe it is more vibrant and not as retirement-like as many think. I am always surprised by how many young new ska bands are emerging to stay. All with their own sound and well-crafted music. The old musicians, like us, we are not getting rid of either....
Q: When I go to ska concerts and festivals, I hardly see any newcomers. What is your impression? Are there new, young ska bands that you like?
A: I think that’s misleading. At our release party at Hamburg Hafenklang at the end of March, for example, there were surprisingly many people under 25 present
(well, they are not necessarily teenagers) who were not our children or grandchildren and who usually have to help lower the average age to under 50.
No, seriously, I actually feel that in recent months, a noticeably large number of young people are discovering "our" music for themselves.
Young ska bands that we like? There are a few, among them, of course, our youthful village ska punk friends from POMMESPANZER. Really hot stuff!
Q: You are all no longer in your 20s. I imagine that it’s not so easy to play live, fulfill everyday obligations, and be fit enough for the stage... How do you manage that?
A: Our age range currently spans from 35 to 58, so a healthy middle age
or compared to "The Skatalites" a young up-and-coming band.
Of course, physically, it’s not all rosy for me anymore like it was 40 years ago. However, the plans and the appearance of the band 40 years ago were fundamentally different from today. Back then, we played every possible concert we could with No Life Lost. We had such a nice "who cares" attitude, as long as we could play, drink, and have fun! Money wasn't really that important, but we had it and immediately spent it on equipment, recordings, and various other stuff. That is, of course, no longer possible today. Health does play a significant role. The dream of making enough money with music was buried many years ago. But the joy of live concerts has remained and is somehow a bit like an addiction. Live concerts are and remain important, and if that is no longer possible, then it’s over!
Q: What are your plans for the future? Where can we see you live?
A: First of all, we finally have a visit to our favorite festival This Is Ska in Roßlau (18.06.206-20.06.2026).
This time, however, not for 26 performances (like in 2022) or 7 (like in 2024) but only 2 (Friday and Saturday) – we’re just not getting any younger...
In the fall, our next vinyl single "Golfplatzhooligans" with a very cool yet unreleased B-side will be released by Flat Daddy. There will also be a nice video featuring plenty of musicians and football D-celebrities (can I actually say that?? or will they maybe not participate anymore.... well, we’ll see)
In the fall/winter, we will go on tour and then back to the studio at the beginning of 2027 to record the next extremely good album.
