The Kamikaze Kings. This is rock 'n' roll. But who are the Kings, anyway?
We are the guardians of rock 'n' roll. We are the ones who bring the power from the old days into the new millennium. Our songs come from life and are full of strength and self-confidence.
What kind of life do these songs come from? Is it that of full-time rockers, or do you aspire to that?
Our life doesn't fundamentally differ from that of other people. However, I believe that we walk through life with an extra dose of self-confidence. The music we make helps us with that. It gives us the power that we put into it. You can feel it everywhere: riffs, drums, lyrics, and melodies. And the fans feel it at our concerts. They get the dose of power they need from us.
Is this power only live, or do you also have products on record? Is something new planned in the foreseeable future?
Of course, we captured this power well on our debut album "The Law." Currently, we are in contact with record labels and hope to release something this year. You can listen to a few songs on our page www.kamikazekings.de. Songs like Burn or Bible Black give a good idea of what I mean.
Are there enough pieces finished so that you could go straight into production as soon as a label is found?
No, better: the entire album is finished. It's fully recorded, mixed, and mastered. In total, there are 15 Kamikaze songs. Now it’s about how and with whom the album will be released. A few songs will be played on Soundgarden on Radio Zusa until the end of the year. The host liked the CD so much that he made it his CD of the year. That made us very happy!
You are also very active online. Is this a necessary evil for you to gain more attention for the band, or are you fundamentally that extroverted?
I believe two things work well together here. On one hand, that's just who we are. On the other hand, we know that as a band today, you have no chance if you don't use the internet intensively. Additionally, it allows us to have close contact with the people who love our music.
Speaking of contact with these people, we come back to the live gigs. Are there still performances planned for this year, or are you looking even further into the future?
Yes, on November 25th, we will play in Bavaria, specifically in Wildthurn near Landau. And right after that, on November 26th, we head to Erfuhrt. So we are getting around a bit. And with June 29, 2012, at Rockpalast in Bad Laasphe, the first festival is already set. The thought of the upcoming festival season can really carry you through the autumn!
At which festival or event would you particularly like to play, and with which band(s)?
Oh, there are quite a few artists. Without being able to speak for the other guys, I would say without hesitation: Doro Pesch. Where would be almost irrelevant...
The other guys - did you know each other before the band was formed, or did you come together for this purpose? How was the band born?
Elmo and I know each other from a really terrible metal band we played in together. When we discovered rock 'n' roll, Rais joined us. Our youngest member is Kev. In this configuration, we have been around for about half a year now. And it works great!
How do you create your lyrics, and is it important for you to convey a message with them?
The lyrics are written by Elmo. They are influenced by our lives and experiences. The lyrics are about what rock 'n' roll means to us: power, solidarity, fun, friendship, perseverance. The message is very clear: Kamikaze Kings forever!
How much would you sell of these factors for the big fame and the associated money?
The answer is simple: nothing at all. And the reason is even simpler: we simply can't do anything else. Even if we sat down and tried to write cheesy pop songs, nothing would come of it. We are who we are. I believe authenticity is enormously important as an artist...
I see that as a nice almost closing word. And as a final word for Sunday, you may now exclusively express what you have always wanted to tell the public but have never dared to.
People, do it like us: live your dream. Don't mess around. Time goes by faster than you think. In this sense: rock on!
