Q: On the cover of your current album “The good fight,” there is a sheep fighting against a wolf. What message do you want to convey with the cover?
A: In the fight between sheep and wolf, the sheep represents the underdog. The sheep serves as a metaphor for a middle-class person. A person who has to fight for survival every day and who fights for what is important in their life.
G: We thought for a long time about how the cover of the album should look. Everything we do is very well thought out and often hotly debated among us. So, the creation of the cover was not an easy task. Bryan came up with the title idea. Cory and I then talked with Bryan to realize the idea graphically. The graphic of the cover comes from me. I really wanted to depict the fight between sheep and wolf. The story of the fight between sheep and wolf is as old as time itself. I think every person can understand and relate to the story. There is no better way to represent the victory of the sheep over the wolf as a metaphor for the victory of the underdog taking revenge. Conveying this message was very important to me.
C: We must thank Jeff Paige in this context, who implemented the graphic as our cover. It turned out great, and we are very satisfied. The cover classically shows the daily struggle in life. Getting up and fighting against the influences that burden you daily is important because you can win. The story of the sheep and the wolf illustrates that. You must not let yourself be defeated, even if you think you are losing, because in the end, if you stand firm, you may win.
Q: You named your current album “The good fight.” Can a violent fight ever be a good fight? Is violence a solution?
A: In this context, the “fight” is not meant in the literal sense of a violent fight. For us, violence is always the last resort. In certain circumstances, violence can be an option, but it always depends on the situation.
G: “The good fight” is an American slang term. It translates to not letting yourself be defeated and continuing to engage in the good cause, essentially to fight. It means that you should fight against the negative influences that prevent you from being a good person. As someone with a diverse past, which has also been shaped by violence, I am astonished at where the line for the use of violence is drawn today. I believe that violence should always be the last option. Overlooking this and using violence as a means to an end is not an option for me.
I think people make decisions far too quickly nowadays and make final choices. They no longer consider all the facts that are important for a decision. This often leads to the wrong conclusions.
My personal rules are:
Always stand by what you believe, protect your family at all costs, and stand by those who stand by you, and never fight out of fear.
If violence is the last option to defend these rules, then fight as if your life depended on it.
Q: In the song “Stand Up,” you sing that it is time for a new revolution. What chances do we have to improve the world?
G: Every morning when you wake up, you can decide to make the world a little better. There are millions of people, thousands of organizations where you can get organized to make the world a bit better. All you have to do is get up and do something. I see people sitting at their computers all day, leaving a grumpy comment here and there. I believe less than 1% of people engage in something positive. It is important that you have a positive outlook on life and maintain it!
Q: What will the world look like after the revolution you envision?
G: After the revolution as I see it happening, people will take better care of each other and intervene when, for example, a neighbor is not doing well. The government will no longer be influenced and controlled by private companies. All people will have the same rights. Everyone will have access to free and universal healthcare. I could make you a huge list of things that will be better then. I am an idealist. I want to make the world a little better so that my children still have a future on this earth.
C: A revolution means change. Most people only talk about what they want to have in their lives, but hardly anyone does anything for it. I think the first step towards a revolution is recognizing one’s own strengths and being ready for change. This will not happen overnight, but I think if you work on it, changes can gradually become noticeable that can benefit everyone.
Q: You met at a party and formed the band. What is the music scene like in San Francisco? How do you find the right musicians when you want to start a band?
A: The scene is always in motion, but in recent years it has been very good and quite large. We are currently experiencing similar changes and a revival like those in the late 90s. Many good bands with many good musicians are coming from our area right now.
C: Great punk bands have always come from San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay area. Bands like Rancid, Operation Ivy, or Green Day have helped establish the scene. Since these bands became known, the scene has also developed. Nowadays, the punk scene can be seen as very diverse. It is often the case that punk bands play with pop bands and electronic bands with metal bands. This is typical for our area and also shows mutual respect and acceptance of other styles in the scenes and among the musicians. This is, of course, also good for new bands, as they have the opportunity to reach more people.
We three have been playing in bands for 10 years. During this time, we have seen a lot. We have played in several bands. When these bands broke up, we met, had fun together, and remembered the roots of the scene in our area. We listened to the bands from our area that we grew up with.
We wrote our first songs on the day we played together for the first time. We never looked back. We had many ideas, discarded some, and worked hard on ourselves and the songs we wrote. These are the songs that can be heard on our first album “The good fight.” I think the album turned out well.
There are many great studios and sound engineers here who support bands like us very well.
G: Fortunately, we found each other, and I believe that with other musicians than us, the band would not work as it is. I have experienced this firsthand. I am actually a guitarist, but when our then-bassist left the band in 2009, I played bass for a while. We tried out some guitarists and bassists afterward, but it never worked with anyone else but us.
The way we write songs, discuss and implement the artwork, and play the shows is very special. We are unique. You have to have a special kind of madness in you to understand and relate to it.
Q: In Germany, it is said that San Francisco is a very special city. What is special about San Francisco?
A: San Francisco is indeed a very special city. San Francisco is so diverse. In San Francisco, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what (sub)cultural background you have, and where you grew up. You can walk around here however you want; no one cares. The atmosphere is always very relaxed and chill.
C: I love San Francisco! It is a special city because it is as diverse as no other city in the USA. San Francisco has a rich history of artists, musicians, and political changes. I think because of this history, people of all kinds have always been able to live and thrive in San Francisco.
It is very expensive to live in downtown San Francisco, but it is certainly not just a place where the rich live.
G: I lived in Iowa for 18 years and have been living in San Francisco for 18 years. Some time ago, my wife, our child, and I went back to Iowa for a while. I worked as a tattoo artist, and my wife and child could spend a lot of time with my family. During that time, I realized why I love San Francisco so much.
You can get great food on every corner in San Francisco, you can go to concerts or galleries every day. Exhibitions are opened almost daily. The solidarity of the music scene and the art scene is very good, and you find the best clothes and the best records here.
If you walk through the streets as a skinhead or go to concerts and parties and dance with other skinheads to ska or reggae, you will not be called a racist or a faggot. People don’t care how you walk around as long as you stand by who you are. It’s really great here!
Q: What are your musical influences and your musical roots?
A: I am addicted to music. The genres I listen to the most and that interest me the most are punk, oi, reggae, glam rock, classic rock, power pop, and blues. Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, and Thin Lizzy are the bands that have influenced me and my guitar playing the most.
C: I am a big record collector. I think 90% of my record collection are punk records. But I also like bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC. It is hard to keep track of all the new releases these days. I only listen to music on vinyl.
I think people should listen to the music of the past to understand the future. I like all the old bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Bad Brains. You have to get to know these bands and see how they did what they did to understand how we got to the bands we have today.
G: I love all kinds of music. From punk to jazz to old country songs to hardcore. I also like rap and rocksteady. I also enjoy some pop songs. I do not let labels or external influences affect my decisions. If I like music, I like it. I believe we are surrounded by a lot of incredibly bad music, and many musicians do not put enough effort into writing a good song, but if you look for good songs, you will always find them.
Q: Why should someone go to one of your concerts?
C: I believe many bands just play their songs and then leave the stage, and that’s it. It seems as if they are only performing because they have to. We stand on stage and play concerts because we want to. We all have regular jobs. Touring is a way for us to have fun together and with the audience. If it weren’t fun for us, why would we do it?
G: You should go to one of our concerts because you will have fun. We want to have fun together with the audience.
Q: Are you playing your first tour through Europe? What expectations do you have for the tour?
A: I have no expectations. I just want to travel and share our music with the people who come to our concerts. I am very curious about other cultures and enjoy meeting new bands and people. I am looking forward to our European tour and can’t wait to finally get on the plane.
C: It is our first tour in Europe. I have been to Europe as a tourist before. During that time, I had many great experiences. It was a really great time. I am very excited to come back to Europe. We have a few new songs and some cover versions that we have never played before.
We are playing a few concerts with Rat City Riot and Far from Finished. Those are two great bands from the USA.
I look forward to meeting new people and new bands.
Come to our concerts, talk to us, and let’s have a great time. And who knows, maybe I’ll buy us a beer.
G: I have no expectations for the tour because I don’t want to be disappointed. I let the tour come to me and look forward to everything I will experience. I enjoy being around people and think I will meet many new friends.
I am also a guest tattoo artist at Makulay Tattoo in Dülmen on May 24, 2013. I am really looking forward to that. It is an honor for me!
I am very happy that we have the opportunity to share our music with all the people who come to our concerts in Europe.
Beautiful last words, which I can only agree with. “The good fight” has it all!
Anyone who likes bands like Rat City Riot, Far from Finished, or Born to Lose will also like HOUNDS & HARLOTS. A band that combines powerful and catchy songs with melody and hardness.
