“We simply break out” – Lisa/April Art

No Sport Metal Without Fitness

“You already said you want to be and remain fit on tour, when I look at the four of you, you are looking like you first met in the local gym and found about your common passion for music. Is it part of your philosophy or do you in truth never go to a gym?”

They laugh, Lisa points on Chris “I think you are the only one going to the gym.” Chris adds: “I work as computer scientist, not much of a physical job. So I go to the gym three times a week to make up for it. I like to notice the progress, to feel well as I am. I go on stage and am fit, and if you add healthy nutrition it is all fine.”

“I go to the gym three times a week, too but am far away from your shape…”

“Maybe it is a question of the amount of beer you drink?” – “I drink no or only little alcohol during the week.” – “You are not in a band enough, band sport, sport metal, that’s it. Ben also works out a bit with dumbbells and that’s it!” Julian adds: “I’m climbing, I did it very often before I joined the band, now I am short on time but sometimes, occasionally still …”

 

Climbing Up – literally

“So we can expect you to climb the towers left and right of the stage during the festival summer as Airbourne does?”

“No no, I am more into bouldering. Not that high but thinking about how to reach the aim, not just straight up to the top.”

Lisa continues “For me it is more like a wave with sports. But I always try to move around all the time.” She did prove that on stage tonight  and will prove it even more on the festival stages, for sure. “I walk a lot, ride my bike, sometimes I take dumbbells o r  I just dance. I dance a lot and everywhere. Turn on the music and dance, dance, you work with all muscles and every part of your body. Ah and I have a sore muscles from building our merch rack… Up and down, lifting, measuring etc., quite some work (out).”

The five of us speak altogether at once, joking around about reasons for sore muscles, untrained body or unknown movements.

Tomorrow and Tonight

It is well past one o’clock and I really need to come to an end, slowly at least. The band needs be ready and done in a few hours again. 10:00 o’clock is scheduled but they consider moving it to 12:00 though. We discuss their possibilities for their Sunday lunch but of course a restaurant is just next door. We still hear the music from the disco night in the back ground.

“Honestly, it is the middle of the night and they still party on all night long until the morning dawn…”, Lisa confesses, “Seems we need to go soon and find some sleep. How many questions do we still have?” – “Maybe one and a half.” Chris is astonished “This still is the interview? I thought you were just sitting together and talking until we leave…”

Stranger Things

We all laugh but continue. “What was your worst or best concert experience?” Lisa starts: “Once there was someone at a show who was like my shadow that was kind of creepy. On the funny side…” Julian continues: “Once at Giessen, small event with church service in the morning and then we came. I remember that was strange; kinda funny but strange.” Lisa remembers indeed: “That was during the day, at, at… Landesgartenschau. We came there, and there were flowerpots on the stage. While we were setting up our gear, they brought up an altar and held off this service. Strange! We felt a bit like misfits, didn’t fit together.” – “You should have written a satanic song on the spot…” – “Yeah true”, she laughs “Maybe once. On a more positive side there was the small Radio Bob festival right when everything became a bit more normal again. Mando Diao played there, too. When we joined the stage, it was the time when ‘Breakout’ was released. The audience celebrated us like crazy. All were closely standing in the middle, there was space at the sides. From time to time, someone flew out, joined again, then the next one. Of course they were poging a lot. It was funny to watch.”

“Are you still in contact with Radio Bob? I mean you worked there for a while.”

“No, not really, it all went through our booker. There is no contact like ‘Hey Lisa, do you want to come over with your band and play on our event?’ Sure when we were there I was talking with and meeting the former colleagues but it all goes over our booking agency in such a case.”

Speaking Finnish?

“Final question: Waltari, how did you come in contact, who was involved?” – “That was Ben and me. Their management contacted ours. They discovered us and liked my voice. They told us they are creating a best-of album with alternative vocalists. I didn’t know Waltari before. And while listened their suggestions and some more of their songs, I stumbled over ‘Helsinki’. I thought, ‘cool song! I could sing the English part and their singer the Finnish part.’ So we suggested this song and promptly got the response that Waltari like the idea, especially to have the trust to sing it in Finnish… I thought ‘oh my god, self-goal’, but okay, if Kärtsy [vocalist of Waltari] sends me a guiding track it will work. So I got only the vocal part, no instruments and learned it word by word. I don’t speak any Finnish at all! Everything else is history. We didn’t meet the band at all but Ben also added some electronic effects and that’s it.”

We are halfway out of the door while we finish this interview. Altogether, it were more than 90 minutes and what amazing 90 minutes they were. Thank you Lisa, Ben, Julian and Chris spending this time with you, you guys really rock.

Meanwhile

In the meantime: the tour with Dark Tranquility and Ensiferum is history, as is the festival summer 2022. April Art doing their own headliner tour. Finally, time to publish this gem of an interview. Have a look at the band’s website for the remaining dates [find the link on the bottom of this page], of the tour and the autumn festivals April Art will play. 2022 was their year! I bet 2023 will become even more exiting for these four true musicians from the Hessian hinterlands.

• April Art are:
• Lisa-Marie Watz – Vocals
• Chris Bunnell – Guitar
• Julian Schuetze – Bass
• Ben Juelg – Drums

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