Andy Rock- A little BAND FROM Germany

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Andy Rock- Melodic, maybe a little vintage here and there, straightforward and a bit dirty.

Interview conducted on July 24, 2020

By Dan Locke

German band ANDY ROCKS released their new single titled “Digital Detox”.

What is your upbringing?

I was raised in a small village near the city of Bayreuth in the north of Bavaria, Germany. Bayreuth is also the city where I went to school.

How did you discover music?

I got to know rock music when I was 12 years old and got my first Bon Jovi CD “These Days”. Then I decided that I also wanted to sing in a rock band.

How did you start to write music?

That was as a teenager and I learned to play acoustic guitar. I thought I could try to write my own lyrics and songs and since then I kept doing it.

How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?

Yes, I still have it and I still write most songs with it. I was 14 and wanted to get myself an acoustic guitar. I went to a local guitar shop with my mom and I saw this beautiful Ibanez acoustic guitar. I fell in love with it at once, I just had to buy it! Still my best friend.

What is your favorite guitar now. Make, model and year. And does it have a name?

It is the one I talked about before. It is an Ibanez AE 30 TP. Those were made between 1999 and 2001. But it does not have any name.

What was your first performance at like?

That was in a small bar in the city of Bayreuth when I was sixteen. To be honest, I can’t remember it so exactly, but I think it was not bad. I only played a few songs with my acoustic guitar there.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

I am not sure which one was the first, I think it was called “Goodbye”. I had an old cassette recorder where you could record 4 tracks and I was so happy to be able to record music finally! – Nothing compared to the home recording possibilities today.

How do you create your music? What is the creative process of getting your song written?

Most of the time I start with a chorus. Sometimes I have a little melody in my mind and then I try to figure out the chords and built the rest of the song around it and then parallel I try to write the lyrics. Then the rest of the music is built around it.

How did you start the band?

I always wanted to have a rock band. After my former band Black Daffodils stopped working, I wanted to continue making music in a band and asked Markus and Michael to join this project what is now Andy Rocks.

Do people think before they hear your band that Andy is a guy?

Some might think so since Andy is used as nickname for girls and boys as well.

How did your band get its name?

My nickname has always been Andy and since I am a big fan of rock music and this is the kind of music, I want to do the project was called Andy Rocks.

Tell me about your single Drag You Down?

The song was a group work. It started with the bass line and we jammed around it. Then I wrote the chorus and the lyrics. It is about being in a relationship with someone but there is another person you’re feeling attracted to.

How do you stay healthy while touring?

Well, I am often afraid of getting a sore throat and then not being able to sing. You can try to live sane and eat healthily and sleep enough. But anyway, it can always happen to get sick.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

For the listeners it is a great and easy thing because you can listen to anything anywhere at any time and that even for free. Of course, it has negative effects for the artists cuz they sell less records, but it is like it is and you cannot turn this thing around anymore. On the other hand, it is easier for independent artist to release their music.

Digital vs. vinyl?

Digital – I do not have a vinyl record player (laughs).

What is the mental health situation of Germany? How can public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?

I think the mental health situation in Germany is ok, though of course many people are feeling insecure. But so far, we were lucky with the crisis and it did not get that bad compared to other countries. I think it is very important to show respect for the work the medical staff did and still does. We can help them by practicing social distancing.

Do you think kids should go back to school his fall?

That depends on the number of corona cases we will have. If there are only few maybe they all should go back but if the numbers rise again it would be better to send not all at the same time or in the worst case, close schools again. We hope for the best but we will see. I work as a teacher myself and I know that is difficult to practice distance at school with so many kids under one roof.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Hm, that is a difficult question to answer spontaneously. I listen a lot to music from the past. A song that came to my mind these days was Emmylou Harris’s version of the Beatles’ song “Here, there and everywhere”. My father played it to me when I was a kid and I listened to it these days again. It is such a lovely sung interpretation of the song, elegant, smooth, very beautiful as well as relaxing and romantic.

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

That depends on how long it will take till science finds a vaccine or other medication to treat the corona virus. I think we will have to wait a while until big concerts and festivals will take part again. I hope that people will appreciate live music more in the future.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

At that time, we were occupied with the video for the song Digital Detox which everybody did at home. I also renovated a little at home.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

No not really. I got out for a walk every day.

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I see you are keeping your fan based happy with music. Why did you decide to cover Livin On A Prayer? And I like your cover Word Up. It is classic.

I am a big Bon Jovi fan. I did it spontaneous together with Michael one afternoon when we were thinking about possible cover songs, it was not really planed. To do Word up was Michael’s idea.

Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home. Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

I think it is hard to make a living out of things like that. It is a good possibility to keep connected with fans but I doubt it is enough for earning a living.

Live Nation is starting to do the first ever U.S. drive-in concert series — LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN — which started on July 10, 2020. Now there are many other Drive-in concerts popping up. Do you think this is something you would be willing to do?

Those concerts are also happening here in Germany. I would be open to do something like that, but I am sure it is something totally different than a normal concert where you are close to your fans.

For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue. How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?

This is not something unusual and bands do it every day. Often, they can only decide to accept those deals or not to play at all. That is just reality and it has also been like that before the crisis.

Since you are from Germany and if would given the chance to tour the United States, would you do it? Remember you may need to self-quarantine for 14 days. How is that going to work?

I would really like to tour the US and play there live. I think I could not do it in the moment because I also have a job and when you first have to self-quarantine for 14 days and then you can start the tour, I would have to take a very long vacation. Since I work in school this would only be possible in the summer holiday. But one day this whole crisis will be over and if it would happen then it would be great.

With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it maybe the end of music fest for the next couple of years?

Practicing social distancing at a huge festival with thousands of visitors is simply not possible. We will possibly have some smaller show but no very big concerts.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Yes, it is a nice thing but it cannot really replace live concerts because there is a different energy and interaction with the audience. This is missing with living room concerts. But it is a way to stay connected with the fans and play new stuff for them.

What is your super power?

Singing, cooking and staying optimistic.

How do you see yourself in the next five years?

I hope that Andy Rocks will be a little more known during the next years and if corona allows it, will play more live shows. I also want to release a full-length album soon.

Anything you would like to say in closing?