Interview with STAGEWAR

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Kimon: It was my father who is classical musician. I started early listening to music and playing instruments. If I wouldn’t play an instrument, I would probably do more sports and maybe would have been better in school.

Dominik: My brother played the guitar back then and I was always fascinated by it. I always secretly took the guitar and tried to play something on it. If I didn't make music, I'd definitely be healthier and have a lot of money left over.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Kimon: I think it influences my crativity when I am angry about people outside my home. When I am not playing music I like to ride my bicycle or just do homework or watch music videos.

Dominik: When I'm not making music I'm always doing things. My head has to stay moving, otherwise it won't be creative. If I try to do nothing on vacation, I can't be creative. Otherwise, I like being in the forest with my dog ​​or being outside.

How long has your band been around? Also, please tell me about the dynamic of the band of what brought you all together.

Stagewar has been active since 2003. We have a close friendship and we have known each other for a long time. Everyone brings to the band what they are particularly good at. For example, James, our bass player, is a tattoo artist. He paints all of our designs. Kimon is basically the manager and takes care of the technical matters like our recordings. Dominik supports him and does a lot of the songwriting. Josef is the right person when it comes to building something for stage decoration.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

We all live near Frankfurt am Main in a nature reserve. There is a lot of forest and small towns here. Life here is rather quiet. Our rehearsal room is on a farm. There are pigs and ponies etc. We don't have to share the rehearsal room with other bands as is often the case in cities. It's a very relaxed atmosphere.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

We tried to find a name that describes the power on stage. We were a live band from the start. After all, rock music thrives on being played live. So we finally decided that a war on stage pretty much describes what we want to do. There is pressure and energy behind it, where it belongs. On stage.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

I think it was in Plzen (Czech Republic) when we were touring in 2013. It was an unforgettable evening. The audience gave us a royal welcome.

… the soundguy did a perfect sound in 5 seconds and the other bands and especially the crowd was acting like real maniacs. We did stagediving during guitar solos and had a lot of beers with the promoter.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Kimon: I would love to play some big festivals like Hellfest or Wacken. On the other hand we have to play some big venues in germany I think. Or in a Amphitheatre would be great. Time will show where we are going to play in the future.

Dominik: As a child, my dream was always to play in a huge arena. Of course, that's still on my list. But for the near future I would be happy to play all clubs that are big, but still small enough to not lose sight of the audience.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Kimon: Thats difficult to say because there are a lot of bands we like. In this moment I would choose TYRANT (Ger).Dominik: That's right, the list would be long. There is a band in the Czech Republic called Excorcizphobia. They are friends of ours we have known for a long time. A tour together would be cool. But my biggest dream would be to support Metallica while they still exist.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?Kimon: Dont be stupid. Everything in music has to get attention. Practice more and don’ t waste your time with stupid people.

Dominik: Play live and don't listen to people's opinions.

I would advise my younger self to be more consistent in dealing with other people. Too many people are bloodsuckers and don't care about your interests. Do what you think is right.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Every single song means something to us and every song tells its own story. Since the band has been around for over twenty years, we have of course experienced a lot together and our perspectives have evolved. But I think our favorites are currently on the upcoming recording.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

If you look at the clicks on Spotify, it's certainly Isolated. This is also a song that we all really enjoy live. We also like to play our new songs. They are still fresh and feel good.

But of course we also have our favorites that we regularly play live and that the audience looks forward to. A good mix is ​​certainly required here.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?Dominik: I don't need to be inspired to write music. It just happens. I'm sitting on the couch and it just comes over me. Sometimes I'm sitting there and a line of text comes to mind. The actual songwriting is then bringing the ideas together. Everything else usually just happens.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?Even if it doesn't always seem like it, our music and lyrics usually address serious topics.

But it's about situations and feelings that each of us knows. I think that anyone who deals with our lyrics will also find themselves in our songs. But behind all the negative moments and feelings in the lyrics, there is always a hopeful message.

Do you have any new singles, videos, or albums out that you would like to tell me and your fans about? Our last singles were ”Dead again” and ”What's wrong with the world today? ” You can find the music video on YouTube. The videos are fun to watch, even if not everyone in the video survives. In addition to the recordings and the new album, we also plan to release a few special features. It's going to be punk and wild. So definitely stay tuned.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

At the moment we are preparing our fourth album. We are very excited to see how the new album will be received. Our plans for the future? It would be nice to play live more and meet people. That's the best thing about making music. You meet so many nice people and have the best time in our lifes. We'll move on straight after the release of the next album and write a new album, record new videos and so on and so forth.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?You should visit us on our homepage www.stagewar.com. From there you can find us on all important channels such as Facebook and Instagram. You can find our videos on YouTube and we also have a channel on Bandcamp. There you will find our merch an also limited records. We´re already recording a new album, so it´s best to follow us on all channels so you don´t miss anything new.