Hi! Tell me about your band and what kind of previous experience do you have as musicians?
We are Swan Valley Heights, three German men with neatly trimmed beards, and we do play stoner rock. We all have very different backgrounds when it comes to previous bands and projects, with Swan Valley Height’s music being a common ground that we can agree on.
Why did you pick your band name? How did you form? Why did you decide to play the genre or genres you do?
We picked it because it sounds great. And there’s a Munich subway station that complements this decision. We formed in early 2014 and play in the current line up since 2015. We play stoner rock because we like stoner rock and aren’t good enough for progressive metal.
What can you tell us about your latest record?
It’s called “The Heavy Seed” and will see the light of day on September 6th via Fuzzorama Records. Mixing and mastering was done by Mr. Dango of Truckfighters, which is really cool. One other thing we can tell you, and we are particularly proud of this; this time all the songs made it onto the vinyl. The debut was too long and it didn’t make any sense to release a double LP at the time. Also, this album is a full-on band effort, with everybody being part of the whole process, where our debut was more clustered and pieced together.
What the kind of album feedbacks are you waiting for?
We are waiting for all the annoying onstage microphone and amp feedbacks we will get while touring this album.
Are you gonna to make some world tour in the future? Do you think this is available for everybody option to tour around the globe? What do you think band have to do to get such opportunity?
We’ll start with Europe this October, supporting Truckfighters on their “Gravity X from Finish to Start Tour” in Austria, Germany, Poland, England, France and Belgium. After that, the rest of the globe should only be a question of time. It is a really small planet we live on.
Do you believe in heavy music scene without money?
We don’t even believe in the concept of money in general. Give it some more years. You will see.
What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
All art should be readily available to the public. Free access is great but if you enjoy it, and enjoy it again, and again, and you are able to pay for it but you don’t, you’re pissing in the wind.
Who are your musical influences? Have you ever think your band could be so famous as your favorites?
It’s safe to say that this band called Dune Pilot is our biggest influence. And they may still have more likes on Facebook, but we already overhauled them in any other aspect. And stole their guitar player. And turned him into a bass player. It’s these small things that make life worth living.
Do you have a formal music education? Do you think it’s a Kind of important thing?
As long as you can transform your idea into a real thing, you’re good to go. Although, sometimes limitations can affect your style. For the better.
How do you balance your music with other obligations – mate, children, job?
We don’t mate, don’t have children and don’t have jobs. It’s very imbalanced.
How do you handle mistakes during a performance? Or you can assure there are no any mistakes during your gigs? Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition?
There’s plenty of failure, always. We have coaching sessions in between shows where we talk our problems through and find ways to avoid repeating our mistakes. We’d rather replace them with new, bigger mistakes.
What’s next? Thank you!
Yeah, what’s next? You’re welcome!