Interviews: Swan Valley Heights

In this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Stoner Rock band Swan Valley Heights from Germany. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

There's a very special subway station somewhere in Munich that inspired the name. Revealing the whole state of affairs surrounding this decision would probably be really anticlimactic though, so that's all we gotta say about this. 

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Because all the other ones were taken. Classic pecking order.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Andy and David grew up in the same hinterland forests in the Bavarian outback, so there was no getting around knowing each other and eventually forming a band. Hillbilly fate, one might say. After our original bass player left the band, we decided to go for a more glamorous solution and hired big city kid Chris which we knew from his former band.

4. Each band member‘s favorite band?

As our last tour playlist for the van contained, amongst others, 'Call Me Maybe' by Carly Rae Jepsen, 'Fallin'' by Alicia Keys and the Pokémon theme song, we’d like to skip that question for the sake of the band’s reputation. But that's not to say 'Fallin'' isn't a great song. Or the Pokémon theme song.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Writing music may be for therapeutic reasons, for pure escapism or for handling the rage after losing in Magic: The Gathering (especially against a counter deck, I mean, come on …). Regarding the lyrics, some pretty deep and personal stuff.

6. Where was your last gig?

We last played at Tief in Berlin, which was the final show of a great tour we tackled with Ultima Radio. 

7. Where would you like to act? To act?

Like movies and stuff? Some sweet support roll in whatever they're gonna film on Maui.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Well, we have a European tour coming up supporting Truckfighters. Those guys have been a big influence since we started out, so being able to share the stage with them now is grand.

9. Whom not?

A majority (⅔) of the band really hates Dune Pilot. 

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Andy suffered from stage fright until he was forced by David to play a show while rocking an insane E. coli induced fever with episodes of fatigue once. He still has no memory of that evening, but he survived. That changed things. Highly recommended way to get rid of stage fright in general.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

The obvious ones. Lana Del Rey, Snoop Dogg, Sungrazer …

12. What's the weirdest thing a listener has ever asked you for?

David was asked to trade his favorite and super sweaty fan shirt of the El Paso Chihuahuas for an undersized girlie shirt without any animals on it after a show once. He did it. Widely regarded as a bad trade deal in hindsight.

13. What do you think of your listeners?

Very different things, as we know every single one of them personally. For real: Them coming to our shows and supporting us every single time, while they could as well just stay at home, watch the trashy Game of Thrones finale and eat cheap pizza - which definitely is an option - means the world to us.

14. What do you think of our site?

Supporting the underground and spreading its shenanigans is a noble task. Thanks for that!

15. Something to add?

Make sure that you all have your phones on a loudspeaker when calling people. Keep that thing away from your brain, for fuck's sake. And go and listen to our new album „The Heavy Seed“, which will be out September 6th via Fuzzorama Records! And pre-orders are a thing.