Milky Chance

For us it’s not about that. For us is pretty exciting to release new music after one year of lock-down. Last year and this year we spent a lot of time in the studio so we are happy to release new music to the people and the world again. You can never tell how far one song is going to go but you are always hoping for the best, that the song is going to be appreciated. For now, is going quite well.

I’ve always loved the word Colorado, the sound of it and I always wanted to write a song with that word. It was last December when we were having this meeting, a jam session, with two other musicians who we were working with. I was mumbling and playing with the guitar, we got to this first sentence “I get high like Colorado” and started to develop the rest of the song. I could say that all happened pretty much unconsciously. Our group had such a big gap between the last release and now because after the last release in 2019 we went on tour, so indeed, this feels like a new era but at the same time, we are just focusing on making the music we want. As musicians, we are always evolving. We are not that kind of band that has a strong concept or a vision, we just go with what we feel in the moment.

When we started talking about the video we brainstormed with the guy we always make all the visuals with. The song doesn’t take itself too seriously, so we were thinking of creating that kind of humorous world related to Wes Anderson and Scandinavian cinema. Funny, but not slapstick. The whole setting of the video holds no connection with the story or the meaning of the song because we thought that was kind of funny.

We looked at so many references. Wes Anderson movies [probably the Grand Budapest Hotel], the film Adam’s Apple directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. In the beginning, we even talked about Cheech and Chong, two comedians from the ’70s. We just wanted to combine all of these references but make it less slapstick funny.

First of all, I feel like we live in a very privileged country, Germany. In the beginning, it was very shocking for everybody but then you start thinking about all the pandemics you realise that it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. Some people are really really struggling. We have been able to go to the studio. All the concerts and shows were canceled and that’s very sad but we have been able to continue making music and being creative. We didn't have to be worried about our existence or stuff like that. I feel very grateful.
Many people in the music industry were thrown into an empty space… members of our crew had to get into another job to make a living. Financially is not easy, but it is okay for us. We had a lot of time to reflect on last year and think about the evolution of the band and who we are now. I think of it is a crazy different time, but we are trying to see it as a chance to re-think and do stuff in a different way.

Yes.

(Laughs) That’s very funny. I think in Europe there are a lot of beautiful cities. But within Germany, it’s the capital, it is very international [un]like any other place in the country. Here you can hear so many different languages and that is what creates a feeling that you are where things are happening in the world. That’s the thing about big cities, you know. Everyone is gathering around these big cities.
In Berlin, you can find a lot of people with different backgrounds. A lot of culture, music, and art is going on right now. Berlin is such a vibrant place and no matter what kind of music genre or type of movies you like, you are going to find someone to listen to that music or watch that type of movie. Here there is a place for everyone.

I just moved here last year, I’m new here.

No, because I moved here during lockdown! I’ve been here a lot of time before moving here, though. I know some of the clubs and some of the parties, but now that I live here it’s only bars and restaurants!

You just need to get into the scene. Once the clubs are open again you will be able to go out every night.

(Laughts) Yeah, that’s right on Tuesday we don’t do that. It’s more like Thursday, Friday, Saturday…

We are really focusing on now and of course the future. We are back in the studio working on songs, we want to keep going, releasing new stuff and we are hoping to have finished a new album next year. Now we are going on tour in the USA in November. We are not crying remembering about past times, but we used to sometimes (laughs).

That decision was an outcome of all the time we spent last year thinking of our past as a band and our decisions taken over the eight years we have been in the band together. We thought that if we wanted to keep going for the next eight years we needed to know how are we going to make it.
After all these conversations it was pretty clear that it makes total sense to go independent. We have learnt a lot of things about the business, that has changed a lot the recent years. It has also become a lot more work. You have more control on how you bring music to the people, but it is also more time consuming. But in any case, it does feel nice to be independent.

No, it doesn’t bother me. I’m really, really grateful for having such a big song. That doesn’t really happen very often. The doors opened to us thanks to that song. We wouldn’t have been able to tour around the world or release three different albums. It’s a gift.

(Laughs) Nothing at all! Is more like being asked about your best friend! That song is like that guy you always have a wonderful time with. I really see it as a very positive thing. I don’t feel like I’m not being seen as a whole artist due to that song.

We are pretty realistic about it. Maybe what happened with Stolen Dance will never happen again, you know, having such a successful song. But, you never know. Back then when I wrote that song I didn't write it as a way to achieve fame. I was just enjoying writing songs and making music, that is where it came from.
It would be very unhealthy for the music and the creative process to create songs for [any other reason than enjoyment]. When you are trying to serve the people or the music, and it’s not about the music itself, the process becomes not very enjoyable, it doesn’t make sense. You can never be sure if the people are going to like a song.

I can’t think about any disadvantage.

Hopefully until I die! (laughs) I don’t know but probably for a long time. Tell me the year you were born.

I was born in 1992. Think about all the old hits we have been listened to… we are still listening to them and we will keep doing it! They are going to be there all the time, that's the crazy thing about music. I have no idea of how long Stolen Dance is going to live.

I think is really odd to compare them. The first one probably felt the most special, the process was very different from the others. First times are always exciting no matter what, you are always going to remember them. We were just out of high school, it was a time that felt very free, we didn’t have any plans, focusing just on the present.
After the first one became so big. At the time of creating the second album, we had been on tour for a long time. All of a sudden we thought that we needed to create something else. We did it between tour dates and was kind of stressful because people were expecting new music, a thing that had never happened before to us.
Recording the third album was a very beautiful time, we went to different studios. There is something new about each album that you can always discover.

As I told you, we are back in the studio working in a lot of ideas. There is going to be more music. The next year a new album will come. We are aiming for that.

(Laughs) In a second hand store here in Berlin.

(Laughs) I’m home and I’m like trying to keep it neutral.