(Redfield Records)
Interviewed on: 11/6/07
From: Saarland, Germany
www.myspace.com/parachutesnk
1. What are your names and roles in the band?
Band-
We are Stefan/vox, Chris/git, Carsten/git and vocals, Elmar/Bass and vocals, Markus/Drums
2. How did the band come about?
Band-
Markus and I met during our school time and we decided to start a band after a few crazy and funny sessions (we just started to play our instruments and that was how it sounded)…maybe you can’t even call it "playing" we just tortured them ?! Shortly after we met Chris in a guitar shop and asked him to join us, he decided to jump in and brought Stefan with him. The last one who joined Parachutes was Elmar a while later after our old bassplayer quit the band. And that stayed the line-up since then.
3. How did you hook up with Lockjaw Records?
Band-
We played some shows with a great band called Tribute To Nothing from the UK their drummer Ben was a A&R for Lockjaw during that time. On that night in may 05 we played with Orlando's own Hand To Hand and the above mentioned Tribute To Nothing. After the show Ben just asked us if we want to put out a record and if we are interested in doing it on Lockjaw. We were absolutely stoked because we were just thinking about playing and touring and for us a record was far away. So we sat down and decided to take the offer and do a record. Everything turned out really cool the guys at LJ are
So cool and work really hard for their bands. Our first full length called “And I Won’t Stop Until You’ve Lost Everything You Ever Loved…” was released in February 06 and we had a lot of really cool reactions from the people on our shows and the press. Although we are now searching for a new label at the moment ways parted in friendship. We owe the guys at LJ a lot and simply love them !
4. I saw you have Taste Of Chaos coming up, you guys excited to play a big show like that?
Band-
Yeeeeeehaaaaaaa The Used, Rise Against, Aiden, Gallows and The Blackout and we will be on stage too ?! This is awesome ! It is our second time playing TOC, we played the Munich-show last year after winning the Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands and played there with Taking back Sunday, Underoath, Anti-Flag, Saosin and Senses Fail. It is so cool to meet all these people watch them on stage and be on the same stage. This year will be awesome too not only that we can’t wait to meet our friends in Aiden again no in addition we will share the stage with all these great bands. It is a huge thing for us !
5. You played with a ton of international acts, is there a show in particular that sticks out as being just a great show?
Band-
Tough one… there were so many really cool bands we've played with and we met so many really cool people but all shows with Aiden and Silverstein were really really cool cause all of these guys are such cool people hanging out with. And then there was a sold out show with Boysetsfire (huge influence of us) in our hometown which is standing out because it was the first show in front of 1500 people we were sooooo scared. We learned so many things from all these bands and are glad that all of the people in these bands were friendly and nice and not that dickheadish-rockstar-like
6. Hows the new material coming along? Have you been playing it live?
Band-
Good question. It is a bit heavier but again with all these different directions like Hardcore, Punkrock, Metal and even some pop-parts. We really sat down and put more melodies in our songs but also enough parts to put your fists in the air and shout your ass off. Influences changed over the last two years and we really wanted to improve our songwriting. We currently only play three of the new songs in our live-set to give the people a glue of the direction of the new record. And crowd reacted amazing to the new songs so we’ll hope that the rest of the record will draw the same reaction.
7. What's your favorite song to play live and why?
Band-
I guess everyone in the band has it’s favorite song to play but we simply love to play live and it does not count which songs we like, it just counts how much the people like the songs.
As long as we could play live and the people went home from the shows and had a kick ass time we will play everything even a David Hasselhoff song (he really believes he reunited Germany...) if it is requested.
8. Troy Glessner (Underoath, He Is Legend) is mastering your upcoming album, how did you hook up with him?
Band-
We always were really into Troys work he made such great mastering for such great records and bands. We just contacted him and asked him if he is able to listen to our music and give us a feedback. He liked it and we just started working together. A few days ago the record came back from the US and the sound is awesome. Troy is a genius ! To make our crappy stuff sound so good is not easy ;)
9. What are you currently listening to?
Band-
We have so many different influences in the band but at the moment we are totally addicted to the new Every Time I Die record. The new The Bled record is great and also the new The Black Dahlia Murder-album. On tour we are always listening to very strange self-made compilations where easily Killswitch Engage mashes up with some really weird German dance music.
A while ago Thursdays Full Collapse found it’s way back into my CD-player one of my all-time-favs and influences along with stuff like The Get Up Kids, At The Drive-In, Grade, Guns n Roses, Maiden and Slayer.
10. What's next for Parachutes?
Band-
Currently we are searching for a new record label and just began talking to some of them…we’ll see what the future brings. Hopefully touring in the US and all over the world !
11. Any shoutouts?
Band-
FREE SHIRTS FOR BOOBIES !!!
Thanks a lot for reading this, go and spread the name if you like our stuff ! hope to see all of you guys someday !
Carsten/Parachutes
www.myspace.com/parachutesnk
www.theparachutes.com
