What was the beginning point for your music career? How did it all start?
We got together as a band in late 2018 after a previous project fell apart. After one practice session together, we knew we had something pretty special. For most of us in the band, this is our first project that we have really poured ourselves into wholly so it’s been a really great creative outlet for all of us.
Were there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
The first time we were in the recording studio together for our first EP was a huge letdown. All the vibes were great, all the people seemed super professional, but we were really disappointed with the quality of the end result. As a new band at the time that was a huge hurdle, coming back from a letdown like that, not only creatively and emotionally but financially as well! Recording is expensive and it really sucks if it doesn’t turn out like you’ve envisioned it to. We have been very selective with who we work with as a result, and it has really worked out for us since! A tough but beneficial lesson for us.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
Hearing our EP, Tunneller, for the first time after the massive let down of our first EP was really fulfilling, finally getting to hear ourselves the way we know we want to sound. It was a really affirming moment, and it also opened up doors for us professionally. Through Tunneller, we were able to start working with Animal Farm which has been our best experience so far. We keep edging closer to our ideal sound with every release, and that feels really great.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
We like to write big, driving riffs that weave in and out of space. We create as much of that space as possible for Andie to work her magic. Her vocal talent and lyricism are what really elevates our songs to the next level. The result is a riff focused, heavy, atmospheric, grunge/garage/alt combination that assaults your senses.
What is your creative process like?
We typically all work together when writing songs. Whenever any of us have an idea for a song, we’ll bring it to the band at a practice and flesh it out from there. An idea can be anything from a 10 second riff or a drum beat, to a nearly already completed song. Andie and Christian are the most efficient songwriters in the band and come up with the most ideas, but the songs are always finished by all of us working together to make them the best they can be.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
The biggest thing we run into is that we wish we could afford to do this full time. The way the money is distributed makes it almost impossible for bands like us to be musicians full-time. The result is that we get to spend less time making the art we love, and more time at our 9-5s.
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
We are an upcoming band ourselves, so please feel free to forward us all the advice as well! For us, we had to learn to say no to certain gigs. As a new band, it’s painful to say no to opportunities, but not all opportunities are created equally, so do your homework before accepting a gig. The same goes for researching the hell out of producers and recording studios before pouring your money into recordings that aren’t up to snuff!
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
Pre-pandemic, our debut EP release show is one that we look back on very fondly. A perfect setlist to a packed house. That was a very cathartic performance given our struggles recording it. In the semi-post-pandemic world, we just played a show last night that was probably our finest performance to date. Shout-out to Subterranean in Chicago!
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
If we weren’t musicians, we’d all probably be in wildly different places. Andie most likely would be running several successful restaurants, Christian would almost definitely be a professional basketball player somewhere in the Baltic states, Mark would probably have sold a competitor to Google years ago and retired early, and Nick would be the most successful corn farmer the Midwest has ever seen. Are we exaggerating? Definitely. But we promise we’re only doing so because we’ve all been musicians for so long that we can’t imagine where our lives would be without music.
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
We recently recorded and released two new singles, Guerrilla Mitts and Legs with Animal Farm, and those can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to music! We also just got into the studio again working on a new single, (In)Circles, that we are very pumped about. It’s a very dark existential crisis of a song. So far it’s sounding absolutely nasty! Keep a weather eye on the horizon for that one! You can check us out at the links below!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anfangmusic/?hl=en
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Cru2hmOpqR8bB6YWm7zcH?si=5PFEMtbZR6OFKWBIPOyj7w
