Introducing: Die Verlierer

A friend recently switched us on to the eponymous 2022 album from Berlin post-punk group Die Verlierer. We decided to chat with the band about their music as they prepare of a series of live dates in Germany and the UK.

First up, could you tell us something about Die Verlierer, the band?

We are a newly formed punk rock band from Berlin.

What inspires the band to write?

Our existence in a fucked-up dystopian society. The contradiction of our everyday life, and the strive for independence. Well, the pursuit of happiness ha-ha!

Who would you cite as your main musical or other influences?

A heavy influence are definitely Abwärts, Ton Steine Scherben, and A+P. Early German punk rock from the 70s/80s. Also, we love British punk rock and post-punk. Especially Televisions Personalities and Joy Division. Also, Dead Moon from the USA.

How does the creative process work within the band in terms of music and lyrics?

It’s quite different for every song, really. But since we all like writing lyrics, everyone brings new lyrics to practice, ideally. Sometimes it’s just a riff, and someone has some fitting lyrics for is… somehow, we clash it together.

Does being based in Berlin influence your sound? The city seems to have a very definable visual and musical aesthetic, no matter the genre.

Yeah, for sure, I mean it’s dark and grey most of the year. The metro stinks of heroin and piss. That does something to your artistic expression.

Is there any artist or producer the band would love to collaborate with?

Iggy Pop!

What tracks or albums do you have on heavy rotation right now?

Ascension by Lives of Angels, and Human Extinction by Dead Finks.

Is the band looking to make any changes in sound or style from your self-titled 2022 album?

Since our music is very spontaneous, we can’t really make any predictions about that. But it must rip!

You’ve got a UK tour scheduled for this May. Have Covid and Brexit affected the gigging experience for you?

Covid of course; we did some outside shows in the summers of 2021 and 2022, also played some secret shit. But yeah, it’s good those times are over.

It’s the first time for us coming to the UK, and it’s truly a pain in the ass! All that paperwork and organisation. If we did not have our wonderful Henrietta taking care of that, I think we would not be touring the UK.

We still think Brexit was really not so smart. We hope it won’t harm the cultural exchange of the coming generations. Maybe when the old narrow people are dead, we can reunite one day.

What else have Die Verlierer got planned in the coming months?

Beside some other shows in Germany, we will pull back to the countryside and work on our next album. Hopefully it all goes well, and we can drop it at the end of this year.

You can download the Die Verlierer album on Bandcamp, which is also a great place to find dates and venue details for the band’s upcoming gigs in the UK and Germany. The album can be picked up via Mangel Records.