Just four dudes making music
Last year, dialect punks GLUE CREW released their album “Kleben und Gluelassen” via SBÄM Records. Shortly before Christmas we managed to meet up with the friendly guys from Salzburg for an online interview. Here you can find out where the band members know each other, who played in Blasmuisk and what the name is all about, and who skis or snowboards.
I think most bands are actually boy bandsTom
Hello guys, greetings! I’m glad we can do it!
Wolfi: Good bye.
Tom: Hello, hello.
Andreas: Hallo.
Let’s start with something simple, tell us a little bit about you as a band. How do you actually know each other?
Tom: So the band’s beginnings were actually in Pongau, because Wolfi and I come from there and we started making music together in 2013 and then from 2016 there were three of us with a drummer, Bernie, who also comes from Pongau. There have been four of us since 2021.
And are you all school friends or do you know each other from your studies?
Tom: Me and Wolfi actually know each other from going out in Pongau. We always listened to the same music and went to concerts together. We met Andy when we played a streaming show in the Salzburger-Narrenkastl. At the beginning of 2020, where the first lockdown was. And Andy was the DJ who played after us and he then asked us if he could come to rehearse and if we wanted to do something together. And then it actually became clear relatively quickly that his style really suits us. And the four of us have been traveling ever since.
Very cool. Glue Crew, how did you come up with the name?
Wolfi: So it was that Tom and I started as two and called ourselves TWO ON GLUE, in reference to a NOFX song and in reference to Tom his old band, which was also a NOFX reference.
Hahaha!
Wolfi : And with the word CREW we are no longer limited to the number two and still have room for improvement.
Haha, a band that thinks ahead.
Andreas: Totally haha.
Cool thing! “Glue and Glue Let”, your new album starts with “Lieblingsband” and at this point a compliment to the drums, they open the album. Very cool drum roll and also a compliment to you Wolfi, the bass grooves very cool right from the start. Tell us, how does songwriting work for you? How does that work for you?
Andreas: It’s actually different. I would say that Tom writes most of the songs and actually takes them with him to the rehearsal room, including the lyrics. And then there are outliers again, where Wolfi writes some songs. It usually goes a bit in the Latin direction because he is a real MANU CHAO fan.
Very, cool band.
Andreas: Yes, and Benni (Benedikt) also contributed a song, “Circulation”. Actually, everyone can bring their ideas and suggestions and then it will be decided what happens with them and what fits with them.
This means that everyone brings a piece to the table and then we work on the songs together. And the lyrics, do they basically come from you, Tom, or does the person who brings the song idea also bring the lyrics?
Tom: On the current album, the songs that I wrote and all the lyrics are mine. Then there are songs that Wolfi wrote, and he also wrote his own lyrics to them. For example, “Machine Gun Kelly” and “King of the Losers.” For “La Famiglia” Andy wrote most of the lyrics. Then there are songs like “Favorite Band” or “Circulation”, where Andy or Benni brought the music and then I wrote lyrics to it.
Cool. You can also tell that you have a sense of humor and are sometimes self-ironic on the new album. With the “Song Boyband” for example, that stood out for me. Quick fun question. What are your favorite boy bands?
Andreas: BACKSTREET BOYS, haha.
Tom: I think that most bands are actually boy bands, because every punk band is often just four dudes making music. Yes. And I always think it’s cool when bands don’t just consist of guys, but also include women or non-binary people. But favorite boy band, so real boy bands, then yes “Backstreet Boys”. They actually always had pretty cool songs at the start.
Hahaha. Absolutely, yes. That shouldn’t make us drift too far away.
You also sing on your album “Sigi is a sneaky pig”. Is there a special reference? Did you have a specific person in mind?
Tom: No, not to a specific person at all, it’s kind of like an inside joke. So we don’t want to reveal who Sigi is, but maybe one or two listeners will figure out what the song could be about.
Ah, well, I’m curious to see what interpretations the listeners have.
And it’s not just that you’re being ironic yourself. We also hear a lot of different styles of music on your current album. Punk rock, ska and mariachi. Is there a genre that you say would appeal to you again?
Wolfi: There would definitely be a lot more in the direction of rave, in my opinion, haha. I think we’re basically very open when it comes to various genres. I believe that if we can bring this to a common denominator, then anything is conceivable. Although you have to say that certain genres suit you more than others. Personally, I couldn’t imagine doing radio right now. But who knows, maybe it will come.
Klar, Who Knows.
But that means there’s a good chance you’ll meet one or two of you at a rave.
Andreas: Yes, the probability is definitely there, haha.
Wolfi: I would say 50% of us, haha.
Hahaha! Very cool!
Andreas: We already did a bit of electronics with “Boyband” and with “Kackbar” for example. This is just starting to creep in a bit, i.e. we are already getting closer.
It’s brilliant that you really look beyond the boundaries and think further and make the connection to electronic music. You also have very good support in the studio, because you work with a very prominent producer, namely Oliver Züllich (producer of DIE ÄRZTE). I would be interested to know, what impressed you most about working with him? What were you able to learn from him?
Andreas: So for me it was two points.
On the one hand, the preparatory work. We always sent demos in advance and we got pretty good feedback and then there were a lot of iterations. And the second one was, we really thought, Hallelujah. He always checked what the mood was and what each one of us was doing and it was just a very pleasant atmosphere. This actually made the recording process extremely enjoyable.
Sounds very cooler. That means you really placed a lot of emphasis on the pre-production process.
Andreas: Exactly. We did this at my house. We recorded all the songs there because I also have a small studio at home. And then we simply exchanged it with Oliver via Dropbox. And then, until it came to the record, we were in two different studios. First to get a taste and then in Bremen to record the rest.
Very cool. And now if you think about the whole recording process and the album, is there a song that stands out for you personally, where you say a lot of work went into it or is there a surprise song that you didn’t even know how to do at the beginning which will sound?
Andreas: For me it was “MGK”. Until we got into the studio, it wasn’t actually clear whether it would work that way or not. And suddenly it completely opened up. Especially when we did the vocals for it.
Very nice. Cool.
Tom: What was also cool was the song “YN/YNG”. We’ve been playing this live for a while, but we got some brass players to support us. A tuba player, a trumpeter and a trombonist. That took the song to a new level. They really had a blast in the studio. That was really a joy to watch. And I think the result turned out really cool. They give it a lot of gas and really let off steam.
And were they people you knew before?
I’ve also read that one of you has his roots in local brass music. Were they people from the clubs?
Tom: Those were Christian Hemmelsberger and Harald Eitzinger, the two of them play in the brass band in Köstendorf. I also used to play in the brass band, but in Pongau. They were also on the last album and are both professional musicians. We’re always happy to be able to make music with them because they spontaneously play the coolest things. This is really crazy.
Very cool. And do they bring in that Mariachi spirit, or does that come from you, Wolfi?
Wolfi: Yes, I personally hear very, very much in this direction. I feel totally comfortable there. I also like to travel for leisure. Countries like Mexico, Latin America in general, everything where Spanish is spoken.
Another question that doesn’t have much to do with the music, but you’re all from Salzburgerland. I have to ask the question. Which of you skis, which of you snowboards?
Andreas: I’m already in the middle, haha.
Wolfi: Yes, I am a passionate snowboarder. And now one of the few, because those from the region, when they get older, all switch to touring skis. And I’m really the hardliner who bought the speedboard. So clearly a snowboarder.
Horny!
Tom: I ski, but only twice a year.
Cool, and when you snowboard, always have headphones in and listen to lots of musick.
Wolfi: Yes, definitely, absolutely. Rave haha!
Haha, very cool.
Finally, I would like to ask a quick question: what else would you like to tell our readers along the way?
Tom: We would be delighted if readers would listen to our album on Spotify or wherever, to see the different styles we play. And of course it would be even cooler if they came to one of our concerts. Get to know each other live and drink a few beers together.
Excellent, perfect. Well, dear boys from Salzburg, I was very, very happy. Thank you very much for your time and then all I can do is wish you a happy holiday and a good start into the new year. Good luck!
Andreas: Thank you too.
Tom: Thank you very much Stefan, happy holiday, see you soon!
Band Links
Band biography (GLUE CREW homepage)The Glue Crew is Salzburg’s best export since the Mozartkugel. Hotter than Pongauer rowanberry schnapps, sweeter than Salzburger Nockerl and more energetic than a pallet of Red Bull. Imagine that the sun suddenly shines after you put the laces – that’s what the Glue Crew sounds like. . More on the: GLUE CREW homepage
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