The German collective reflects on their unexpected success in the U.S. and how they thriving in asserting pop sensibility into the universe of heavy music.
In the ever-evolving world of rock and metal, few bands have experienced the meteoric rise to fame like Electric Callboy. Born out of a shared passion for music and friendship, the German band Electric Callboy has taken the world by storm, with their catchy hooks and genre-blending tracks resonating with fans globally. From playing to local audiences to now selling out venues on a global tour, Electric Callboy stands as a testament to what can happen when passion and creativity meet hard work.
When asked about their recent sold-out tour, Nico, one of the lead members, expresses amazement: “I’m very happy, but it’s still pretty hard to believe that we did that.” Kevin chimes in, “Absolutely. We still need to process that because when you have plans, and we have always had plans in our band’s history, and you see things working out for you it’s still unthinkable for us. Because we started this band in our hometown and now there are people all over the world listening to our music and what we’ve been doing at home. This is a dream come true. And this is not only a saying!”
“The first dates that we played were much more amazing than we expected,” adds Nico, reflecting on the first days of the tour.
For many artists, touring in the U.S. can be a unique experience. Nico explains that the American audiences aren’t quite the same as back home, “That’s what is very striking here in the US. When we play in Germany on workdays, the people still party but with a little hint like ‘We have to work tomorrow, but we’re gonna party anyway, but I have to work.’ Here you go crazy no matter what day it is! Maybe you just don’t work! I don’t know!”
As the world continues to grapple with challenges, Electric Callboy’s music emerges as an uplifting escape. Their rise, in many ways, is a reflection of society’s need for positivity in turbulent times.
Nico states, “We did have some sad times. We still have some. But we decided to do the exact opposite, just to give the people some time to forget about it and enjoy music and just be happy. If you come to one of our shows, just forget about everything and enjoy the moment.”
Kevin further emphasizes the therapeutic power of their music. “And with all those problems all over the world, sometimes it doesn’t feel too good to be the ‘cheer up boys’, you know? Because we don’t want to be ignorant, we don’t want the people to think we are ignorant, but we see making music as a therapy for ourselves and I think, as Nico said, sometimes you just need to get away from all your everyday problems. And when you have a night out with your friends, you just forget about all those problems, it becomes easier to face them. It’s like recharging the batteries. There are people who want to have a vacation and some just want to break out and party or something.”
Amidst the highs and lows, Electric Callboy credits their bond as friends for keeping them grounded.
“We have bad days, but I think the recipe is that we are not only a band, we are six friends. We are always pushing each other and even if we have bad times, we try to do our best to make everyone feel comfortable and good and just stay positive. It wouldn’t be like that if I were alone,” shares Nico.
Kevin adds, “Absolutely! And I think it’s absolutely ok to be sad sometimes, you need to. We are portraying all the good times, we are there for the good times, but also we are sitting at home sometimes in a bad mood and this is the problem with the internet and social media. People only see the highlights. They only show themselves on vacation or in expensive cars that are not even theirs. But the thing is, I believe in karma. If I give my best and stay positive this all comes back to me. I won’t say that you cannot get in trouble when you’re having a good time, but it makes everything so much easier.”
A signature trait of Electric Callboy is their knack for blending various genres. As boundaries between genres become more porous, Kevin reflects on the past, “People have always used music as a form of identification. Thinking, ‘With the music I’m listening to, I want to build or belong to a certain group.’ Especially when they’re younger and trying to find themselves. I wanted to be different when I was a kid and I listened to metal it was like, ‘Yeah I dress all in black and I like to be different.’”
“But we see that the internet and Youtube and all the different influences that there are bring the people closer together every day. When we started making music, you couldn’t do that. We were very afraid to play festivals like Wacken because we didn’t actually fit in there with the pop music and the catchy hooks.”
Nico highlights the evolution, “Except these boundaries are not existing anymore! I mean, they do, but not as they used to be. And you can’t tell anymore if a person is a rap guy or a metal guy, they dress how they want. If you look at our crowd, you wouldn’t identify the people as metal fans.”
Having gained popularity on the internet before touring extensively, Electric Callboy faced the pressure of living up to expectations.
Kevin explains, “It’s a little bit of a burden. When you create something and people see it on the internet, you are more likely to create a bubble around yourself, you blow yourself up, and you have to live up to it. You have to meet the expectations of the people.
It wouldn’t make sense if people click on your video and like it and then you go play the song live and it just doesn’t give them that feeling. Especially in the beginning when we started live shows again, we were very excited with a new member, a new formation, with new music and people were like ‘Yeah! Electric Callboy! I watched their video a thousand times.’ But nobody had seen it live. But, every time was good. We’ve never been disappointed, so this fear is gone now, but it was a thing when we started to play live shows again.”
To close out the evening and for a little insight into their survival instrincts, the band imagines which zombie apocalypse scenario they’d want to face. “The first part of Resident Evil was much too hard, so I wouldn’t pick that one. I loved Dawn of the Dead,” says Nico.
Kevin laughs, “When they walk slowly and don’t run, I can just live beside them, so I choose Dawn of the Dead. I want to live, haha!” Nico agrees, “Same here!”
From starting as hometown heroes to becoming global phenomena, Electric Callboy’s journey continues to inspire. As they push boundaries and evolve the world of rock and metal, we all eagerly await what’s next for this remarkable band. For now, you can get a copy of their most recent album, Tekkno, HERE and be sure to get your tickets early when they come through again!
Check the gallery of images from Maurice Nunez below from the band’s Los Angeles stop of their Tekkno World Tour below.
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