SCOTT EVIL - An Anthem for the Atypical... (Germany - Shoegaze/Indie Rock - Interview with Philipp).

Hello ! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want toget into music?
Hi! Philipp here! I’m playing Drums at Scott Evil and doing the Inteview. I'm just speaking for myself, but I know many things were very similar for the others: I think I saw my first live show when I was 7 or 8 years old. It was a big hip-hop act playing at an open-air venue in my hometown. My father took me there; it was one of the biggest things for me. I remember how the oppressive sound, the warm, humid air, the last rays of sunshine on that hot August day, and the roaring audience made a lasting impression on me. I didn't immediately think, “I want to do that too,” but from that moment on, I was inevitably drawn to live music and band performances. What followed was a youth filled with concerts, music lessons, and my first attempts at band projects during my school days. In addition to consuming music, I always wanted to be a part of it and contribute to the music world.

Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
In 2018, Fari, Rene, and I were looking for a rehearsal space in Cologne because we really wanted to start a band project together. My punk band had broken up earlier that year, Rene wanted to start a shoegaze band, and Fari had just left her stoner rock band. We were all new to college and really wanted to make music together. Everything else seemed somehow irrelevant to us. So we rented a rehearsal space that was way too expensive and worked on our first jams and song ideas. We quickly realized that, in addition to drums, guitar, and vocals, we were missing a bass and an optional second guitar. So we started jamming with friends, which was more or less unsuccessful. Then one evening at the Autonomes Zentrum in Cologne, I met Till. I don't remember exactly what happened that evening, but I think it was an open house where various punk bands were playing in many different rooms of the AZ. While we were sitting outside around stacked fire pits drinking warm beer, I got into conversation with Till. At the time, Till was still playing guitar in a melodic hardcore band, but he was looking for something new. We realized that we both loved the latest Title Fight album (Hyperview, 2015), and when Till said he was interested in playing in a band that used more of that shoegaze sound, I could simply reply: ‚You know what?, I have a project like that with two friends and we're looking for someone to play second guitar; you wanna join?‘ A week later, he came by our rehearsal room to jam with us and we digged immediately. Two weeks later, we wrote our first song, “Donot.” Rene then brought his friend and fellow student Tibor along to play bass, and that was our first complete lineup, with which we wrote and recorded our debut album, “Big Dipper.” Not much has changed since then, except that Tibor left the band at the beginning of 2024 and Julia took his place as the new bassist.

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Even though we were initially very influenced by the sound of bands like Title Fight, Sonic Youth, DIIV, Nothing, etc., we quickly found our own sound. I think we strike a good balance between dreamy guitar and vocal passages, powerful drums, and booming bass, which repeatedly break out with effect-loaded guitars and draw on elements of hardcore, emo, but also alternative rock and indie in the broadest sense. When recording the drums, for example, I listened to a lot of slacker rock like Red House Painters, Silver Jews, and Built to Spill, even if you can't necessarily hear that in the final result. 
I can't decide that you have to listen to our music under any circumstances. I think it would be naive to assume that we are establishing a completely new sound and songwriting style that sets us apart from other bands or makes us special. All bands refer in some way to the bands that came before them, but if you like 90s alt-rock, shoegaze, emo, and punk, you might be in the right place with us. Besides, I think we're pretty funny on and off stage and kind and down-to-earth in our interactions; at least that's what we're often told 🙂.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ?
The lyrics aren't that important to us. For us, it's always the feeling conveyed and the melody that come first. I think that thematically, everyday situations are particularly often reflected in our lyrics. In other words, the things that really concern us in life. We write songs and lyrics about things that have happened to us or people around us in one way or another, but we never claim to have the sole right to interpret them or to know the whole truth. We also find it rather demanding when bands write moralistic lyrics and then take this moral authority so seriously. We would never presume to do that and we think it's great when people who listen to our music read and interpret something completely unique between the lines of our songs.

About your latest release ?
We wrote and recorded our latest release (Big Dipper, 2025 via Spinda Records and Backpack Records) between 2023 and 2024. We went to Kassel to visit our longtime friend Felix Margraff, who then recorded the album with us over three or four long weekends in various improvised spaces (including the Karnak bar in Kassel and Felix's rehearsal rooms) and also mixed it in the final stages. The songs that came out of this are a product of that previous period and our wish to write and release our own album. However, the album is by no means a concept album; the 11 songs that made it onto the record can be understood more as individual impulses, some of which were created separately from each other and ultimately captured and recorded in one place. Julia and I did the artwork for it, as we are both graphic designers in our other lives. The whole thing is available on LP and CD; you can get it in our labels' online shops or at our shows.

Future plans ?
We've played quite a lot of live shows this year and still have a few more lined up before the end of the year. Next year, however, we want to use the first half of the year to focus more on songwriting again and maybe even write and record a new album. We've already written a few songs here and there recently and have lots more ideas.

Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Playing live shows and recording albums without any of us burning out. As we get older, we realize that it can be a challenge to balance everyday life with the band, and we all want to maintain a healthy “band-life balance” so that we can continue to enjoy playing and writing songs as much as possible. First and foremost, we do it all for ourselves 🙂.

Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ?
We've already had the opportunity to play at a lot of really cool shows. Personally, I'm always a fan when we're booked for hardcore and mosh lineups and then see how well our music goes down with an audience that otherwise spends the whole evening blasting hardcore music.
Other than that, I thought our release show in Cologne was really great, because everything was originally up in the air, but in the end the venue filled up really quickly and lots of our long-time friends came to celebrate our new album with us. Looking back, it still gives me goosebumps because I thought it was so awesome!

Next live-appearance(s) ?
Our next live shows are on November 14 in Wiesbaden and November 15 in Burscheid (Sorry for the delays in publishing - Ed.) After that, we'll play another show on December 12 in Kassel with our friends from Sunveil to celebrate their release there. Then comes the previously mentioned concert break, during which we plan to lock ourselves in the rehearsal room and write new songs.

Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
Big ups to all our friends and everyone in the local scene who give their all to ensure that low-threshold concerts and shows continue to happen. Personally, I think the DIY spirit in and around us is just great, and I absolutely love being part of it!
And of course, a big thank you to Jan and Fabi, who helped us out so many times when one of us was unable to play an instrument. And everyone else, you know who you are 🙂!

Last word is yours..
Stay emo. Stay evil!

Credits : 
Live photo (B & W) : Pat SCHMIDT.