Am 24. September ist es endlich soweit! Die US-Rocker von Badflower veröffentlichen ihr zweites Studioalbum mit dem Titel „This Is How The World Ends„. Darauf sind die persönlichsten Songs, die Sänger Josh Katz je geschrieben hat, zu hören. Es ist ein gelungener Mix aus lyrisch tiefgründigen Tracks, die uns zum Nachdenken anregen und Songs die den uns zum Mosh Pit animieren. Welche Songs am schwierigsten zu schreiben waren, wie es ist nach so langer Zeit wieder auf der Bühne zu stehen und was es mit dem Albumtitel auf sich hat, darüber haben wir mit Sänger Josh im Interview gesprochen.
Frontstage Magazine: Hey Josh, nice to meet you, thank you for your time.
Josh: Nice to meet you!
Frontstage Magazine: In exactly four days your new album “This Is How The World Ends” will be released. How excited are you about the release?
Josh: Wow is it really four days? Oh my goodness. Now I’m terrified.
Frontstage Magazine: Why that?
Josh: It’s just a terrifying moment, it’s like showing people your soul. I don’t know it’s scary.
Frontstage Magazine: How are you going to celebrate the release?
Josh: We’re not gonna be able to celebrate. We’re gonna be incredibly busy because we’re gonna be in the middle of jumping in the tour, playing all these new songs for the first time live. We’re gonna be so stressed out, there’s gonna be no happiness at all. (laughs)
Frontstage Magazine: But being able to play live again is enough party, huh?
Josh: Yes the show is the party!
Frontstage Magazine: What is the main difference between your first album “Ok, I’m Sick” and your upcoming album “ This Is How The World Ends ” in regard to the sound or the concept?
Josh: To me it’s like just the more evolved place that we’re at. Both albums to me are reflective of my feelings and my observations of the world I guess. In that time period and so in this one the world is utterly chaotic in many different ways. And I think that’s reflective in this new album.
Frontstage Magazine: Now you mentioned “chaotic”, that’s kind of negative and dark and so is the album title “ This Is How The World Ends ”. Is it related to your music like it should be played when the world somehow ends someday or is it related to our current situation on earth?
Josh: I hope the world doesn’t end but if it does I’d feel honored if people decide to play our music during that moment. But that was not the intention. It’s one of the lyrics in one of the songs and when we titled the album we just listened to it front to back and that just stood out and sounded like the right title.
Frontstage Magazine: Alright. Mental health is one of the main topics you brought to your new album. Why did you choose it and what is as well important on this album?
Josh: I wouldn’t say it’s one of the main topics. It’s definitely a topic and I think it sounds like the person who is singing has some issues with their mental health, so that’s certainly true. I just write about whatever makes sense to me and whatever I feel like I need to write about and if it’s mental health then that’s what it is, yeah. I never like chosen to write about a certain topic, it’s just whatever feels natural.
Frontstage Magazine: So let’s jump over to take a closer look at the album’s setlist. I read that you said the 13 songs on the album are the most personal songs you’ve ever written. Is that true and can you tell me why?
Josh: Did I say that? Maybe I did. Some of them are the most like actual actually personal songs I’ve ever written and others are not that personal but I think just the fact that I wrote them, I think it’s a glimpse of me, I guess. In the way that I think, in the way I perceive the world so that’s what I meant by that. Abd when I’m not writing with that level of intensity, I guess I’m not satisfied. Unless I’m doing that. So like I have to do that or the song doesn’t get finished or I don’t like it, you know. I think that’s the reason why it takes so much effort and time, at least for me to finish a song because I’m constantly like disappointing myself if I’m not digging as deep as possible and coming out with something that I think is special.
Frontstage Magazine: And now after finishing your second studio album have you noticed that you’ve developed, besides the music, as a person as well?
Josh: Yeah absolutely! The process of writing for me that changes me as a person. Oftentimes I won’t fully understand some aspects of myself until I start writing a song about it. And then it’s the process of writing the song that changes my perception and changes me as a person. It’s fascinating in that way.
Frontstage Magzine: Are you satisfied how you’d change during the process of writing songs for the upcoming album?
Josh: Yeah, I think so. I think it’s all’ve been changing in positive ways. I hope!
Frontstage Magazine: I’ve noticed while listening to “ This Is How The World Ends” there are some songs very calm that makes the listener think about the lyrics and then there just some songs where you’d like to get up and start the mosh pit. What I’d like to say it’s a very good mixture. Do you had kind of a special concept for the album or was it more kind of a process while working on it?
Josh: In the beginning it was just writing songs. We weren’t even sure if we wanted to release an album. But I think since the pandemic happened it felt like it makes sense to release an album.
Frontstage Magazine: “Johnny wants to fight” was one of the first songs you dropped from the new album. Tell me who is Johnny and what’s the story behind that song.
Josh: I’ll never tell who Johnny is. That’ gonna be a secret forever!
Frontstage Magazine: Then I’ll have to be fine with that, huh?
Josh: Yeah! I’m sorry it’s just the way it is.
Frontstage Magazine: So let’s talk about your favorite song to work on on the album.
Josh: “Only love”! Yeah only love is my favorite.
Frontstage Magazine: Beautiful song by the way!
Josh: Thank you!
Frontstage Magazine: And the other way around: what was the most difficult song for you to work on?
Josh: There was a few. I mean none of them were easy except for only love, that came pretty quick. “Everyone’s an asshole” was hard because I wanted to be certain about what I said. That one took definitely a lot of time.
Frontstage Magazine: Now that we’re already talking about that song. Please explain that title “Everyone’s an asshole”.
Josh: It’s literally just about the way people talk to each other online. Now that we’re in the pandemic we don’t really have face to face interactions much anymore so it’s all this online communication. Like strangers communicating with strangers and I’ve just noticed there’s a lot of activisms happening. My observation of things is the way that we’re talking to each other is such a horrible strategy to try to implement any change in the world or change people’s mind. I think it’s like we’re going backwards. I don’t know if it’s true but that’s just like my observation of it. So everyone is just an asshole. I hate it.
Frontstage Magzine: Yes, I absolutely agree with you!
Josh: Thank you, I’m glad. I hope lots of people do!
Frontstage Magazine: Let’s talk about the good things. After live gigs had to be set on pause for a while, you finally played again. After being stage abstinent for this long time – is it a different feeling to be back on stage?
Josh: It just feels new again. That’s it. It’s very overwhelming but it’s great and we loved it! We’re glad to be able to play shows again.
Frontstage Magazine: So in few days a little concert tour starts for Badflower, first in America and next year as well in Europe. What can your fans expect when you hit the road again and play some gigs all over the world?
Josh: They can expect us to play Badflower songs. A thousand per cent!
Frontstage Magazine: And what do you expect?
Josh: I just hope shows don’t get cancelled!
Frontstage Magazine: My fingers are crossed and I thank you for your time and your answers!
Josh: Great questions, thank you!
Fotocredit: ALBUMARTWORK „This Is How The World Ends“ zur Verfügung gestellt von WE SHARE A LOT
