Essen hardcore punk band GO FOR IT have recently teamed up with District 763 Records to release their new album “Misanthropy” in cooperation with Rise Or Rust Records on February 1st, 2013. We recently sat down with these guys to talk about the band, the new album, Germany, the European crisis and some more stuff.
Right now they are working out some shows for 2013, so drop them a line if you’re interested: [email protected].
So guys, you have finally found a home for your music, right? Tell us how did you team up with District 763 Records.
Yes, this is right. Finally we have found a caring and passionate home at District 763 Records and we wanna spread our deepest respect & gratitude to this reaching hand from Markus (founder & owner District 763 Records). But we have teamed up with Rise Or Rust Records from Austria some time before and without Al this contact wouldn´t have been such successful in the end. Al just told us that we should ask Markus if he is willed to help us out by releasing “Misanthropy” in Germany. To be honest after a really long period of contacting labels we weren´t such motivated because we thought we could release “Misanthropy” much earlier. But Markus gave us our power and motivation back. So here we are to give you guys a message of passion, dedication and misanthropy that is all sensible while you are reading a newspaper, you switch on the TV or while you are on a show, watching some respectless kids acting in the pit like total morons.
[smiles]
Actually, what’s the region covered by the label? What’s the role of Rise Or Rust Records in distributing your new outing? Are there any more labels involved in spreading the word about you?
District 763 Records is into Oldschool Hardcore and I would say some kind of metallic Hardcore, not to say Metalcore or genre types like this. I really like bands like ISOLATED or VIOLENCE APPROVED and it is an honor to join the same label.
Al from Rise Or Rust Records helps us out to spread the word in Austria with promo stuff and distribution and supports us with find shows in Austria because we never have been there before with GO FOR IT!
Both labels teamed up and so everything is growing up to be a big family which works hand in hand.
Back in the days we have found Go For It! there were RPHC Records which broke up for over one year right now. But we still have good contacts through this time.
Ok. Let’s move on to your new release then. There were some delays in releasing “Misanthropy”. What caused them?
God damn, you are so right…DELAYS! First of all we had to deal with a member change in our line-up. We came to parting of the ways between our former bass player and us. It took not too long that Martin joined Go For It! as the new bass player but it throw us back in our time schedule. After financial problems and a longer period that we couldn´t return to the studio, we were motivated to finish the recordings. The fire returned and we got back to our goals that we wanted to reach.
And last but not least it took so much power and time to find a passionate label that wants to work with us together and shares the same dream.
How do you remember writing and recording this album?
The writing process of “Misanthropy” was nothing but pure fun. Our drummer Dom and me (Haris) were involved in the whole instrumental arrangements and exceptional some lyrics, our singer Franky breathe the whole message into the album. In the studio we have had some special ideas that finally work out perfectly and makes us happy at this point that we can look back. Most fun were definitely the guest features and crew shout sessions. To pick up Bud from SETTLE THE SCORE was impressive to watch a song like “Promote The Protest” grow with his lyrics and how professional he worked it out…he killed it. The same with Cindy van der Heijden (ALL FOR NOTHING). We know each other since the beginning of her band. Her voice fits perfectly in “Fuck Y´All”. I have to say that we are really proud of “Misanthropy” because it is a musical format where so many friends of us took part at. Beginning at the artwork, the recordings, the guest vocals and especially one song called “Know Your Family” where are all these guys on it…Meier (THE FURTHER WE GO), Seppl (BACKFIRED HATE), Nilz (THE PREMONITION), Jan (STRENGTH), Timo (CROSSCUT), Marco (LAVATCH), Bud (SETTLE THE SCORE), Grischa (HOW 2 START), Casi (DIE FOR YOUR HONOR) and Lon (IT ENDS NOW) in the correct order of appearance. It was so funny to record the vocals with all these guys in one room.
Which members of the band are straight edge and/or vegetarian/vegan?
It is cool that you ask exactly this question, because in many cases the kids or promoters think we are a full straight edge band. At this point some people lose their faith when they watch our drummer is drinking beer or is smoking cigarettes [laughs].
Dom does whatever he wants and this is the way everyone should respect each other, neither if he or she is edge, vegan, a Muslim or whatever. Our singer Franky lives edge since many many years and enjoys a mostly vegan way of life. Our bass player Martin is sxe since I don´t know when. I myself prefer a non-poisonous and vegetarian lifestyle. We have met so many people who can´t understand how it works out to be a band with so many different styles of consume behavior but hey…respect each other’s opinions and you will see, that this is not so difficult.
What pisses you off about current state of your country?
I am the son of a Bosnian father and what I really hate about the German society that they are not willed to stand together in times when it would be necessary to fight for our freedom and so-called democracy. I guess I speak for everyone in every country when I say, I wanna have more transparency for political decisions. Germany is such a rich country and stands for a civilized region with human rights…how can we send tanks to Saudi Arabia to conduct their anti-Islamic war? That really doesn´t make sense to me and makes me angry and sad. It is just a matter of the amount of millions to pay that move politicians to dubious double standards. I guess this is a problem when I think about humanity in general.
What would you bring into the discussion about Germany helping Greece out with massive funding? Do you care about European politics of your country?
Franky is the son of a Greek mother and for sure all of us are caring about politics not only concerning Germany. Of course we are interested in Europe and the whole world procedure. We are all thinking creatures and we should try to get the bottom of the world surrounding us day by day. The media let us only notice what we should know or should believe in. So in my opinion it is the best to pick holes in arguments and not to believe and follow blindly.
But I guess when a committee of countries decided to integrate Greece to the EU, than there is every member of the EU responsible for the reigning problems of each other. In a commitment everyone should truly take care of each other and I really can´t understand why everybody is so mad about Greece, such a wonderful and historical country. If there are bad times you have to pass through this experience and endure. The politics and media try to consolidate fake ideals of unity just like the world we´re forced to live in. This won´t happen at random at all. We can only do our best starting by ourselves at ourselves. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. So what the fuck is wrong by helping someone´s out? This is definitely the right way in my opinion to get started from scratch and to built up on trust and solidarity.
Alright. Going back to GO FOR IT!, how many shows have you played so far? Are you a heavy touring band?
We´re really not a heavy touring band, not in the concrete sense of the meaning. But we have the privilege to play really good and big shows just like the last one with Negative Approach during the 20th anniversary of our friend Backs at Positive Records. I never counted the exactly amount but we are always hungry to play. We have played the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and countless shows in Germany of course and hope that we can play Austria, Switzerland and maybe France in 2013.
Is it still all similar for you to your early days of touring?
I have never thought I would write these lines down one day during an interview but “when you are getting older” it is getting different but not harder. When you sit in the van, looking forward to the show, you always wanna have a good time and meet up some cool people that share the same love…music from the bottom of the heart. Somehow we are still kids that just love what we do.
We saw your messages where you were looking for some weekenders to play. Aren’t you tempted to play some longer treks? Doesn’t your job let you afford such touring?
As I have written already we are always willed to play shows anywhere but there you called it my friend…jobs. If there would be any possibility that someone would pay our bills, we would definitely play more shows abroad or anywhere else where we are asked for. Reaching foreign places where you haven´t been yet before by playing music and bring the passion to the kids is one of the reasons I´m doing this and why Go For It! is around to release outputs and play shows anywhere possible.
But our jobs don´t allow us to play long tour periods, so we have to concentrate on the weekends. We are all into social jobs with really different duty rosters but hey, after 4 years of existence our thirst and hunger for shows hasn´t stopped in any way and we are working out some shows for the beginning of 2013 and the following year.
What does the next year look like for GO FOR IT?
First of all, we gonna release “Misanthropy” and promote the album anywhere possible… in magazines and fanzines, during interviews like we have now the possibility, and the best of all …at shows. After that we will play more shows and do more promo work for sure J Right now, we are writing new stuff and it is really working out at this point. Maybe we will release a split cd or maybe a vinyl edition. We will see what happen and what the magazines and the kids say about our latest output. We´re really looking forward to your opinions.
Share some cool local bands, zines and crews you support.
Cool bands that you are in need to know are our friends STRENGTH and if you are into some chaotic stuff with a huge Rock ´n´ Roll edge, you should listen to LAVATCH. And our former bass player sings now in a band called Salt. So you better check this out and keep that in mind. All of these guys are so damned hot, good friends doing the right thing with a positive message.
When it comes to a Metal band I would say BACKFIRED HATE. A damned tight band with killer riffs and they remind me of a mix of FEAR FACTORY and PANTERA. Franky did an awesome song with them called “Fire” and you should catch it if you can, believe me.
Crews?!? Aaah, I´ve never understand why there are “crews” when I´m honest. Don´t get me wrong, I share the same support thinking at all but over here in Germany it is kinda different in my opinion. This is not Brooklyn and no one is forced to feed his or her family by criminal interaction or stuff like this. No one has to steal, kill or fight for food to care for the relatives.
When I think about zines there is Open Your Eyes that stands for cool and powerful photo shoots and our buddy Benny at Own Blood Magazine is still there…after all these years of trouble, struggle and disappointment. This is what Hardcore music is all about…dedication!
And finally I wanna mention Annika Sonntag who is an awesome artist who did the “Misanthropy” cover which is originally drawn in oil with the size 1,60m x 0,80m.
Thanks, guys. Feel free to add anything you want. Thanks!
Hey Karol, thanks a lot for giving us the opportunity to spread our message to the kids and finally I wanna say…don´t believe all the shit they´re trying to tell us. Use your head and be a thinking questioning individual and believe in what you do, no matter what the others say. We´re always happy if we can share the same love with the kids…the music connects us. No matter who you are, try to be you.
Let´s have a good time at our shows and bring the commitment back to our scene.Maximum respect from the bottom of our hearts…
Haris & Go For It!-family
